iBailout! Pits Players as Fed Chief

February 1, 2010

Try your hand at being the Federal Reserve Chairman in a new iPhone/iPod Touch game featuring Pac-Man-style game play.

Developed by Marroni Electronic Entertainment and NightIrion, iBailout! decrees that “it’s time for you to get yours,” and has players racing around the screen in a bid to gobble up as many stacks of dirty, dirty bailout cash as possible. Instead of being chased by ghosts however, players will have to outmaneuver angry mobs of torch and pitchfork-bearing United States citizens.

Running over machine guns will also give players the ability to declare martial law and will render taxpayers harmless and able to be gobbled up. Scores are also tabulated in the trillions, because that’s how the Fed rolls.

Available for $1.99 in the iTunes store, iBailout! was also chosen as an entrant in the 2010 Independent Games Festival Mobile Competition.


Comments

Re: iBailout! Pits Players as Fed Chief

iBailout!! CNN Coverage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn3KIB97hg4

iBailout!! Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqhB77AZHGQ

iBailout!! Wall Street Journal

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/01/25/appwatch-ibailout/

 

Hey, guys. 

I'm the designer and producer of iBailout!!.  You can check out the trailer and some CNN and Wall Street Journal coverage that we recently had above.

Let me assure you that iBailout!! is most definitely a completely sincere and most serious political statement and not any kind of gross oversimplification of pressing issues; not only that, but it's just as fun to play and as great a game as it is political; I (and most definitely the team) care almost exactly as much about making a great game as I do my politics. 

You can check the links to reviews to check out some others' objective opinions of the game and on the App Store--ok, all the early reviews are friends and family, but I didn't tell them what to write or how to rate it (Lord Gek, of Touch Arcade forum is a complete stranger, though, for real).  Honest.

A bit further, iBailout!! is most definitely and obviously inspired of Pac-Man (which gender of which iteration of the classic arcade franchise will be obvious after a bit of playthrough), but, really, iBailout!! is its own game, with honestly innovative twists on classic arcade gameplay and is respectful and meaningful homage of past greats.

That's what I have to say and I appreciate you all reading this article and sincerely hope you'll check iBailout!! out and give it a fair shot.

Thanks a lot.

 

-Nick Marroni

Owner, Designer & Producer

Marroni Electronic Entertainment (MEE)

 

http://justanotheriphoneblog.com/wordpress/iphone-application-reviews/re...

http://gamersyndrome.com/2010/iphone/ibailout-review/

http://www.girlgamersuk.com/2010/01/ibailout/

 

P.S.

 

Just follow the tip below and it'll be smooth sailing and precision iBailout!!'n, as far as the Fed can gobble (stacks and stacks of that aforementioned dirty, dirty bailout cash).

iBailout!! SWIPE CONTROLS TIP #W-4:

Our swipe controls are sweet: You can swipe anywhere on the screen to move the Fed, not just on the road or the Fed’s current direction (iBailout!!'s about $1,000,000,000,000.00x easier when using your index finger too).  Also, you can swipe ahead of time (one swipe'll do it) and it’ll store that move until exactly the right time to execute it, so you’re able to input very quick maneuvers and navigate multiple abrupt corners with ease.  Cool, huh?

 

 

http://marronigames.com http://facebook.com/marronigames http://twitter.com/marronigames

Re: iBailout! Pits Players as Fed Chief

We don't take kindly to you're kind around here unless it's a Bush, Palin, or Republican flash game. So says the flock!

Re: iBailout! Pits Players as Fed Chief

Hey,

Your ideas intrigue me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

You sound like you'd appreciate iBailout!! and I hope you'll check it out and share the good iBailout!!'n word here and in the forums and on the App Store, but I do have faith in your peers here at GamePolitics and I'm sure, once they check it out, they'll get down with iBailout!! too.

Thanks.

 

http://marronigames.com http://facebook.com/marronigames http://twitter.com/marronigames

Re: iBailout! Pits Players as Fed Chief

I am getting rather tired of these 'lets simplify and make fun of complex issues by turning them into clones of simple retro games' games.

I think I would much rather see some simulation games that help explore why things are being done...

Re: iBailout! Pits Players as Fed Chief

Unless it's about Republicans, Bush and Palin but when it comes to Obama and friends, Obama is a sacred cow that you are not supposed to criticize.

Re: iBailout! Pits Players as Fed Chief

While exploring complex issues in the form of a game sounds like a cool idea, I seriously doubt it would be fun, and there's no way that would sell. Take some classes or start a discussion for serious matters. If you want to use a simple game as an ice-breaker to a larger issue, great.

