http://blog.games.yahoo.com/blog/396-new-monopoly-trades-money-and-dice-for-no-nonsense-computer/
In today's technology driven world, board game companies do not stand a chance against high-tech video games. Because of this, Hasbro revamped their classic Monopoly board game into a game run by an all seeing computer played with ATM cards. While this increases the appeal of the game, they sacrifice the experience of social entertainment, such as creating your own rules and alliances with other players, or rolling dice.
The commonplace beliefs in this article assume the reader is familiar with many different aspects of the game Monopoly, and the names of Hasbro's other games. The writer also uses references to Big Brother, which is clearly aimed at those who read 1984. The argument is extremely biased against the board game evolving to something based on a computer system of some sort. The rhetor does not have any credentials from what I can tell, however, he seems qualified to make this argument based on his knowledge of the different games. He establishes ethos by immediately opening with phrases that directly attacked this new product. The intended audience is anyone who has played the game Monopoly, and feels skeptical about computer domination. The source of this article is completely non academic. The writer uses mostly pathos as it tugs at your childhood's heartstrings in attempt to persuade you to disapprove of the new all-seeing Monopoly board game.
After reading the article, I found myself persuaded at the end. I am not fond of the idea of a computer running the Monopoly game the way the intend on executing it. It's unsettling thinking about an infrared camera keeping track of all the players movements. In my childhood, we would create our own rules and ways of playing, and now this can no longer be done.
Monopoly would lose all its best parts if a computer was running it (like arguing over whether the banker added up the change right, or putting a few hundred dollar bills in your sleeve before the game starts.)
ReplyDeleteIf it was made successful without a computer, there's no reason to assume that it would be improved by adding one.
My favorite part of this article was the cross out of "all seeing eye" changed to "computer tower". It makes me feel like someone is watching me play the game;what else can they see? And who is "they"? Monopoly is all about strategy and teams and driving yourself crazy trying to win. The computer 'enhancement' is a terrible idea. Rolling the dice for you? That just seems lazy to me.
ReplyDeleteThis is bullshit. Pardon my French, but what fun would Monopoly be if you couldn't grab an extra $100 dollar bill when no one was looking? Or move 5 spaces on a 4 with some unobservant opponents. I hate that companies today insist on rehashing old products to the younger generations. Make me a sad panda...
ReplyDeleteThis saddens me. I love the classic board game, and while I enjoy the technology my phone offers, I would much rather sit around playing a board game with friends than passing a phone around. While I feel that I would love to cripple technology because I think it gets out of hand, I also know that I would feel like someone kicked my dog if they took away my phone or laptop.
ReplyDeleteElectronic business transactions seems about as much fun as it sounds. I want to be a greedy, corrupt J.D. Rockefeller who strait-up cheats to get ahead. I don't want to rely on some calculating computer(ie, regulatory-agency analog) who tells me how to play. At the end of the day though, if you'll excuse me, every game of Monopoly ends the same way: one player gives up, screams "FUCK THIS SHIT!!" and upturns the entire board.
ReplyDelete