Voyeur (video game)
| Voyeur | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Philips POV Entertainment Group |
| Publisher(s) | Philips Interactive Media (CD-i version) Interplay (MS-DOS version) MacPlay (Mac OS version) |
| Composer(s) | Garry Schyman |
| Platform(s) | CD-i, DOS, Mac OS |
| Release | 1993 (CD-i) 1994 (MS-DOS/Mac OS) |
| Genre(s) | Full Motion Video game |
| Mode(s) | single player |
Voyeur and Voyeur II were full motion video games released in 1993 and 1996 respectively. The first game was originally released as the "flagship" product for the short lived Philips CD-i multimedia system/video game console. DOS and Macintosh computer ports of it were later released and the sequel was only available for those computers. Recently, however a finished beta version of the sequel for Philips CD-I has been discovered and distributed on various abandonware sites.
In the first game, the playable character is a private investigator hired by a member of the wealthy Hawke family in order to gain enough evidence to bring down the corrupt Reed Hawke (played by Robert Culp), CEO of Hawke Industries. Hawke has gathered his family together for the weekend to prepare for his announcement that he will be running for President of the United States. The player controls a video camera located in a building opposite to spy on the Hawke family home in an effort to gather enough evidence to destroy Reed Hawke's career.
The format of the game was similar to that of the Digital Pictures full motion video games such as Night Trap and Double Switch, with two important differences. The first major difference was that Voyeur's full motion video included female nudity and simulated sex scenes giving the game a warning label on its box about its mature subject matter. This is in contrast to full motion video games such as Night Trap where everything was kept within the equivalence of a PG-13 rating.
The second major difference was that the playable character's client was different every game and thus the storyline would change slightly. While Night Trap and Double Switch did have multiple endings, most of them if you failed, the storyline did not change.
Controversy
Voyeur was released when the American video game industry was under an investigation by the United States Congress for the level of violence and sexually suggestive themes in video games. The result of these investigations was the creation of the independent Entertainment Software Rating Board to rate all video and computer games sold in the United States of America. However, Night Trap received more attention than Voyeur during these proceedings. It was also reviewed by the BBFC who attributed an 18 rating.[1]
Voyeur II
| Voyeur II | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | InterWeave Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Philips Media |
| Platform(s) | MS-DOS |
| Release | 1996 |
| Genre(s) | Full Motion Video game |
| Mode(s) | single player |
In 1996 Philips Media (the name had changed) released a sequel to Voyeur, starring Dennis Weaver. This time hidden cameras were placed on an isolated mountain cabin where various people have gathered for the reading of a will that is expected to give Dr. Elizabeth Duran control of a lucrative research institute. All of the cabin guests want control of the institute and the player's goal is to watch the cameras in order to find out which one is a murderer before he or she kills Dr. Duran.