Ask anyone and they’ll probably agree with you that Monopoly is one of the most iconic board games of the last 20 years.  And during that time it has largely remained unchanged, that is until now.

Much like a video game, the latest version of the Monopoly board game, Monopoly Live, involves a computer.  In fact, Hasbro has seen fit to remove the paper money all together as well as the dice.  Shameful, we know.  It’s all replaced by a red tower positioned at the center of the board.  It uses infrared technology to track each player’s piece, keeps count of their money via an electronic like bank card and what property they should arrive on.  

According to the NYTimes, to roll the “dice” you cover your piece with both hands, shielding the reflective tag that communicates with the tower, which then prompts the tower to tell you how many spaces to move forward.  It will even announce how much money each player has, so you can’t squirrel away funds for a rainy day or mislead players into thinking your going broke.  Lastly, there are even new events that randomly take place, such as a horse race, auctions, or a gas tax and the ability to upgrade your properties utilities to be more eco friendly.

When will this new version of Monopoly arrive?  This fall and it will cost $50, a significant jump over the original price.  We’re all for gadgets and tech, but this sounds like Hasbro trying to “vampire” the life out of a great game.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix (change) it.

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