Can you survive a zombie attack?

Here
is your chance in a live game

Gamers look out for "zombies" in "Zedtown," a real-life adventure based on a video game taking place at a university in
Sydney, Australia, September 17, 2016. PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images

A woman chases people down a street in Australia. She is dressed as a "zombie witch."

Welcome to "Zedtown." Here, people pretend that zombies are taking over the world. They
have to run from people playing zombies. To win, they have to reach an escape point. It is
like zombie-themed tag, or a real-life video game.

More and more people have grown up playing video games. Now, they want to play video
games in real life. "Zedtown" is one example of a real-life video game.

In computer games, people can take breaks but not in the real world. They have to keep
running away from dangers. This makes the game more fun.

Avoid Being Touched

The event starts off with humans outnumbering zombies. If they are touched by a zombie,
then they also become zombies.

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Both sides wear costumes. A small group, who look like humans, are secret zombies. This
creates more fear.

David Harmon created "Zedtown." He says that in the game, people talk to people they
would not speak to normally. They also have to solve problems. They run around. The
game is very popular.

Shooting games have been around a long time. "Zedtown," however, mixes old video
games with the real world. More and more games are doing the same thing.

One such game is "Pokemon Go." It uses images from an old Nintendo game. Players use
their phone cameras to see and catch the cartoon monsters in the real world.

Another game is "Escape the Room." People are locked in a room. They have to figure out
problems to get out. The game is based on video games where the characters do the
same thing.

Real-World Experiences Are Next

The next games though, will mix video games with the real world. People will wear
headsets that show them pictures. They will run around the real world to play the game.
Tim Ruse started one such game called "Zero Latency."

In "Zero Latency," people wear headsets and carry backpacks with a computer and fake
guns. They run around large buildings but see imaginary worlds.

"Zero Latency" started just over a year ago in Melbourne, Australia. Now, the game is
going to be all over the world.

Ruse says people have always tried to remove themselves from the real world. His game is
just the next step.

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Quiz

1 Which paragraph in the section "Avoid Being Touched" gives examples of some aspects of
playing the "Zedtown" game?

2 Which sentence from the section "Real-World Experiences Are Next" BEST describes the game
"Zero Latency"?

(A) They will run around the real world to play the game.

(B) They run around large buildings but see imaginary worlds.

(C) Now, the game is going to be all over the world.

(D) Ruse says people have always tried to remove themselves from the real
world.

3 What is the purpose of the introduction [paragraphs 1-4]?

(A) to encourage people to try playing the game "Zedtown"

(B) to explain how people are interested in real-life video games like "Zedtown"

(C) to describe how real-life video games are different than other games

(D) to explain why "Zedtown" is so popular in Australia

4 Why does the author include the information about "Pokemon Go" and "Escape the Room" in
the section "Avoid Being Touched"?

(A) to help explain how real-life video games work

(B) to give examples of other games that mix video games with real life

(C) to explain the differences between different types of real-life video games

(D) to show people like meeting new people they would not normally speak to

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