Acclaimed game developer Hudson doesn’t think gamers work hard enough. To make playing videogames more productive they have offered us this challenge: make money and succeed at 50 different jobs, mini-game style, or the earth will be destroyed by a giant meteor. In their new game Help Wanted, players will do just that.

This mini-game bonanza is being distributed by Konami who lists it as Job Island to match one of their other Wii mini-game collections called Sports Island, which sounds like more fun already. It is a competitive single or multi-player game to see who can make more money at a wide variety of jobs such as body builder, ER Attendant, deep-sea explorer, stunt car driver, clown, sushi master, farmer, newscaster and dentist (we could name all 50, but you get the idea). As players progress they can use their hard earned cash to invest in supplies like uniforms and tools to get better at certain jobs, or invest in anti-meteor technology.

This game brings up a very important trend in videogames — the idea of working to save up money, or killing enough moblins to get the rupees needed to buy that one item that will help save the world, including of course the bastard charging you so much for it. This trend, which thankfully is fading, is just ridiculous. “Oh, thank you (insert hero/heroine name here) for saving our town. By the way, that sword there will still cost you 5,000 rupee.”

Furthermore, shouldn’t a game like this allow cooperative gameplay so players can save the world faster? Perhaps we’re being too harsh. Help Wanted is a kid friendly family title, so a simple plot mechanic should be excused. Work-a-holics can check answer this Help Wanted for Wii next summer.