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Plague Inc.'s new 'The Cure' mode is free until the coronavirus pandemic ends
The new mode reverses the title’s usual gameplay loop in which you design a virus to wipe out the human race.
Save the world from a pandemic in the next 'Plague, Inc.' update
Plague, Inc. lets you become a mad scientist. You design a pathogen and release it upon the world, trigger certain evolutionary traits and -- if all goes according to plan -- wipe out the human race. The game came out eight years ago, but the relevance of the game during real-life events like the current coronavirus pandemic and the ebola outbreak of 2013 keep bringing people back for more. To help make the game a little less morbid, Ndemic Creations will add a new mode to Plague, Inc. that lets you take on the opposite role and save the world from a global disease. The designers are working with the World Health Organization, the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network and other groups to create an informative experience. Though a release date hasn't been announced, the update will be free for all players.
Fake news can help you kill the world in 'Plague Inc.'
Strategy game Plague Inc. has been around for ages, but its makers are still working on ways to keep it relevant and interesting. The game, which sees players do their best to wipe out the world with infectious disease, was given an anti-vaxxer scenario earlier this year. Now, the potentially-devastating phenomenon of fake news is on the agenda, too.
Ebola scare causes spike in Plague Inc game sales
Worried about the Ebola scare but feel powerless to do anything about it? Join the tens of millions of people who have joined the dark side, so to speak, and created their own virtual plague in a quest to wipe out humanity in Plague Inc. The developers of the hit game are noting a noticeable spike in sales following an increase in Ebola media coverage, with many players now naming their own viruses "Ebola" and then attempting to take over the world. The game is based on the concept that a single infected individual can lead to the destruction of society and, eventually, the end of the world. Each play sessions starts with a "Patient Zero," at which point the player tweaks the disease so that it can spread as far as possible and kill as many humans before eventually being cured -- or, if the player wins, leading to the extinction of mankind. Sales of the game have risen more than 50% since Ebola began taking over headlines and newscasts, and the game's creator James Vaughan is already in talks to donate a portion of the game's proceeds towards victims of the disease.
Plague Inc. picks up more players during Ebola outbreak
In Plague Inc, players simulate fast-moving, contagious diseases in a bid to infect the entire world. Players are able to name their own diseases and experiment with simulated human behavior, such as eliminating hand-washing in certain countries or adding sophisticated hospital systems in others. The ongoing outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has drawn extra attention to Plague Inc, driving sales up in recent weeks, creator James Vaughan told the Daily Mail. "This hasn't been the biggest increase we've had in our downloads in 2014, but I think this is the first time a real-world situation has been the reason why people are getting the game," Vaughan said. On Twitter, he added, "Public concern about #Ebola has increased Plague Inc. downloads recently." Last week, 430,000 people downloaded the Plague Inc app, a rise of 147,000 over the same stat two weeks prior. During that same time, 4 million people played the game, 923,000 more than player numbers two weeks prior. Plague Inc launched in 2012 and has a player base of 35 million across iOS and Android. Plague Inc: Evolved hit Steam in February and there's a version in development for Xbox One.
Plague Inc. to contract Planet of the Apes-inspired Simian Flu
Plague Inc.'s concerningly-enthusiastic virus makers have smothered humanity in quite a few viruses, but they've yet to spread an epidemic that threatens to reassign apes as the world's dominant species. That's about to change, thanks to an update themed after the upcoming Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which should be available "very soon" for the mobile Plague Inc. and its PC and Mac counterpart, Plague Inc.: Evolved. It will also be a threat in the to-be-released Xbox One version of Evolved. Once the update adds the Simian Flu to a player's arsenal, it can be used against humanity as a lethal virus and as a supplementary aide to the spread of ape colonies. The press release notes tactical options like sending apes to attack research labs, hiding colonies from military drones and migrating to spare groups from experiment-happy scientists. We're wondering if an update to an update is out of the question – specifically, if we could get an additional movie tie-in with The Wizard of Oz, so that our ape colonies could sprout wings and don silly little vests. Maybe airborne origins would help us finally bring the impenetrable fortress known as Greenland to its knees ... [Image: Pandemic Creations]
Bad App Reviews: Plague Inc.
