Prototype

Prototype, officially styled as [PROTOTYPE], is a video game that has a small, but active fanworks fandom. 
The first game in the series was released in June 2009, an sci-fi action-adventure game featuring the shapeshifting antihero Dr. Alex Mercer. He begins the game with amnesia and seeks to find out the truth about the Blacklight virus that is ravaging the city. Through the course of the story, Alex finds out he is not actually the doctor who created the virus: he is actually the virus itself which has taken humanoid form after killing and consuming the doctor.
In 2012, Prototype 2 had players take the role of Marine Sergeant James Heller, with similar powers. James is on a quest to destroy Alex, who has, in the intervening years, discarded his humanity and become a villain.
Prototype 2 received decent critical reviews, but "failed to move even a million copies across all platforms", and subsequently Radical Entertainment was shut down.Radical Entertainment, Rockstar Vancouver follow 38 Studios - GamingUpdate.com Author: CM Boots-Faubert. Published July 16 2012. Accessed July 9 2016.
The sequel's characters and storyline appear much less often in fanworks. Many fans viewed the sequel as a disappointment and were saddened, or even offended, to see their original protagonist made into an enemy they have to kill.'Prototype 2' interview: 'Fans were offended by Alex Mercer change' DigitalSpy.com. Author: Matthew Reynolds. Published Feb 16 2012. Accessed July 9 2016.
There are also a couple short comic series tie-ins published by DC Comics.
== Shipping ==
Far and away the two characters Alex is shipped with most often are Desmond Miles and Robert Cross. Het shipping, which is relatively rare, is most often Alex/Elizabeth Greene (Elizalex),Fanfiction.net: Nunca Pensé Creer En El AmorHasta Que Llegaste Tú, by Black Ross Published Feb 16 2014. Accessed June 9 2016. or Alex/Karen Parker.
Ships not involving Alex are practically nonexistent, although a few scattered fans ship Dana with various characters.
== Fandom memes and tropes ==
===Pink Dress Alex===
In a June 2009 video review, Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of Escapist Magazine couldn't decide whether or not Prototype was a better game than inFAMOUS, a game released by Sucker Punch Productions around the same time.
The resulting image produced by Sucker Punch showed Alex Mercer in his standard jeans and hoodie but also a pink dress and sparkly tiara, as well as having "shapeshifted himself some very lovely titties and a pair of child-bearing hips", in the words of Croshaw, who adjudicated the contest. This rendition of Alex is also riding a unicorn, and there is a rainbow in the background. The image reached moderate meme status within Prototype fandom, with many artists reproducing the outfit in their own fanart for years to come."Aiden&Alex", May 15 2017, by Xerath"Scrawl-Heller vs Mercer", July 8 2011, by Kiesy"stop that that's terrifying.", June 27 2011, by MinTsui
Croshaw's final verdict: "It's a close call, but I'm going to declare Sucker Punch the winner by one lovingly-rendered pair of breasts. Also their unicorn is a much prouder, mightier steed, and Alex's expression is delightfully coquettish. Therefore InFamous must be the better game. Buy InFamous. Prototype's still good, though. Buy it as well."
===Japanese Fandom===
A slang word in the Japanese Prototype fandom is "hijiki" (ひじき). In standard Japanese, this means a type of edible seaweed (Sargassum fusiforme a.k.a. Hizikia fusiformis). In the fandom slang sense, "hijiki" refers to the Tendril Barrage Devastator attack@wiki, or more broadly, as a slang for Alex himself.ひじきさん (Fanart by user らすと, on image-sharing site プリ画像) Posted Sept 2 2015, accessed Sept 14 2016.
== Fan quotes ==
==Example Fanworks==
*A Dead World - crossover with Fallout: New Vegas
==Fannish Resources==
*prototype_fic a LiveJournal community
*Prototype Kinkmeme
*Prototype fanfiction at FF.NET
*Prototype fanworks at AO3
== Other Resources ==
*Official site
*Wikipedia: Prototype (video game)
*Wikipedia: Prototype 2
== References ==
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