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The credit crunch? It's all just a game
raymond.brown@cambridge-news.co.uk
(picture 118776r "The brains behind Crunch, from left, Andrew Sheerin, Tom Morgan-Jones and Andy Tompkins") A GAME that takes a swipe at "greedy bankers" has been created by the makers of War on Terror.
Crunch will launch on April Fools Day and is the brainchild of Cambridge-based company TerrorBull Games.
War on Terror sparked huge controversy when it was launched after 9/11 and in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq.
It was banned by shops and police seized the game in a raid on climate protesters.
Now the firm has created Crunch - "the game for utter bankers" - based on the economic crisis.
It promises to "ease the gloom of the recession" as it attacks the capitalist system.
Andrew Sheerin, one of the inventors of Crunch, said: "TerrorBull Games tackle the nastier things in life using games. That probably makes us the vultures of the games industry, but games are a great and undervalued tool for examining difficult and controversial subjects.
"What we've done with War on Terror and Crunch is to create mechanics that are based on real life. The players really decide how it's all going to go from there.
"You don't have to do 'bad' things, but if you don't, there's the fear that someone else will and they'll win.
"It's all very well going after the fat cat bankers of the world, but blaming those people for the shortcomings of capitalism is like blaming a dancing bear for the cruelty of the circus."
Co-inventor Andy Tompkins said: "Since UK taxpayers now own a good chunk of the banking system, we thought they could do with a comprehensive instruction manual on how to run the economy. Crunch is not that manual."
The War on Terror game was shunned by toy fairs, branded criminal by police and recalled from 130 shops nationwide.
The satirical game was seized among a stash of "dangerous items" by Kent police at last year's Climate Camp.
Officers feared the balaclava in the set could be used in a criminal act and was confiscated along with knives, chisels and bolt cutters from climate protesters during a series of raids near Kingsnorth power station.
The game revolved around creating empires that competed and waged war. Players poked fun at the rhetoric of world leaders like George Bush and Tony Blair.
It was born from the frustration of its creators, as they sat watching the news in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Crunch retails at £8.99 in the UK. See CRUNCH - the game for utter bankers for more details on the game.
How to play Crunch
Crunch is a satirical card game for two to four players which puts you at the head of the boardroom as chief executive officer of a global bank juggling the conflicting demands of your ailing bank and your future retirement fund.
An average game sees you bribing your way out of Government investigations, fending off aggressive takeovers and forcing debt onto the unsuspecting public.
Meanwhile, reward your hard work by taking inappropriate bonuses and - when no one's looking - brazenly embezzling your bank's own funds and hiding them about your person.
To win, players are coaxed into cheating.
Of course, this doesn't do the health of your bank much good, but not to worry, because you can always call in a Government bailout or two.
The game ends when all banks are finally bankrupt, capitalism has all but collapsed and it's time to count up that well-earned personal fortune. The richest chief executive officer wins.
Cambridge News Home - The credit crunch? It's all just a game
My local newspaper.
raymond.brown@cambridge-news.co.uk
(picture 118776r "The brains behind Crunch, from left, Andrew Sheerin, Tom Morgan-Jones and Andy Tompkins") A GAME that takes a swipe at "greedy bankers" has been created by the makers of War on Terror.
Crunch will launch on April Fools Day and is the brainchild of Cambridge-based company TerrorBull Games.
War on Terror sparked huge controversy when it was launched after 9/11 and in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq.
It was banned by shops and police seized the game in a raid on climate protesters.
Now the firm has created Crunch - "the game for utter bankers" - based on the economic crisis.
It promises to "ease the gloom of the recession" as it attacks the capitalist system.
Andrew Sheerin, one of the inventors of Crunch, said: "TerrorBull Games tackle the nastier things in life using games. That probably makes us the vultures of the games industry, but games are a great and undervalued tool for examining difficult and controversial subjects.
"What we've done with War on Terror and Crunch is to create mechanics that are based on real life. The players really decide how it's all going to go from there.
"You don't have to do 'bad' things, but if you don't, there's the fear that someone else will and they'll win.
"It's all very well going after the fat cat bankers of the world, but blaming those people for the shortcomings of capitalism is like blaming a dancing bear for the cruelty of the circus."
Co-inventor Andy Tompkins said: "Since UK taxpayers now own a good chunk of the banking system, we thought they could do with a comprehensive instruction manual on how to run the economy. Crunch is not that manual."The War on Terror game was shunned by toy fairs, branded criminal by police and recalled from 130 shops nationwide.
The satirical game was seized among a stash of "dangerous items" by Kent police at last year's Climate Camp.
Officers feared the balaclava in the set could be used in a criminal act and was confiscated along with knives, chisels and bolt cutters from climate protesters during a series of raids near Kingsnorth power station.
The game revolved around creating empires that competed and waged war. Players poked fun at the rhetoric of world leaders like George Bush and Tony Blair.
It was born from the frustration of its creators, as they sat watching the news in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Crunch retails at £8.99 in the UK. See CRUNCH - the game for utter bankers for more details on the game.
How to play Crunch
Crunch is a satirical card game for two to four players which puts you at the head of the boardroom as chief executive officer of a global bank juggling the conflicting demands of your ailing bank and your future retirement fund.
An average game sees you bribing your way out of Government investigations, fending off aggressive takeovers and forcing debt onto the unsuspecting public.
Meanwhile, reward your hard work by taking inappropriate bonuses and - when no one's looking - brazenly embezzling your bank's own funds and hiding them about your person.
To win, players are coaxed into cheating.
Of course, this doesn't do the health of your bank much good, but not to worry, because you can always call in a Government bailout or two.
The game ends when all banks are finally bankrupt, capitalism has all but collapsed and it's time to count up that well-earned personal fortune. The richest chief executive officer wins.
Cambridge News Home - The credit crunch? It's all just a game
My local newspaper.
