Mortal Kommittee

"Mortal Kommittee" was a game idea based on the classic arcade fighting game Mortal Kombat, but with an office theme (similar to "Dilbert" comics and the film "Office Space").

The following brief bits of design were scribbled on a paper napkin in 1999, by Bill Kendrick and Josh "Pacbell" Cohen (who sadly died in a plane crash a number of years later). Kendrick found the notes, and placed them online, with annotations, in December 2007. He did this both to keep an online record, and so the worn notes could finally be thrown out.

No code was ever written, but it may happen one day... The notes that survived were simply ideas for characters/fighters in the game, and their "fatality" move, or special attack.

• SysAdmin
  "Destroy him, my robots"
  (Based on the command spoken by the unseen enemy from the 8-bit computer game (e.g., Commodore 64) "Impossible Mission". If I recall correctly, the SysAdmin would be in a mechanical chair, and robots would fly out to attack the opponent.)
• Accounting
  Power Tie
  (The power tie attack was chosen for another character, below.)
• Investor
  (I guess we decided to remove/replace this character?)
• Lawyer
  Steals money
  (A 'power-drain' style attack, where money would fly from the opponent to the lawyer)
• Mail Room Guy
  Goes postal
  (Admittedly a joke in bad taste.)
• Secretary Assistant
• Marketing
• President
• Tech Support
  Hold (As in, being put on hold while on the phone; I'm unclear on what specifically would have happened, but a 'freeze' effect, or perhaps a phone cord coiled around the opponent would be good?)
• VP
  Power Tie (If I recall, the tie would shoot lightning bolts)
• CEO
• Human Resources

3 + 3 = uh, like, 1?
(Written sideways on the right edge; I believe it's just a "Beavis and Butt-Head" quote, but unclear why, except that Josh and Bill were both fans of the show.)

"Downsize Him!"
"Negotiate!"
(Commands given by the unseen referee of the game, similar to "Finish Him!" in Mortal Kombat)

Climb Ladder (1ply mode)
(Reference to "climbing the corporate ladder"; single-player mode would involve defeating fighters of increasing difficulty, and higher position in the organization.)

Glass Ceiling
(Not sure what this refers to, with regards to the game concept.)

Bill Kendrick
In memory of Josh Cohen
December 29, 2007