Red Dead Redemption 2 Is Probably the Bane of Many Employers
Since its release a couple of days ago, Red Dead Redemption 2 has been getting glowing reviews. Not only that, but social analytics company Fizziology says that lots of people have been calling in sick.
According to the firm, which analyzed over 800,000 Red Dead Redemption 2 tweets, 1.5 times more people have called in sick because of the game—even more so than people for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. And considering how much hype Call of Duty games get—especially the current iteration thanks to Battle Royale—that’s pretty impressive. It also surpassed Spider-Man and God of War three times over, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider by 12 times.
Sick days aside, Red Dead Redemption 2 is generating lots of interest on Twitter, with about 14,000 mentions per hour. Rockstar’s co-founder Dan Houser, who typically avoids the spotlight, seems proud but humble when it comes to the game’s success.
“It’s not cool to be out there pursuing fame,” he said. “I try not to have a massive ego. Video games will keep you fairly humble. It’s not the movie business.”
Houser also touched on the game’s story and progression.
“A lot of video games work on the same premise that you start as a weak person and end as a strong superhero,” he said. “But what if you start as a tough guy? Someone who’s already very strong, someone that is emotionally confident of his place in the world. Arthur’s journey is not about becoming a superhero, because he’s almost one at the start, but is going to be taken on a more intellectual roller coaster when his world view gets taken apart.”