Here And Now

  After 71 years, Monopoly is getting a facelift.  And a tummytuck. And a nosejob.

  This summer, a new version of the classic board game, “Monopoly: Here And Now,” will hit shelves.  No Boardwalk.  No Park Place.  No railroads.  No $1 bills.  In fact, the city upon which the game was based, Atlantic City, will not be represented.  Instead, players will buy and sell landmarks from coast to coast—places like Disneyland and the Gateway Arch.

  Personally, I’m torn over this new Monopoly.  While Atlantic City certainly is no longer the perfect manifestation of the American dream that it once was, it seems that this revision detracts from an American icon. 

  America’s love affair with Monopoly started in November of 1935, when Parker Brothers first began distributing the game that they bought from Clarence Darrow, who is credited as the inventor of the Monopoly that we have come to know.  According to Hasbro, the parent company of Parker Brothers, an estimated 750 million people worldwide have played the game, making it “the most played board game in the world.”

  But apparently, it has become antiquated.  And “Monopoly: Here And Now” is just what the doctor ordered.  The new version replaces the 22 Atlantic City streets with landmarks from 22 American cities (none from New Mexico—the closest are Phoenix and Denver).  The process for choosing the landmarks is a democratic one, allowing fans of the board game to vote online for the most worthy. 

  For example, New York City offers Times Square, Central Park and Broadway.  Voters will choose whether the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street or Fisherman’s Wharf will represent San Francisco.  Dallas fans may vote for Texas Stadium, Fair Park or the Dallas Arboretum to represent their city.  When the votes are counted, the landmark that gets the most votes in each city will be put on the board.

  But what about the prime spots, where Boardwalk and Park Place once stood?  Well, Hasbro plans to award those to the landmarks that receive the most overall votes.  In turn, those receiving the fewest overall votes will likely get the crappy board positioning, once occupied by Baltic and Mediterranean Avenues.

  The railroads will also be replaced with airports.  Instead of the B&O, Short Line, Reading and Pennsylvania, players will vie for JFK, O’Hare, LAX and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson.  The property values will rise across the board, money will come in higher denominations, and $1 bills will be done away with.  The makers will also update the Chance and Community Chest cards with “more modern scenarios.” 

  There still is no word on what the playing pieces will be, but in the UK edition of “Monopoly: Here & Now,” released last year, they included a mobile phone, a hamburger, a rollerblade, a skateboard, a jumbo jet, a race car and a double-decker London bus.

  Online voting continues through tomorrow, May 12, at http://monopolyhn.hasbro.com.

  Oh.  And for you Monopoly purists…don’t worry.  The original Atlantic City version will still be available.

-From Pulse
   May 11, 2006