Well, that’s torn it

This week saw the news that whizz kid game designer Joe Chedburn, 21, is earning £50,000 a month thanks to the success of his text-only online creation Torn City.

And gamers wonder why their favourite pastime gets a bad press. The game is free to play, but members can cough up £3 a month for extra points and kudos. So far, so smart. But what’s depressing about Chedburn’s story is that his game is so grimly clichéd. Torn City claims to “Unleash the Violence Within You” and encourages you to “Train Your Skills and Attack Others. Mug, Murder, Steal, Abuse, Kidnap”. Still, at least the site comes with a warning: “If you get offended easily, please do not join”.