Electronic Monopoly

[omly]

Electronic Monopoly (UK publication) just makes me mad. Parker Brothers has teamed up with Visa for a new version of the game sans paper money, just debit cards and a card reader. First of all you lose the simple joy of the brightly colored cash accumulating. (Was my sister one of the few who would trade her moeny in for small bills just to watch it pile up more?) Sure lets give in to the people who find physical money "baffling and insecure". What about all of the really good math skills this game used to encourage in children? Sure you will still have the cut throat negotiations and the brutal lessons in capitalism, but this removes the part that actually made people use that basic math. This just seems part of a adisturbing trend where people are expected not to know how to balance a checkbook or calculate the tip for dinner.