“Hobo Hunt” App is Major Google/Android #Fail (aka WTF?)

NEWS: The app has been pulled by the developer. Read their statement http://www.emuparadise.me/the-gamers-voice/breaking-news-hobohunt-pulled-by-creators/

 

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I learned about this from Twitter. Android (aka Google) has added an app called “Hobo Hunt” to their marketplace.

HoboHunt awards players for hunting down poor people and virtually killing them.

Players first snap a photo of a homeless person, which is then uploaded to their phone, and they then choose from an arsenal of weapons to shoot the image. Apple has rejected the game app on three separate occasions, HoboHunt said in a press release, but insists that there is some merit to the activity.

So let me summarize. Players have to FIND an actual homeless person, take a picture and then select a weapon of their choice to shoot the image of the actual homeless person.

Ummm, what?

So remember when “beating up bums” was a “thing”? (How much punctuation-of-outrage is this post going to require?)

http://gothamist.com/2011/12/20/video_beating_bums_is_still_a_thing.php

Kids and adults were posting on Facebook their intent to assault a homeless person and then putting the video on YouTube. Apparently, the disregard for human life is so embedded in these kids that they don’t care if people know about this activity. It is “cool.”

Then remember “Bum Fights” … video series in which homeless men, some clearly abusing drugs and alcohol, were encouraged to fight for basically trinkets. It is pretty unpleasant to watch and filled with a lot of violence and vulgarities, racial slurs, oh and lighting someone’s hat on fire. These videos have been banned in several countries, forbidden listings on Ebay and were put out of production in 2006.

 

So now we have Hobo Hunt.  Its not like literally beating up homeless people, just virtually killing them. Or anyone. Because the game isn’t just about hunting hobos. It is about hunting anyone and killing them. From their website:

So what:  So download HoboHunt for FREE.  It will make you better than your friends.  When your friends get HoboHunt too, then hunt them and mock them on the internet.  Math teacher give you too much homework?  Flamethrower.  Hate your boss?  Crossbow.  HoboHunt is best.

Do I really need to explain why this is offensive? Maybe I’ll just hit the highlights.

  • Dehumanizes homeless people by making their lack of housing an object of scorn & derision.
  • Strips homeless people of their dignity by posting their photos on the app w/o their permission.
  • Suggests targeting humans for violence is “fun.”
  • Promotes violence in general.
  • Mocks homelessness in a “post” Recession economy when many, many people have lost their homes and are moving into shelters, motels, cars and the streets.
  • Suggests violence against bosses and other kids. Teachers, etc. Do we really need to mock school violence and bullying, workplace violence and bullying, etc?

But they “love hobos” and donate an unnamed portion to an unidentified charity. If you check their website gallery of “prey” for the hunt, you’ll see a lot of photos of kids (?), self portraits and a few with people blocking their face (implying that don’t consent to be on a webpage I would assume.)

This is available in the iPhone market and the Android market.

Now reaching Google to complain is impossible. The LGBT community did a great job getting them to remove the “Is Your Son Gay?” app by behind the scenes contact and a Twitter campaign.

So folks, let’s tweet. Send the tweet to @Google. Keep it short. Get rid of the app. Mention if you are a customer. Be creative.

Spread the word. Get your friends on Twitter to contact Google. Anyone who has been a victim of violence or loves someone who has been a victim should be outraged … parents of kids being bullied (can you imagine seeing you child’s school picture on this site?), someone who dealt with a coworker bringing a gun to work, and oh yeah … those who feel compassion for homeless people.

This is ridiculous. Google doesn’t need to make money promoting violence.

To be honest, I downloaded the app to see how it works. Its not even well-functioning. Its clunky and awkward and amateurish. Which is about par for course considering the mentality of people who made it.

Don’t forget to send the tweet. 

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UPDATE: Here’s a petition from Change.Org

 

 

 

 

 

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