New gametype: FPCBS

That's First-Person Cardboard Box Sorter. Finally, the videogame industry has listened and responded to its critics with the introduction of Stacker, the seminal title in a groundbreaking new genre in gaming. Comparisons to Tetris are unfounded, industry monitors say, because Stacker is significantly more nonviolent, more nonimmersive and has even less of a storyline.

Says Doug Benzies, Stacker's chief developer:

"We're confident that the new 'reluctantly interactive' content engine we designed will prevent any excitement or emotional involvement, inappropriate or otherwise, on the part of the player."

Revelation of the demo at the Tokyo Game Show this year made no mention of online play, but seeing as how that may encourage interaction and possibly creativity, it seems an unlikely feature to be added before release, or really at any time.

All is not rosy, however, as some parents are already salivating at the possibility of lawsuits related to Stacker's release. From the article above:

...several parents of teenagers who work in warehouses and box factories are already threatening Take-Two with civil lawsuits, claiming that Stacker may adversely affect children of low-income workers. "My kid certainly doesn't want to stack cases of instant coffee in a hot warehouse all day, like his old man did," said Loretto, PA father Reginald Hauser. "Now they're saying there's a video game that might glamorize the activity. Those video-game honchos are up to the same old tricks."

It is unknown at this time what the ESRB content rating will be for Stacker, though many have speculated that it won't really matter. No word as of time of publication of any reaction by attorney Jack Thompson to the news of this release. Speculation is that this won't really matter either.