This is like a Tamagotchi, or miniature electronic "pet", the kind that was popular 10 years ago. But this kind lets you try to nurture a whole actual little company during a time of economic crisis. How long can you keep it alive?

Shaped like a little bank, factory or office building, the Bankku Bankku (a made-up Japanese sounding name that sounds like "bankrupt") is a colorful plastic keychain with a digital screen and two big silly eyes on the front of it. The user interface is simple, just five buttons labeled "Invest", "Sell", "Next", "yes", "no".

Now you run your company! There are different economic models you can choose from, depending on whether your toy is a factory, a bank, a car company, etc., but in all cases you have to pay attention to it and make decisions when prompted, or it'll go "bankku bankku" (bankrupt) eventually.

When not in active use, the screen displays the current surplus and rate of earnings for the company. It will be common for a conversation among stockbrokers in a bar to come to a lull as each of them realizes they should quickly check their "corporations".

The toy interacts with you by beeping periodically and alerting you to different "crises" that are occurring in the industry you chose. Make the right decisions and your toy will recover; choose wrong or don't act, and you'll suffer a financial loss.

Great fun for men and women of all ages.
-- phundug, Dec 16 2008

I like it - how about linking to the prevailing markets to add a little urgency?
-- zen_tom, Dec 16 2008


+!
-- Spacecoyote, Dec 17 2008



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