How many of you were unsettled to see your favorite childhood game turn to debit cards? When Monopoly went electronic, it lost a substantial amount of fun, but at least there was still bargaining and negotiating to be had — the most fun part of the game. Well now, that’s all gone with a new version set to come out this fall.
In the center of the board lives an all-mighty air-controller-like tower, sitting quietly, watching your every move. The Big Brother uses infrared to electronically roll, calculate rent, assign turns, and keep track of everyone’s money. Included in the new version are new games like horse racing, gas taxes and the option to upgrade utilities to be more “green.” Hopefully, that can at least teach the kids to be friendly to their earth. Price is $50 and will be out in time for the 2011 holiday season.
I think they are missing something with their vision; adding magnets to the board could have been more decorous for players wanting to play the most boring game ever. Better yet, SMS notifications for acquired properties and capital generation for those too busy to sit down for a few hours.
[via giz]