<s>
Freedom	B-Device
!	I-Device
</s>
<s>
is	O
a	O
1993	O
educational	B-Application
computer	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
the	O
Minnesota	O
Educational	O
Computing	O
Consortium	O
(	O
MECC	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Based	O
on	O
similar	O
gameplay	O
from	O
MECC	O
's	O
earlier	O
The	B-Application
Oregon	I-Application
Trail	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
assumes	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
a	O
runaway	O
slave	O
in	O
the	O
antebellum	O
period	O
of	O
American	O
history	O
who	O
is	O
trying	O
to	O
reach	O
the	O
North	O
through	O
the	O
Underground	O
Railroad	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Freedom	B-Device
!	I-Device
</s>
<s>
was	O
the	O
first	O
educational	O
game	O
to	O
use	O
an	O
open-world	O
environment	O
,	O
simulating	O
real-world	O
areas	O
of	O
Virginia	B-Application
,	O
Maryland	O
,	O
and	O
Delaware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MECC	O
had	O
previously	O
developed	O
a	O
graphical	O
version	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Oregon	I-Application
Trail	I-Application
in	O
1985	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
its	O
educational	O
software	O
library	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
developed	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
similar	O
games	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
themes	O
involving	O
similar	O
historical	O
treks	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
The	B-Application
Yukon	I-Application
Trail	I-Application
based	O
on	O
the	O
Klondike	O
Gold	O
Rush	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
simulating	O
the	O
escape	O
through	O
the	O
Underground	O
Railroad	O
also	O
fit	O
this	O
theme	O
,	O
the	O
primary	O
influence	O
for	O
Freedom	B-Device
!	I-Device
</s>
<s>
MECC	O
designer	O
Rich	O
Bergeron	O
met	O
with	O
Kambui	O
and	O
designed	O
the	O
basics	O
of	O
Freedom	B-Device
!	I-Device
</s>
<s>
Like	O
most	O
of	O
MECC	O
's	O
games	O
,	O
Freedom	B-Device
!	I-Device
</s>
<s>
Following	O
these	O
early	O
1993	O
meetings	O
and	O
threats	O
of	O
lawsuits	O
should	O
they	O
continue	O
to	O
promote	O
the	O
software	O
,	O
MECC	O
made	O
the	O
decision	O
to	O
pull	O
all	O
copies	O
of	O
Freedom	O
!,	O
instructed	O
all	O
schools	O
to	O
destroy	O
the	O
copies	O
of	O
Freedom	B-Device
!	I-Device
</s>
<s>
Freedom	B-Device
!	I-Device
</s>
<s>
When	O
producing	O
Africa	B-Application
Trail	I-Application
,	O
which	O
features	O
a	O
bike	O
ride	O
through	O
Africa	O
to	O
learn	O
about	O
its	O
various	O
cultures	O
,	O
MECC	O
hired	O
a	O
focus	O
group	O
to	O
ensure	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
be	O
marketed	O
and	O
presented	O
properly	O
so	O
as	O
to	O
avoid	O
the	O
same	O
pitfalls	O
that	O
had	O
occurred	O
with	O
Freedom	B-Device
!	I-Device
.	O
</s>
