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Friday, August 11, 2006

Give Me My Monopoly

Monopoly is about the money - those tired tattered notes that you sneaked out of the ‘bank’ when the banker wasn’t looking. Those ridiculous little red and green house-hotels, the silver shoe that no one wanted to be, the train stations and the coveted real estate....our games stretched endlessly, sometimes lasting more than a day. And when night came, the responsible banker would stash away the loot while we of weak moral fiber plotted on how best to raise siege. As Monopoly celebrates its 70th anniversary, some bright spark figured the game needed a facelift.
So they axe the money.

THE money.

There will be debit cards – Visa branded. It’s easier taking over a board game than ensuring James Bond puts it on his Visa. Oh and did I mention there is a (Visa) branded electronic card reader to record all transfers. That’s exactly what we want, a board game that needs batteries.

Why the new Monopoly might just work
- The debit card is realistic enough to be swiped at Life Style.
- The electronic reader, worth a few dollars, can be doctored to read all cards (thanks Korula)
- The shoe is being replaced by a mobile phone. One doesn't mind being a mobile phone..I think.

Why the new Monopoly won’t work
- Looting a bank vs punching in numbers...punching numbers is so much more fun.
- "How the hell did you become a zillionaire?" "Er..I must have hit 0 twenty two times."
- Batteries for a board game. Batteries that you will most likely flick from your remote. And we know how that ends.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

i always used to be the bank robber - dont think this new gadget game will work for me :-)

Nagesh Pai said...

I remember playing "Business". The Indian version of Monopoly. I also saw the "MAD" version of the game where all the rules are reverse.. you are supposed to spend all the money and turn bankrupt!! Trust me thats even more tough!

Cheers!
Nagesh

Aditi said...

I have played Business with the coins (more durable when u have a bratty brother) and Monopoly..
What no more shoe, I loved being the shoe, felt like i was kicking them all. Cards are no fun, you cant wave the wad of cash in the face of a loosing sibling.
Sigh, I guess a new generation warrants a new and updated monopoly but i wont like it.

karmic said...

lol.. good one. That and the town that supposedly monopoly uses on the borad is from New Jersey, is upset that the facelift means they won't be on it.

Movie Mazaa said...

I have played Monoply too, but tht was a long time ago.

Sigh!

Jag said...

I still ove playing monopoly - there is something really kitsch about it. And I am always the "boot"! Exactly as someone said earlier - for kicking people off the place I land if someone ios already there!

mathew said...

Ages since I have played it!! ;)

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