A Monopoly on fun

Monopoly is the top-selling modern board game of all time, available today in 114 countries and 47 languages, and a myriad of variations. Hasbro's senior VP of board games Brian Baker explains to correspondent Susan Spencer the most important design element to a game's success.
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[@dwsparks1]

Monopoly was originally titled "The Landlord's Game" and patented by Elizabeth Magie in 1904 to teach children that renting is a sucker's game, but Parker Brothers stole it, invented a false history of the game and claimed it as their own original idea. Parker Brothers got litigious about protecting their stolen property and lost their trademark in "Anti-Monopoly, Inc. vs. General Mills Fun Group" in 1985 when the real history was re-discovered. Ironically, no one has a Monopoly on Monopoly.

[@stfujesska]

CBS Sunday morning reported on the origins of the game 9 years ago, yet they don't reference it here. I am thankful for your comment because it sent me down a rabbit hole of reading more about this story, so thank you!

[@JackieDaytona1776]

Thanks a lot...I blame you for the rabbit hole I'm about to go down

[@boardgamegeek]

Contrast with this CBS video from 13 years ago. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmKVo42Vf6etoqs

[@andyanderson2143]

Contrast indeed, thanks for the link!

[@majkus]

Yes, the Sunday Morning segment was a fluff promotional piece for Hasbro that seems to think that family board games are just like they were in the 1960s, but selling more copies. I wonder how many of those copies are licensed promo versions-Amazon says that 'Monopoly NBA' sold 200 copies in the last month-given as gifts to some fan, played at most once (at the birthday party, probably with the wrong rules) then put on the shelf forever.

[@CLB30ROX]

This has caused many fights around our house. Good times 😁

[@JillWhitcomb1966]

Some years ago as a young married couple in the 1980's, we'd do Board Game night. We played everything from Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, Risk, Aggravation, and a 1970's version of Babar the Elephant board game. You can see it was a mix of silly kid's games and more serious ones. It was a way to spend time together, do something fun on a cold snowy night, and learn about each other, too. Fast forward to the early 2000's. We stopped playing board games and spent more time watching TV or being on the computer. Our marriage fell apart. Hmmm...the family that plays together stays together?

[@yolieswitzer9466]

Ahh the memories. As a child I always liked the little iron & my sister liked the race car. As an adult my husband and I would get together with other couples to play and the guys would end up in marathon games 🤑

[@markberryhill2715]

If it doesn't last at least four hours plus I wouldn't even count it as a game. 🎮

[@Burgoseletronica05]

Monopoly here in Brazil call Banco Imobiliário

[@LisaAubin-ts8lr]

It's such a classic game. I love love and love this game.

[@semipenguin]

When I was a kid, a friend had a Monopoly game with pound notes instead of dollars. I didn’t know what the £ meant at the time. My guess is someone had brought the game over from England.

[@laurah6057]

I’ve never seen the penguin token. I might like it even better than the Scottie.

[@susannpatton2893]

I use the operation game to describe my hip pain and severity. My nose just doesn't turn red

[@kevinhoward9593]

My Uncle (god rest his soul) has the franklin mint with the Gold hotels and silver houses.

[@cindymiller3066]

I guess you know the Franklin Mint is history. I live 5 minutes from where it Was - now a MULTI townhouse development 😢

[@sharonhoepker]

I hated the wheeling dealing of trading, therefore I was a terrible player!

[@susannpatton2893]

They paid the women who invented the 1st one 500 dollars, the man whom stole it, millions

[@stanford-nf4jk]

@sharonhoepker Same here. I also think it’s boring. “Yay, I’ll just take this money and invest it blah blah blah…” 🥱

[@LindaC616]

The bad thing is Hasbro lets people buy a license for a particular town's version. Newport monopoly used to cost $20 at Walmart. Now Ellis of Oracle, who's using Newport as his real life Monopoly game, has licensed it and it costs $45

[@SoItGoesCAL34]

We didn't have a penguin.I usually chose the scottie. My sister preferred the car.

[@Daleylife]

Board games are the OG, but it would be amazing if we could get a proper video game version so friends across the world can play together. The current version has been abandoned and has so many bugs that make it unplayable.

[@aw8079]

Invented to teach the dangers of monopolies. Ever notice that 3/4 of the players LOSE. It's not a game, it's life and death.

[@jolyfrye1871]

I ❤ Monopoly.... 🎲 🎲..... 💵 🚂

[@balymnguni4540]

Where can I get this game

[@RudieObias]

Monopoly was originally designed as a game to show how bad Capitalism is, but then Hasbro stole it and made it into the consumer-take-all game we all know today

[@robertcuratolo5339]

🤗 How many times did I play this game

[@ModestNeophyte]

I cheated on Monopoly in q mental hospital. I was the banker, and I did typical banker stuff...

[@andyanderson2143]

Thats not cheating, thats practicing. Good on you.

[@stanford-nf4jk]

@ModestNeophyte More importantly, you were engaging in “play therapy”. Sister in law is a psych nurse at a facility and says that the patients who made an effort to get out of bed and come to group have a higher rate of being able to leave the facility and live independently or semi-independently.

[@scottsteele2704]

Why does the head of Hasbro breaking an obvious rule in this displayed game of Monopoly? It just goes against the creditibility of understanding their product. You are not allow to have a color group, with one house on one property, three houses of a second property and one house on the third property. Cleariy explained in the rules.

[@stanford-nf4jk]

@ModestNeophyte *Fry From Futurama Meme* “Not sure if trolling or just a stick in the mud.”

[@cyclemadness]

Sooo many good games out these days. Monopoly is not one of them. Try Terraforming Mars. Way better.

[@darthgumby2406]

Tell Hasbro that we want to pay more money for better quality board games instead of paying less money for cheap plastic and fragile parts.

[@bhambhole]

I've cheated at monopoly for my entire life. That is the way capitalism works in real life 😂

[@gregsteward9850]

Tell me you're out of touch without telling me you're out of touch.

[@wolflarson71]

Super dated “roll and move” design. Try Catan or Ticket to Ride for a much more interesting board game experience.

[@gemmeldrakes2758]

I specifically clicked on this video and opened the comments because I came looking for the inevitable comment by a tabletop gamer about how bad monopoly is. Found it!

[@wolflarson71]

@@gemmeldrakes2758Public service is important.

[@nickhershberger8411]

While an interesting piece, the missed opportunity is to report on the larger hobby board game market that has emerged. Hasbro has lost a step with this ever-expanding market.

[@pibbitybibbity]

Monopoly is the most boring, tedious game and the 2nd least fun, second only to Risk. When meeting people, if you find out they like Monopoly it’s a HUGE RED FLAG.🚩

[@stanford-nf4jk]

@pibbitybibbity I totally agree with you! The last time I played, I got sleepy and gifted my money and assets to the poorest person there to spite my ruthless brother who takes gaming *WAY* too seriously! He’s the boastful type who wins so often that it saps the fun out of the experience for everyone else!

[@mattquinn9415]

Ummm…no. Just no.

[@yvonneplant9434]

L

[@pawibus]

Worst game ever.

[@peteradaniel]

Monopoly sucks. Once you have one or two bad rounds in monopoly, your game is finished, then you have to sit there and wait for ages before the obvious winner, wins. It’s a terrible game.