Even if a game seriously tried to tackle a complex issue, all the player would get is a one-sided image of what the game author's views are. The game could be a clever way to make a statement, but people aren't going to pay for it unless it's fun.

Make fun of the government in a simple-to-play game = $

Re: iBailout! Pits Players as Fed Chief

I don't know about that.  Going all the way back to primaive resource management games like Lemonade Stand (Apple II era), there has always been a market for games that use real models to simulate stripped down versions of complex things and the player has fun balancing them.

For example, the whole 'SimXYZ' series of games, and CivABC.

Re: iBailout! Pits Players as Fed Chief

Re: iBailout! Pits Players as Fed Chief

Findlaw actually had a good piece that I think would make some good game fodder:

 

If We Must Obsess About Budget Deficits, Can We At Least Measure Them Correctly?

 

Gives a good breakdown of the effects of deficits and touches on bailouts.  It also illustrates just how unconcervative modern economic concervatives are.

 
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E. Zachary KnightIf the videos are of sufficient quality that people subscribe and watch regularly, then those let's players are providing a service that people want. That is the heart of capitalism. That is not something that should be shamed.05/17/2013 - 8:06am
E. Zachary KnightI have no idea who either of those people are. However, I still don't see why making a business out of creating let's play videos is somehow evil or wrong.05/17/2013 - 8:04am
MaskedPixelanteIt sure is if you're just doing it for the money. See Tobuscus and/or Pewdiepie for what happens when people get into it just for the money.05/17/2013 - 7:30am
E. Zachary KnightWhy is it wrong to make money doing LPs? Why should that be something that should be shamed?05/17/2013 - 6:20am
MaskedPixelantehttps://twitter.com/PsychedelicSA/status/335183893214924801 Now here's an interesting, glass half full thought about the Nintendo LP thing. It outs the people who are just doing LPs to make money.05/17/2013 - 5:56am
E. Zachary KnightI responded in writing to all this "let's play" stuff Nintendo Started. No need for my permission, I won't give it. It's not mine to give. http://divineknightgaming.com/?p=29205/16/2013 - 2:21pm
E. Zachary KnightLars Doucet of Levelup Labs has a Reddit going on game companies that allow monetization of Let's Play videos. http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1egayn/lets_build_a_list_of_game_studios_that_allow/05/16/2013 - 1:04pm
Sleaker@Imautobot - yah I wouldn't use an emulator as a good first run test of how stable the console is, haha.05/16/2013 - 11:47am
E. Zachary KnightThe 50th person to jump off a bridge is just as dumb if not dumber than the 1st.05/16/2013 - 10:03am
MaskedPixelanteYeah, let's all jump on Nintendo for doing this, even though they're hardly the first company to do this...05/16/2013 - 9:47am
E. Zachary KnightWow Nintendo, this is wrong. http://kotaku.com/nintendo-forcing-ads-on-some-youtube-lets-play-video-50709238305/16/2013 - 8:44am
Imautobot@Sleaker, further gameplay has revealed that the controller button do stick under the faceplate. Also, The NES emulator (Emuya)keeps crashing on me, though I think a bad ROM is causing it.05/16/2013 - 7:10am
Papa MidnightAE: I wonder if any other publishers will follow suit.05/15/2013 - 8:12pm
Andrew EisenEA is ditching Online Pass. http://venturebeat.com/2013/05/15/ea-kills-its-controversial-online-pass-program/05/15/2013 - 7:20pm
Avalongod@Zach and quicnkold...I've read the bill and the intent of it is to fear-monger. It's not a balanced message. I don't recall the ESRB being mentioned at all. It's more "keeps your kids away from these movies/games or they'll become violent"05/15/2013 - 4:35pm
E. Zachary Knightquiknkold, The big problem with that legislation is the amount of misinformation out there. Who is going to ensure that the information in the pamphlet is accurate?05/15/2013 - 3:25pm
quiknkoldREBeardogg : I'm on the fence about this. on one side, I want parents to be aware of the ESRB, and even Movie Ratings. On the other hand, I feel this will be used for nothing but Propaganda. The ESRB does a good job.05/15/2013 - 3:07pm
IanCFrostbite is coming out on iOS devices. Yet the Wii U cant handle it? *coughbullshitcough*05/15/2013 - 2:31pm
BearDogg-Xhttp://www.politickernj.com/65515/lesniak-ruiz-bill-limit-children-s-exposure-media-violence-clears-senate - Bill requiring schools to publish pamphlets with anti-fake media "violence" propaganda clears NJ Senate05/15/2013 - 2:03pm
quiknkoldI am thinking of writing a musical about videogames, violence, and the first amendment. Would need a collaborator though and would kickstart it after the script is written. was thinking off broadway.05/15/2013 - 2:00pm
 

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