Two Cambridge men have launched a War on Terror boardgame, no doubt hoping it will be a Christmas best seller.
It is based on terrorist atrocities and the aim of the game is to “liberate the world, ridding it of fear and terrorism forever”.
It even comes complete with an “evil balaclava” and a “Suicide Bomber Gift Certificate” thanking participants for funding the War on Terror.
These two men are totally oblivious to the furore it has already caused. It is inexcusable that two 30-year-old men cannot understand why it is so distasteful; surely the fact that they have been slung out of one toy fair where they tried to hawk it, and banned from two others tells them enough, particularly in these very sensitive times.
MPs have condemned it, along with Jacqui Putnam, who survived the 7/7 London bombings; I’m sure Rachel from London will feel outraged too.
Andrew Tompkins and Andrew Sheering have been working on this for more than three years, it was their response to the frustration they felt at the way the western media was reporting the war in Iraq and global terrorism.
They also think it plugs a gap in the market, but I just can’t imagine who would enjoy playing it:
“You can probably make a game about anything and someone’s going to say, ‘That’s not a suitable subject’. I can see why you might get an even stronger reaction with this but, on the whole though, people have responded very well so far.
“It’s almost as if they’ve been waiting to see something like this happen. We’ve had lots of notes of support saying ‘ well done for doing it’.
“I’m hopeful people will see our intentions. I don’t think it’s overly subtle or hidden!
“My mum said we must be quite sick to make money from the War on Terror. But how can this be sick, when there are companies all over the world making a lot of money directly out of the conflict?”
Terrorism might be a game for them, but it means uncontrolled hatred for others and the death of thousands of innocent people.
I just hope they will see common sense and withdraw this despicable and repellant game.
ONe of the first posts on my blog:
http://dizzythinks.blogspot.com/2006/02/fun-for-all-family.html
Dizzy, I didn’t know you then, doesn’t it sound repulsive?
Yeah I know you didn’t know me 🙂 To be honest when I originally posted about it I thought it was just poor Internet joke. I had know idea it was actually real.
I don’t think I’ll go as far as to say repulsive as I’ve seen worse online. Sadly I’ve become somewhat de-sensitised to the nasty side of the Net.
It’s certainly in horrendously poor taste, but I take the Voltaire attitude on many of these things.
I know there are some pretty awful computer games around involving war and destruction, but this takes the terrorism game one step further by producing it as a “hard copy”, so to speak. Also, the two men seem so ambivalent, I think it is grotesque and yes, in horrendous poor taste.
I don’t think even Voltaire could have predicted this. All I can say is, it is sick, and the fact that people are making money out of it, more sickening still.
…which is why I refused to give the twats any publicity.They released it last Christmas too. Everyone sensibly ignored it.
Good blog, by the way, And thanks for the link.
x
Rachel, I didn’t know it was issued last Christmas, the report makes it sound like it’s just been been released, that they have just started trawling toy fairs. I don’t understand how they could have expected you would want to support it and give them publicity; maybe negative publicity like this is what they are seeking too.
They are having another PR push, and are trying to make it sound like a new game. I was tipped off about it last year, or earlier this year, can’t quite rememebr when.
I have just written them an extremely withering private email. Which I very much dount they will publish.
I might pop it up on my blog later. At the moment the blog has to be about the upcoming 7/7 report as it’s the quickest way of briefing journalists who come onto the blog to get info!
Once that’s out the way – tomorrow – and the reaction to the report has been done, I’ll write about the idiot board game people or Friday but probably tomorow –
sample of email I sent them:
‘Though you aren’t physically hurting people, you’re still selfishly making posturing political points (and clutching yourself with excitement as you mount what you think is the moral high ground.) Which is fine, but you are also making money out of those posturing political points. Which is fine, but you’re also claiming your money spinning idea is actually about educating people that The War Against Terror Is A Bad Thing Dudes. Which is pathetic. Go protest, go stand as an independent politician on an anti war ticket. Go write a book, go write a speech, go make a film, go hand out leaflets, go set yourself on fire as a protest oif that floats your boat, go and raise funds for Medecins Sans Frontieres, go and stand as a human shield in Iraq, go and do whatever you think will help but don’t make a fucking board game and mouth smug sixth form inanities and then get all shitty when people who have been blown up and who are actually trying to do something practical to get the Government to learn lessons about terrorism and the futitily of the war on terror, criticise you.’
Rachel, I don’t think they will have the guts to reply to such a withering email, well said, btw.
Good luck with the report, I hope it answers all the questions you and others have been asking.
Cheers. I am a bit cross with myself to reacting, and I’ve decided not to focus on it or think about it any more. The game makers have been in contact, and whilst I think they are sincere in their ‘satire’, I don’t really want to get dragged into a row about a board game. I have had lots of calls about the game, and to be honest, I don’t want to comment on it, it is an unwelcome distraction at a time when I am totaly focussed on the publication of an important report tomorrow, the official government report on the Lessons Learned of 7/7. I have been waiting for this report for a long time.
I am campaigning for an independent inquiry into 7/7, as you can see from my blog. For better equipment for rescue workers, radios that work underground, better compensation for the bereaved and seriously injured, first aid kits on trains and equipment in stations, better response and planning, better victim aftercare, for all the information about the events before, after on 7/7 to be availaable in one place, having been collated and independently questioned by somone independent of the government or security services.
This is really important to me, much more important than a ”satirical” board game and a few moments of media hype for it.And if other survivors haven’t seen the publicity for the game, I’m not going to tip them off, I don’t see any value in upsetting people.
Hope you don’t mind us contributing to this page.
We wanted to try and let people know that there’s more to the game that what’s represented in the article.
We welcome all contact about the game and I would like to reassure people that we feel we have the best intentions at heart.
Just because we tackle the subject with humour, doesn’t mean we don’t take it very seriously.
There’s more information on the background and the ‘whys’ behind the game on our website;
http://www.waronterrortheboardgame.com/thegame/history.php
http://www.waronterrortheboardgame.com/openletter/
http://www.waronterrortheboardgame.com