There are some fantastic games on the App Store, but not everyone loves every best-selling title. When some customers decide to use their eloquent writing skills to pen disparaging reviews, hilarity ensues. Bad App Reviews brings you actual App Store critiques written by living breathing humans. Have a suggestion for a game? Hit me up on Twitter at @MikeWehner. A strategy game where you have to engineer the downfall of humanity? Who wouldn't love that? A lot of people, apparently. Here are some genuine one-star App Store reviews for Plague Inc.
Plague Inc: Evolved infecting PC players February 20
The PC master race could only resemble Madagascar for so long - Plague Inc's supervirus of fun is coming for all of you on February 20, but the mutation that takes you down will be called Plague Inc: Evolved. Mac and Linux players are targets for Evolved as well, but they'll be reached "as soon as possible" after the PC infection via Steam. Evolved will add multiplayer, allowing you to work with friends to find a cure or race to humanity's extinction. Your creative liberties can influence more than just a disease's name this time, too - players will be able to create new plague types and share their masterpieces via Steam Workshop. You'll also be able to watch your handiwork take its toll from a street view as well as an individual organ perspective ... you know, for science. While developer Ndemic Creations' FAQ for Evolved confirms the game will cost more than the original, it does not suggest a launch price. [Image: Ndemic Creations]
Pandemic: The Board Game infects iPads on October 3
Real-life board game Pandemic is coming to iPads on October 3 as Pandemic: The Board Game, developer Z-Man Games has announced. Pandemic: The Board Game will join iOS games like Pandemic 2.5 and Plague Inc, the latter of which is developed by Ndemic Creations. Because none of these names could possibly confuse anyone. In Pandemic: The Board Game, up to four players take on one of seven roles, such as Scientist and Medic, to help stop the spread of deadly diseases. The game will feature an animated interface, interactive tutorial and multiple difficulty levels. It is unknown whether or not it will also include tips on how to tell friends about the game without confusing them as to which Pandemic you are talking about.
Plague Inc. spreads pulmonary fibrosis awareness through virtual contagion
Today is Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Day, a fact you might already be aware of if you've been playing Ndemic Creation's mobile game, Plague Inc. Ndemic first announced a team-up with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in June, but it wasn't until today that players started seeing an in-game news item which directs players to learn more about the condition. "This will be seen an estimated 9.8 million times in just two weeks - raising crucial awareness of this lung disease that has limited treatment options, no known cure, and kills someone every 13 minutes in the US alone," Plague Inc. creator James Vaughan wrote on the game's website. Vaughan told the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in a special Q&A that although the game tends to "educate by accident," he believes that it will help players see that, "although Plague Inc. is a game – the diseases and symptoms it depicts are very real and that there is a lot of work needed to develop treatment and cures for them."
Plague Inc. developer agrees to speak with Centers for Disease Control
James Vaughan, the creator of the iOS disease-spreading hit Plague Inc., has agreed to speak to the actual Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a US organization that deals with real viruses and other infectious outbreaks. "They reached out to contact me," Vaughan told Polygon recently. "It was something they were all playing, and they thought, 'Wow, this is pretty cool.'"Vaughan doesn't have any medical training; he started Plague Inc. as a hobby while working as an economic consultant. But he said he did make the game as "scientifically plausible as possible," and the CDC wants to speak with him not only to chat about infectious diseases, but how to best use games to educate and inform the public about real health issues.
Plague, Inc. gets a new virus, delivered in an interesting way
Plague Inc. is one of the most popular strategy games on the App Store: It's a title with the gory premise of you controlling a plague running around the world, trying to infect as many people as possible before the rest of humanity can come up with a cure. The game's latest update is out this week, and it adds a new virus to play with called the "Necroa" virus. This virus reanimates dead people and causes them to want to attack the living -- in other words, it creates zombies, and the update comes with an extra opposition force called Z Com to mix up the strategy a little bit. But even more interesting than the new update to the game is how it's being distributed. If you can beat (or have beaten) Plague Inc. on the highest difficulty, you get the new content for free. If you can't, then you can get the content via an in-app purchase of US$1.99. I haven't seen an app do that before. Of course, a lot of apps have sold convenience items via in-app purchase, or used purchased items to let players reach goals faster, but I haven't ever seen a developer make an item available based on difficulty. We'll have to see exactly how that works for them as the update goes forward. In the meantime, the update is live right now, and you can download Plague Inc., if you haven't yet, for 99 cents.
