Only in Japan: Famista features wanted murderers in a computer game

Kinky porn, panda poking games, and short skirts: Japan's got it all when it comes to the weird and wacky. For instance, take this recent story about the murder of 22 year old Lindsay Hawker, who was found last March in the apartment of a man named Tatsuya Ichihashi. Now, you can see Ichihashu's mug along with many other wanted criminals when you play an upcoming computer game from Famista Inc. Wha?

The free-to-play game aims to help police capture these criminals by making their faces publicly available. Ok, that's not a bad idea. However, the clincher is that in order to see the faces and find out detailed information about the wanted men, you have to hit the jackpot in the game. So when I win I get a bunch of lowlifes? Wow. No, really, this is great.

The National Police Agency has not officially endorsed the project, and while I am far from against the idea, I definitely find the jackpot thing baffling. Let's hope for the sake of Miss Hawker's family that the person who has a lead on her killer happens to be a gamer ... and a patient one at that.

[Via Sky News -- Thanks, Touchscreen Gamer!]