Preview: Harry the Handsome Executive
by Ben Spees



NOTE WELL: This product is still under development. This is a preview: everything mentioned here is subject to change without notice, because the product is a work in progress. Please don't ask us when it will be released -- that'll give us more time to finish the product and get it to you all that much sooner. We'll let you know just as soon as it is released, we promise. The best way to stay informed of product releases is to sign up for our announce_list mailing list, or check our web site periodically.


Two months have passed since the world first heard of Harry. Our unsuspecting hero has been toiling away as usual, but before long, it will be time for him to take up the cause of disgruntled office workers everywhere. Come, take my hand, and together we shall steal an illicit peek at Harry's secret world.





























Harry's inauspicious arrival at ScumCo, so many years ago, might have gone unnoticed by mortal man high or low. But there was one power that took heed immediately. The moment Harry slid into the mass-produced comfort of his standard-issue swivel chair, a rare breed of warriors scattered all over the world felt a great psychic disruption; for they knew that a powerful new presence had entered their ranks.



























The swivel chair slowly became a part of Harry's life. So insidious was its force that he barely noticed that he went nowhere without it. Harry's curious behavior drew puzzled stares from his co-workers, and became a common topic of bemused mutterings around the water cooler. But they soon began to respect his power. For Harry's expertly-executed kicks and glides made it clear, even to the uninitiated, that here was, quite simply, a master of the swivel chair.





























Harry does not yet fully understand his power. He continues to perform mundane assignments for his boss, the mercurial and debonair Dr. Ubermann. ScumCo seems like such an unassuming place, but already a seed of uneasiness has been planted in Harry's soul. He tries to brush away his impolitic thoughts, but he cannot help wondering when he hears those faraway screams during late nights working in the office, and he cannot ignore the odd, almost drugged behavior of the other employees.



























Harry's quest will take him from the crowded cubicles of ScumCo to its damp and dangerous cellars; from its giant underground reservoir to its faraway mountain outpost; even to the ancient Temple of the Swivel Chair itself... and beyond. For something is not quite right at ScumCo, and none but Harry can discover the truth.

Harry the Handsome Executive is just entering beta testing. The game features four-way scrolling, complex, goal-oriented levels, a dastardly, devious, and often amusing storyline, and a plethora of enemies, weapons, and interactive objects. It will also include an easy-to-use and powerful level editor, so you can send Harry on missions straight out of the twisted depths of your own mind.

Harry will be released this fall and will require any PowerPC or 68040 Macintosh. Until then... may the power of the swivel chair be with you.