An independent game developer recently got fired from his day job at the Canadian Revenue Agency after releasing a satirical depiction of his apparently aggravating and unfulfilling call-center job.
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Entitled "I get this call every day," David Gallant's point-and-click "adventure" game highlights the dubious satisfaction of dealing with thoughtless, abrasive people on the phone every day. Here's Gallant walking us through the inspiration and ideas behind the game, which was released just over a month ago:
The game's core mechanic -- balancing the need to not get fired against the desire to offer snappy answers to obnoxious callers -- may resonate with anyone who's had to pull that duty. Gallant says that the idea behind the MS Paint visual style is that "terrible art conveys a terrible work environment."
According to a report from Eurogamer, Gallant has not confirmed that the game is the reason for his dismissal due to legal concerns. However, the site also notes that he has realized a not-inconsiderable silver lining from the loss of his job: Sales of "I get this call every day" have skyrocketed.
On his Twitter account, Gallant has said that he's actually made enough money to cover his expenses for a couple of months.
"It's a huge blessing in disguise," he tweeted yesterday.
You can buy "I get this call every day" from Gallant's website for a minimum suggested donation of $2, if you're interested.
Email Jon Gold at jgold@nww.com and follow him on Twitter at @NWWJonGold.
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