Last week, I was looking over the shoulder of a fellow Internet searcher (Tim) researching Douglas Adams (best known as the author of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series).
The gist of it is, the player is challenged to confront a long and complicated series of bureaucratic hurdles resulting from a recent change of address. Mail isn't being delivered, bank accounts are inaccessible, and nothing is as it should be. The game includes a measure of simulated blood pressure which rises when "frustrating" events happen and lowers after a period of no annoying events. Once a certain blood pressure level is reached, the player suffers an aneurysm and the game ends.
I was thinking how clever this was, and also thinking how lucky I was, having the recent fortune of being un-bothered by bureaucratic bullshit.
A mere 12 hours later, I get a letter in the mail informing me that my identity has been stolen. Not cool. No fun, none at all.
After hours of phone calls, a home visit from a surprisingly friendly female police officer, photocopies and faxes galore, I think I'm out- free and clear.
Lesson Learned: If you laugh at something, something might happen?
