Mac Game: Art project or malware?
The Lose/Lose game warns players before they launch the application that they are likely to have files deleted.
(Credit: Lose/Lose)As part of his Master of Fine Arts thesis project, Zach Gage wrote a game to run on Macintosh computers that resembles Space Invaders but with a digital roulette twist--for every alien space ship the player destroys a random file on the computer is deleted.
"Lose/Lose is a video-game with real life consequences. Each alien in the game is created based on a random file on the player's computer. If the player kills the alien, the file it is based on is deleted. If the player's ship is destroyed, the application itself is deleted," the computer technology design major wrote on his Web site.
"At what point does our virtual data become as important to us as physical possessions? If we have reached that point already, what real objects do we value less than our data?" he asks.
On September 14, Gage posted his "Lose/Lose" game on his Web site and at the Experimental Gameplay Project, which links back to his site where he has a big warning in red: "KILLING ALIENS IN LOSE/LOSE WILL DELETE FILES ON YOUR HARDDRIVE PERMANENTLY." The application also displays a warning when it is launched.
This week, Symantec announced that it has flagged the application as malware, a Trojan it has dubbed OSX.Loosemaque. Sophos is calling it a Trojan too, OSX/LoseGame-A and Intego has named it OSX/LoserGame.
"We are concerned that somebody could take this and modify it in some way where users aren't aware of the consequences," Kevin Haley, director of product management at Symantec Security Response, said in an interview on Wednesday. "We want to make people aware of what's on their machine and they can make the decision on whether to run it or not."
Asked to comment on the stir his project was creating, Gage seemed amused.
"I'm kind of OK with it being labeled malware," he said in a phone interview. "I would categorize it as dangerous software, but not malware because it is dangerous if you use it in a certain manner. Whereas malware implies it was designed to be malicious...Calling it a Trojan is really blowing it out of proportion."
Trojan horses are programs, typically masquerading as a benign program or hidden in legitimate software, which provide an attacker unauthorized access to the system. However, Gage's program explicitly says what it does and what the consequences are.
In addition to exploring the nature of risk and reward with regard to war and the notion of how small wins distract from the larger picture, the game provokes discussion about the risks people take with technology every day, Gage said.
"We need to pay attention to how we behave on computers," he said.
Apparently, some people don't mind playing with fire. The list of high scorers on the game site shows more than 40 players, with the highest score having destroyed nearly 5,000 files, or aliens.
"I'm surprised anyone has played it," Gage said. "I'm shocked."
Asked to comment on any possible beneficial merits of the project, Symantec's Haley said: "I don't see the positive aspect of it, but I suppose if it's art we're not supposed to completely understand it."
Symantec created a video that shows how the game works. When an alien ship is destroyed (on the left) a corresponding file is deleted (on the right).
(Credit: Symantec)
Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service, and the Associated Press. E-mail Elinor. 
So lets just not call them malware and then we can keep advertising that we're malware free. Stupid people won't know the difference and just nod their heads.
I seem to remember an old DOS trick where I think it was a Madonna track would play in midi while overwriting files so deleting files is not a new trick.
Another thing it does it actually permanently delete the files or just put them into the trash. I wish journalists would actually do some research before copy and pasting stuff from other sites / press releases. This story seems to be everywhere, but no one seems to have tried it or talked to the people behind it.
Adding the ability to 'delete files'...lol, couldn't be more simple. Nobody needs to start with this guys program.
In fact, I recall a Doom (or was it Quake?) mod a lot time ago where each monster was a UNIX process - if you killed the one named "init", your computer rebooted.
Two bits:
I agree on more research, though, as to whether or not it only throws the files in the trash, or deletes them permanently (that is, using rm -f )
Also, Time Machine (or in 'doze, Shadow copies) will likely restore them all when you're done, so there's really not that much to worry over.
Elinor
What is it with that?
(it never snows there, so the poor saps @ CNET have to guess at when it snows for the rest of us... :) )
The account had little in it besides a small collection of images on the desktop. After repeated plays, none of the files had been deleted. This makes me suspicious of the game?s creator?s claims.
The game doesn?t have admin privileges, so my best guess is that the game?s claims are b.s.
It would be quiet funny though if it gave the warning but did not really delete files just to see if anyone would play it.
Anyway, just proves what a waste an MFA degree can be, though it does allow you to get a position teaching other students to waste their time and thousands of dollars.
It's just funny that someone made a game that actually punishes you for doing well. :) I love that.
I just like how it created a real Lose-Lose scenario. You lose the game... or you lose some files.
