Among the 100,000-plus applications for the iPhone is one that allows users to "kill" bankers.
The TARP-inspired Bailout Wars app lets iPhone users "take revenge on bankers" by "throwing them into the air, blowing them up, shooting them down and shaking them so hard their clothes fall off, writes American Banker.
The point of the game, made by Gameloft and selling for $.99 on iTunes, is to destroy bankers in order to save both the White House (and US taxpayers' money) from greedy day traders, high risk investors, and finance CEOs.
The game's description on iTunes reads:
Defend the White House and save the US taxpayers' money before it gets stolen! It's time for you to give them what they deserve! [...] It's your only chance to really take revenge on bankers for the recession they caused [...] Explore many different ways to beat bankers: tap, grab, or shake them in the air.
Bailout Wars current has a three-and-a-half star rating on iTunes, with 219 users out of 492 giving the app a five-star rating.
User reactions on iTunes have ranged from the excited to offended:
shizuka123: I won't see my banker the same way now...This game is a lot of fun.
Luminous: Wow! A game where you battle against real monsters! Defeating parasitical CEO bosses and squirmy banker schleplings is great fun.
MarvinHigh: Yes, I guess this will be pretty funny for you all, but not for me when I got lay off [sic] and this game is basically spilling salt on my recovering wound.
American Banker notes that there are other TARP-themed iPhone apps available:
"Bailout Ben," released in May, involves helping Federal Reserve Board Ben Bernanke to lower cash to failing companies. "Bailout America," released in February, involves moving obstacles out of the way to help Uncle Sam funnel more money to greedy bankers. "Bag the Bankers," meanwhile, also released last month, involves dragging bankers into, wait for it, a bag, and retaking some of their cash.
Watch a demonstration of the game, from touchArcade, below.