Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Sub-Prime, anyone?



Do not pass Go. Do Not collect $200.
Game makers Parker have phased out the standard multi-coloured cash in a new version. Players will instead use a Visa mock debit card to keep track of how much they win or lose. It is inserted into an electronic machine where the banker taps in cardholders’ earnings and payments.

Parker said replacing of cash with plastic showed the game was moving with the times. Spokesman Chris Weatherhead said: “The new electronic Monopoly reflects the changing nature of society and the advancement of technology.”


Hat tip to Betmo for emailing me about this travesty in board games. I wonder if Phil Gramm is the default banker?

15 comments:

Dianne said...

and another (not) benefit is our children don't have to know how to count to play

they can just swipe their card

how ridiculous

Randal Graves said...

Yep, the dumbing down of America continues unabated. Every time we play board games with the kids, we make them keep track of what they have, add, subtract, all those goodies.

Mary Ellen said...

Crap, now I can't cheat and give out the wrong amount of money for payments to my grandkids. What's this world coming to?

Does the new monopoly credit card force you to pay exorbitant interest rates and high overdraft fees that are reminiscent of the mob, just like in real life?

DrDon said...

Eh, I have a theory that anyone only plays Monopoly once anyway. Then they realize how long and boring it is and they either never play again or they play some shortened, bastardized version. Who cares? Of all the ills in the world, Monopoly using credit cards isn't a blip on the radar. These same kids already have debit cards given to them by their parents so what difference does it make. This is the land of irresponsible spending and adult Americans are the prime offenders despite knowing how to count and playing Monopoly the "old way" as kids.

Mary Ellen said...

drdon- Our family used to play Monopoly a lot, in fact, in the winter the kids still come to visit to have "game night" at our house. We cook up a big pot of chili or homemade pizza and stay up playing Monopoly or whatever other game they happen to want...for some reason, it always ends up with a game of Monopoly.

I know, it sounds corny. But it's a lot more fun than sitting around staring at the TV, where no one talks or interacts with anyone. I can't tell you how many times my kids, even when they were in high school, would have a gang over to play cards or a game of Monopoly (of course, generous amounts of food were offered and accepted gladly by the ravenous crowd). You'd be surprised how many people still enjoy the game...they just might not admit it.

(I know this sounds so "Beaver Cleaver" of us, but those games could get pretty cut-throat...and loud!)

okjimm said...

Hey, I've been 'subprime' before. I actually rather enjoyed the experience.... oops....I thought you said 'sublime'. Nevermind.

DivaJood said...

Dianne, it's like tying shoelaces. Kids have velcro instead now, so nobody knows how to tie a shoelace. Who needs to count, when you've got a card to swipe?

Randal, plus you can do it in French!

Mary Ellen, you cheat at Monopoly? Game on! Of course, it's much more fun to cheat at Scrabble. High interest rates on a board game - what a concept.

drdon, you don't like board games? Oh, my god! You probably don't like bowling, either. You are SO not a mid-westerner.

Mary Ellen, you are SO much a mid-westerner! Me too. Love board games.

okjimm, easy mistake to make. Subprime, sublime - just ever so similar...

Randal Graves said...

If I did, then they'd never play!

DivaJood said...

Randal, but what about language immersion? I'm just saying.

Mary Ellen said...

I'll bet drdon would play Monopoly with These rules, eh?

Now...who's up for a good game of Monopoly? I'll turn off the air conditioning, don't want to see any of that shrinkage.

DivaJood said...

Mary Ellen, what kind of a nun are you! I'm shocked. Simply, oh, never mind. Nobody would believe me.

enigma4ever said...

soooo a new game..
is there a WHINING Card ? (I hope so....)

Fran said...

That IS some kind of advanced technology....whew! Does it screw things up like in real life?

Someone kept having a computer spit out a bill saying "You owe ZERO".... it continued on it's collections pathway-- sending ever more threatening & nasty verbiage letters.

The person tried & tried to get it straightened out with real people, but in the end, wound up sending a check for ZERO to get it cleared up.

But now that I think about it, if Monopoly is keeping up with the times, they need to be printing up new cards to draw:

• Foreclosure notices (Buh bye Park Avenue!)

• Sorry! the bank went belly up, no money in the till.

• Cooked Books! Kiss your paycheck & pension goodbye.

• Car Repo

• Add stops for gas..... large sums of $ will be lost in these zones.

Utah Savage said...

Wow. Now we're talking a board game gone all real life on us. Glad I gave up gambling. It took a third husband to cure me of taking risky chances. Now I play it safe. Solitaire's my game vice. I can cheat, but I'm only hurting myself. And if I may say so, I look great in the green visor I wear when I play.

DivaJood said...

Enigma, the WHINING card says: Go to jail. Do not pass Go. Do NOT collect $200. Don't worry, you will receive a full pardon from Prezilnut Bush.

Fran, "cooked books" indeed. What has this world come to? That's a rhetorical question, btw.

Utah, you still can't be the banker at this game, you're a Democrat. Green visor or not.