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Creators Of Notorious FMV Game Night Trap Turn To Kickstarter For HD Rerelease
If you've ever wondered about where the ESRB ratings system came from, you can thank the controversy surrounding two games: Mortal Kombat and the 1992 Sega CD game Night Trap. Both games created a firestorm in popular culture, eventually causing Senator Joseph Leiberman to hold a series of hearings on violent video games. The game industry reacted by forming an organization that would eventually become the Entertainment Software Association, and it consolidated game ratings into the ESRB ratings that you see on most games today (you can read more on the subject here). Mortal Kombat continues to be a successful franchise, but Night Trap didn't fare as well. The creators of the game are looking to change that, via a Kickstarter effort to rerelease the game in HD, and possibly even create a new sequel.
As they mention on the Kickstarter page, FMV was extremely primitive at the time of the game's initial release. While the footage that would become the game was originally shot in 35mm, it was downgraded to the grainy visuals that the low-spec hardware could support. The goal with this Kickstarter is to bring the video up to HD standards on the PC, Mac, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. They're seeking $330,000 total, and a $20 pledge is enough to get your copy of the game if it is backed and developed. Right now, they're estimating an April 2015 release.
If the fundraising plans are successful and they raise additional money, the creators (who worked on the original game) say they'll work to acquire additional games from Digital Pictures' library and are even considering a sequel to the game. Take a look at the Kickstarter page for additional details on the game's history.
Our Take
Night Trap is certainly an interesting artifact of the era, even if it's not the greatest game around. It'll be interesting to see how the whole game looks once it's restored, including all the details players probably missed in its original incarnation. The Augers' velveteen Hammer pants, in particular, are a sight to behold in HD.
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