If you’ve ever dreamed of starring in your own zombie shooting video game, like Left4Dead or Resident Evil, your wish is about to come true as “Patient 0“, the world’s first “fully immersive live action real life, multiplayer, first person shooter, role-playing game” is about to take place in Melbourne, Australia.
It’s no secret that we’re living in a golden age of zombies. From movies to video games and even real life events, the undead are everywhere these days, so it came as no surprise when entrepreneurs started creating all kinds of events centered around the walking corpses. So far we’ve had a zombie training camp, zombie obstacle race and even a zombie-infested mall challenge, so it’s pretty clear this kind of event is becoming very popular. A group of enterprising young Australians has now decided to take things to a whole new level and announced they are working on a real-life first person shooter game for people who wish they could just get off the couch and play their favorite zombie shooter in real life.
Like I mentioned earlier, zombie-themed events are nothing revolutionary, but what these Aussie enthusiasts are trying to create has never been done before. They plan to combine laser tag games, interactive role playing, technology and, of course, zombies to create a real life game where players can actually be the protagonists of their very own zombie survival adventure. Called “Patient 0” this unique experience will be launched on October 31st, in Melbourne, where it will run for a whole month. Depending on its success, the event will probably be held in other Australian cities, as well.
It might sound funny, but for the people behind the IRF (In Real Life) Shooter project, it’s serious business. They plan on finding and dressing a location that looks like something out of a zombie video game, and adding professional-produced ambience sounds through a state of the art audio system, for extra eeriness. There will also be live HD video streaming from the CCTVs installed in the building.
One thing they are working really hard on is the weaponry players will get to use in Patient 0. Anyone who has ever played laser tag knows the experience is underwhelming, so it’s not ideal for an adrenalin-packed experience like a real life zombies shooter. That’s why the guys behind the project are working hard on custom-designed M4 assault rifle replicas that look and feel like real weapons. So far they are fitted with custom electronics and software, as well as mesh-networking which will send info on health, ammunition, hits and misses of the player to servers, in order to keep scores. The are also considering adding sound and muzzle flash, and a recoil effect.
The actual zombies will be played by paid actors wearing a series of sensors which will register hits on various body parts. Some will play your usual generic zombie, while other will be harder-to-kill hero zombies and even game bosses. Because, as one of the developers says, “what sort of game hasn’t got bosses?”. Because Patient 0 is designed as a real life video game, it will also be story-driven with multiple levels, each with its own mission objectives, including information gathering and puzzle solving. According to the project page “this first instalment in the I.R.L Shooter universe is only going to play out once, then we change the story. It’s going to be up to the players to put all the pieces together, find all the hidden information and try to work out who is behind it all!”
So far, the people behind Patient 0 have already reached their $10,000 goal on Pozible, with 52 days to go until deadline. They have over $30,000 in pledges right now, and as news of their idea spreads even more, they might be looking at serious funding for their Melbourne zombie shooter. As a big fan of zombie video games, I can’t wait to see what they come up with on Halloween. All I know is it sounds pretty exciting.
Tickets to Patient 0 will cost $125 per person, but there are still a few discounts available for those who pre-order.
Pozible via I Started Something
