Monopoly May Replace Iconic Pieces With Emoji Faces and Hashtags (cnet.com)

Hasbro, the toymaker behind Monopoly, is letting the public decide whether or not they should replace the game's iconic game pieces with new pieces inspired by pop culture and social media. CNNMoney reports: Gamers can visit the Vote Monopoly site and choose from more than 50 new options. The old tokens, including the thimble, top hat and Scottie dog, are also on the table. The voting takes place inside a digital house with shelves and furniture stocked with both classic and newfangled token options. Jazzy music plays in the background as you explore and take a closer look at the figurines. Some aren't too surprising. There's a horse, a sailboat, an airplane, a bike and a helicopter. Two of the stranger options are sliced bread and a fuzzy bunny slipper. Hasbro is offering up a number of tokens that may appeal to tech consumers. There's a cell phone that looks like it came out of the '80s, a television that looks very '50s, and a computer with keyboard that vaguely resembles the first flat-screen iMac. Internet denizens can also vote for a hashtag and emoji options, including a winking smiley-face, thumbs-up symbol, crying-laughing face and a Rich Uncle Pennybags version of an emoji face. Voting is open to internet users worldwide until January 31. The chosen tokens will be part of a fresh Monopoly game due to hit stores this summer, so think long and hard about whether you want to stare at a kissy-face emoji for the next decade or so. A special edition called Token Madness will offer the original tokens as well as the new winners.

Comments

We need a new "Community Chest", too

[NoNonAlphaCharsHere]

The new cards would say stuff like:

You fraudulently bundle thousands of worthless loans together and sell them as Grade AAA investments to the unsuspecting. Millions of hoi polloi lose their homes and retirements, and the country's economy is almost destroyed. Collect 10 Billion Dollars and stay out of jail.

And:

You purchase a thriving, cash-rich company with borrowed money. Use the company's cash to institute a stock-buyback plan to increase the value of the stock options you've given yourself. Ship most of the company's jobs to overseas sweat-shops, further increasing the short-term value of your stock. Sell at the peak, rinse, repeat.

And:

You inherit 20 billion dollars. Use your pocket change to buy a few U.S. Senators and get them to change the inheritance laws.

And:

You run a large corporation. Strong-arm local and state politicians with threats to move your facilities to another state or out of the country. Get out of taxes free.

I could (and might) go on...