Board game giant Hasbro recent announced a surprising new version of its classic Monopoly. No, it’s not another edition of Chocolatopoly. Monopoly Live, out next fall, will replace the paper money with ATM cards. And a tower at the center of the board will keep track of the money (bye bye, banker!) and enforce the rules (bye bye, cheating Aunt Phyllis!).
But it strikes us that just adding a computer chip to the game won’t make it contemporary. Monopoly was first produced by Parker Brothers in 1935, during the Great Depression. Now, in the age of foreclosures and bank bailouts, we think Monopoly needs to get with the times.
And game designer Brenda Brathwaite says there’s another problem with the game: it’s designed to be boring. “The game is literally just about waiting for people to run out of money and perish,” she told Kurt Andersen. “The only person who is having any fun is the one person who's causing this destruction. And that's not fun considering this can go on for hours!”
We want your ideas about how to redesign Monopoly. New player pieces? A new board with new rules? Maybe we should be able to build something other than houses and hotels? What about highly leveraged loans or environmental impact statements?
Submit your ideas by 11:59pm EDT May 3 — we’ll feature some of our favorites on the show.
We’ll give all your ideas to Brenda Brathwaite, who will create a new-and-improved (if unofficial) version of the game.
Slideshow: Monopoly Through the Years
Pennies From Heaven
Artist: The Best of Hal Kemp and His OrchestraAlbum: Hal KempLabel: Collector's ChoicePurchase: AmazonMonopoly Money
Artist: Random Item SongsAlbum: V-SO Hott





Comments [2]
Let's have some of the electronic investment options that exist today; make transportation more varied, make politicians that say the inane statements that they are so adept at producing.
Probably more important than tinkering with the "old school" properties and penalties - let's make it international with natural resources, low education levels, and all of the other mechanisms and paraphernalia of the current world.
SOCIALIST MONOPOLY! No body would ever loose.
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