ILOVEFOXCONN

Update:

Recently interviewed in Miami New Times http://bit.ly/m4Ql5W

and update to the unfortunate suicides. after the recent events at Foxconn and their seemingly inability to create a safe work environment http://evertiq.com/news/19689 , http://sacom.hk/archives/844 there has also been another suicide not yet reported on the AP http://mail.goodelectronics.org/pipermail/newslist/2011-May/000131.html

It is also noteworthy to read how Apple and Foxconn have failed to keep their promises of better working conditions and larger wages. http://sacom.hk/archives/844 Yes, they gave their employees raises and.. yes, they cut subsidies to housing and food. The payment remains the same across the board.

Our Story

We're a small team of three that work in an industry where company ethics towards its overseas employees and suppliers is a priority. If we didn't respect our suppliers, they have the luxury to tell us to kiss off. Unfortunately the rest of the world doesn't work in the same respect. We have spent the last few months, in amazement, pouring over the news coverage of recent company ethics issues towards their employees. Some media outlets lavish the heads of these corporations with praise and their humanitarian efforts while downplaying the events, such as worker exploitation and abuse, that had created news initially. Other efforts took us into the factories, sometimes covertly, only to come back with a completely different and much less positive perspective on current conditions. It seemed only then that some action was taken to change the process in which those products were made. It's absurd. We felt that there was an opportunity to give these issues greater exposure to a broader audience that wasn't catered to by the type of news they're used to viewing. So we'd like to take these opposing viewpoints and combine them into an interactive story with a casual gaming twist.

ILOVEFOXCONN is an interactive mockumentary and touch game for the ios and android platforms. It features a virtual tour of an electronic manufacturing plant, hosted by the fictitious CEO Terry Goo of ILOVEFOXCONN, where you as a newspaper reporter will explore the grounds of the factory, interview employees, and question Terry Goo on the inner workings of the facilities. At different areas during the tour you'll be able to participate in mini games developed to mimic the jobs associated with the ILOVEFOXCONN process. You'll assemble your own i-phone, oversee a shift in an i-pad warehouse as a floor manager, be a part of internal security helping employees reach their destinations safely and securely, and enjoy the same freedoms and lifestyle of employees after-hour activities in the panopticon ILOVEFOXCONN City.

The game is a mixture of casual, adventuring and interactive storytelling. Think of it as a particularly damning episode of Southpark or Family Guy in which you play a part and decide the outcome. In addition, there are four different "casual" games, in condensed versions, that you are introduced to during your 'tour' that resemble different areas of the factory. Each of these games touches upon different issues we've encountered during our exploration on company ethics.  Some of them are based on current popular games but changed to reflect our subject while others are wholly new ideas that we've come up with. After taking the 'tour' you'll be able to play each of these games as a full version. 5 games in 1!

The 'app' part of ILOVEFOXCONN deals with keeping end users up to speed on what we consider non biased reporting or larger full scale media events dealing strictly with company/worker ethics. It will include an in app rss reader and petition engine to deal with issues we find particularly deserving of attention.

We don't really want to give much away on what it will look or play like but here are some obscured storyboard type images of what we're expecting to accomplish. (not actual screenshots)

The Impact

The questions of workers rights and company ethics seems to already be a side note in most peoples minds. We want to bring it back to the frontlines and at least try to embed a sense of responsibility when choosing products that are not made in countries where we as individuals have control over the law. For instance, did you know that some of the companies that manufacture the iPhone were employing underage children or the workers who assemble the Droid have been protesting against their 12+ hour shifts to no avail while risking loosing their jobs outright? Or did you instead read gossip on two of those companys CEOs battling it out for richest person in China? Yay. Which one was most prominent in the news for the last few weeks? How much time can you invest in digging down through the layers of the internet to find out that these problems exist in a very real way? The idea behind this application is to put these specific companies in the spotlight on the very products that create the dissenting voice by keeping the end user well informed. In addition to the games thought provoking ideals and the funds it will help generate for nonprofit organizations who battle these corporate behemoths, the app will allow a simple way for the concerned end user to petition companies on current events. A few simple touches will send a clear message of ones disapproval on an issue and hopefully help encourage positive change in policies one would think would have been in there from the beginning. This is an area of mobile gaming apps that hasnt been explored before and we believe it has the chance to be something truly unique and exciting.
It is important to note that this app is not an attack on a specific few companies but a progressive piece on the state of worker exploitation globally.

What We Need & What You Get

We are searching for the funds to allow 3 dedicated individuals the time off work to create this project in a timely manner. The funds will allow us to pause our daily jobs for three to four months to work steadily and quickly on what we believe is a revolutionary app. We are not reaching for the soft option. Creating this, with all the content we've decided on, would take a well over a year to develop considering the sparse spare time we have available to us during our daily lives. I know. I've been working on a simple shooter game for over six months and it's probably half finished. The plain truth is we can't do this without your support. We are neither a large band of people with a web of resources nor a near completed project looking for zip up funds. Our budget for this, as we've asked, only allows for frugal considerations in a limited window.

Whatever funds are established will go to creating some part of the application. Whether it's one of the more interesting games or just the' tour' or an rss reader on company conduct depends on what is raised but we hope you'll agree that the whole package is necessary to create a lasting and noteworthy impact. 

The main 'perk' of investing in this app is that you will have helped the fight against worker exploitation. Half the proceeds will go to well established, nonprofit organizations that deal specifically with this subject. We would love to hear your suggestions for different perks!

In the meantime, feast your eyes on this sweet reproduction t-shirt!

Other Ways You Can Help

Of course, even if you can't donate, you can always help spread the word for a good cause. That costs about nothing.