On Topic: Modern "Art" is something that can't be really defined. I have seen some pretty ridiculous works, being named as "Art" including unmodified Urinals, rotting animal corpses, and god knows what.
This is byfar, one of the most dangerous/interesting work of "Art" that I have ever seen. Thank god it isn't a real virus.
Enjoy your game Mums and Dads who were told they didn't need anti-virus.
"thank god it isn't a real virus"
Probably not a virus (as per the defination) but definately Malware.
Probably not a virus (as per the defination) but definately Malware."
The program writer clearly states that this "game" destroys files and information. In addition, he is not purposely distributing this product without end-user knowledge. It is an experiment, and it is perfectly legal because it is not being used for true malicious intent. You are given a choice as to if you want to use the program or not. Malware, on the other hand, does not warn end-users, and is almost always used for malicious intent.
"Enjoy your game Mums and Dads who were told they didn't need anti-virus."
I don't necessarily understand the point of this comment, but in any case, I do not use any antivirus/anti-malware software. Hell, I don't even have my firewall on, and my computer has been running smoothly for 2 years without requiring restoration.
Err, dunno how to break it to you, but no OS, and no anti-virus is going to prevent you from doing something stupid - like, you know, play a game that clearly tells you what it's going to do, then does it.
(...and if "Junior" wipes out his own files, that's his problem. "Mum" and "Dad" will still have their files. Not always the case in Windows ;) )
n. Malicious computer software that interferes with normal computer functions or sends personal data about the user to unauthorized parties over the Internet.
If you can't read a blazing-red giant text warning screen about exactly what this program does, you're too stupid to own a computer, and might as well delete the problems yourself. I fail to see how this program, but presenting everything up-front, is AT ALL malicious.
I'll sent it to some people in India, France, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and then call them stupid for not knowing English then.
I can't wait for the Japanese version of this to be uploaded onto English games sites, then the Japanese can tell us English speaking people we were to stupid to use a computer because we can't read the warning.
When will people start to realise that the internet is global and not everyone on the planet is as 'smart' as them.
"(...and if "Junior" wipes out his own files, that's his problem. "Mum" and "Dad" will still have their files. Not always the case in Windows ;) ) "
Or in OS X or Linux or BSD or *any* OS. If Junior is running with admin rights, then nothing is safe.
*yawn*
Heeeeere we go. Now we have to turn a tech discussion about exercising reasonable personal responsibility into some conversation about globalization and the place of the web across world cultures. Spare me.
If "Junior" is running with admin rights, then you're an idiot for giving them to him.
The other issue I can see is some twit deciding to install this on demo machines out on the Apple Store's display units or at Best Buy as a prank.
@Yelonde
They copy their boot image from a server on restart - just to avoid this kind of nonsense. If you've providing Macs in a public setting this is good practice (I know you can do this with Linux and Windows too - this isn't unique to Macs).
@Vegaman_Dan
They run like that so you can do anything with them (Customer wants to see how to do something the account has the power like they would at home) a reboot and the Mac is back how it was. I'm assuming that all store Mac are setup the same way (I know this because I wanted to see the "Magic Mouse" and at the beginning of the day someone hadn't installed the driver on the boot image - and it didn't/couldn't work on any of the Macs, you could install it - but on reboot it vanished).
Starting the OS from a boot server is nothing new or special. All the OS's have been able to do that for years. In a retail environment, it should be done because customers are twits who will screw up the configuration in some way likely without knowing it.
That said, it still isn't a good idea to let someone walk in with a USB drive, drag the app into the app folder and let people play with it. Sure, it may take a while for the game to damage the OS, but when it does- will the customer call attention to that fact to a staff person, or will they just shake their head at the almighty OS X throwing out odd errors when all they were doing was trying to check out the new product they wanted to sell?
Do you want to look at a demo machine that is clean, shiny, and operating perfectly or do you want to look at one that has been beaten up, damaged, and barely running or not running at all? Which experience will convince you to buy the product?
I wish I could say that the Apple store employees care enough to check on the systems, but experience proves otherwise.
Apple store computer images are reloaded every morning. Every time I've been there, the vast majority of the machines are working as advertised. Occasionally one is turned off by a customer, but other than that, they are working.
They are NOT easily modified by visitors, software can't be installed if it requires a password (and if it doesn't, there is no risk). And Apple employees do tend to check on the machines, though obviously their first priority is to help customers buy things (it's a store, after all).
Go back to installing $1000 laptop screens for suckers...
My question is: does this "Artist" have stock in Best Buy? Because you know the Geek Squad's gonna get calls on how to fix this...Maybe they stock in Apple, and the Geniuses will get OT to fix issues.
Unfortunately, neither the Geek Squad nor Apple Geniuses can fix stupid.
2) you are clearly WARNED up-front as to what it can do, so there's no deception - hence, not a trojan.
The A/V vendors who stupidly called it a trojan? Merely showing their desperation to break into a market, one that has no need for them.
vi?rus
??/?va?r?s/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [vahy-ruhs] Show IPA
?noun, plural -rus?es.
4. a segment of self-replicating code planted illegally in a computer program, often to damage or shut down a system or network.
Trojan horse
n.
3. Computer Science: A program that appears to be legitimate but is designed to have destructive effects, as to data residing in the computer onto which the program was loaded.
This program doesn't at all pretend to be benign, so what reasonable person would say "OH! This program is telling me that it'll delete things! It must be a joke!"? Not a trojan at all. If someone (and to avoid more globalization nonsense) who speaks English and reads the warning STILL plays the game, they might as well delete random files themselves, as they are WHOLLY responsible at that point.
It's almost like people are criticizing someone for inventing matches because some moron may burn down their house.
I suspect those who have racked up lots of points playing it are playing it on someone elses computer, and the damage can be just as severe as a trojan that gives no warning.
Call it the Mac semi Pro. At least give mainstream gamers and designer's a reason to go Mac.
I will never buy a All in one computer because of its biggest design flaw. The hardware will become outdated before the Screen goes bad. Now you are wasting money and potentially polluting landfills because half your computer needs replacing. It makes Apple happy but you lose money replacing more then what you need. I have replaced two desktops but still use one monitor. Not to mention I was able to upgrade them twice before decommissioning them.
Could it be the unmatched graphics display that Apple offers? Or perhaps the stability and quality of the hardware and OS? Windows is better, trust me. That's what everyone says. Millions. All over the world. And because millions say it is so, then it must be.
Any Mac can easily have the RAM and hard drive upgraded. Upgrading the optical drive isn't too bad, either. True, the processor and video can't be upgraded, but you will find the same is true of plenty of laptop and all-in-one designs out there.
Also, unless you are using a computer for 3D gaming, there is little need to upgrade so often. There are plenty of people who could get by just fine with an iMac G4 or possibly an iMac G3 even now! The basic requirements for most everyday tasks don't change much as evidenced by the popularity of netbooks.
> designs out >there.
------------------
What are you smoking? Anyone who plays games (beyond solitare) will either have a gaming rig or a gaming laptop and not some simpleton with a keyboard. I swap out graphics card to extend the life of my computer for an additional 1-2 years so don't tell me its no big deal to not have the option to upgrade a graphics card (or in my case dual cards). Problem with gaming laptops with unswapable graphics is that after 3 years they will be woefully behind the software.
I'm not smoking anything. You do realize that the majority of people don't care about upgrading processors and graphics cards, right? That includes plenty of casual gamers. As someone who actually works with computers for a living, I can assure you that you are not in the majority. Since you use dual cards, you are in a tiny minority.
And yes, I do have a gaming rig.
"Wow, for a "dr" you sure don't know much.
vi?rus
??/?va?r?s/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [vahy-ruhs] Show IPA
?noun, plural -rus?es.
4. a segment of self-replicating code planted illegally in a computer program, often to damage or shut down a system or network."
As a doc with two doctorates under my belt--and working on a third--I know enough to know that you just proved my point with your definition. Pay particular attention to the latter half of the definition: "...often to damage or shut down a system or network."
That sounds to me like what this piece of drek will do. Damage a system.
Thanks for the assist!
A trojan normally goes in through the back door without the users consent now they're walking right through the FRONT DOOR in this game and unfortunately many computer users will take the thrill risk this game, cough, cough, poses and potentially destroy their computers
we shouldn't be praising this guy we should be blacklisting him and warning everyone as quick as we can like Symantec and Sophos are doing
Its 1 thing to play around with the risk-lose scenario of losing personal data, but System files?...you play with fire, you'll get burnt
If you're the type who downloads stuff and doesn't read the directions or EULA before using, there's always your backup copy to fall back on. Maybe.
- by xim1970 November 13, 2009 12:24 PM PST
- I wouldn't call this an art project, but more a statement on just how lame of a society we have become. If you are willing to lose 5,000 files, you must not be taking your personal data too seriously, and in today's world, we should pay more attention to personal security and privacy. I think that is what he is trying to highlight with this game: if you are stupid enough to play, you are stupid enough to have $50,000 racked up on your credit cards. Good statement, and well done!
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