Revolution is not Original

Monopoly Revolution

Change is good - for most things. But in some cases the original is still the best. Remember how quickly New Coke returned to Coke Classic? The same holds true for board games and Monopoly in particular!

Monopoly is the best-selling board game in the world, sold in 103 countries and produced in 37 languages including Croatian. In 1934 at the height of the Great Depression, Charles B. Darrow of Germantown, Pennsylvania, created the MONOPOLY game. Since then over 200 million MONOPOLY games have been sold worldwide; more than 500 million people have played the game; and more than five billion little green houses have been "built."

Monopoly is my favorite game!

Since 1980 Parker Brothers has created custom versions of the Monopoly game with various geographies and cites. They have created card games and video versions of the classic game - none of which has out-sold the original!

Now, for its 75th anniversary, Monopoly's getting a massive update, pitting brazen and new against proven and old: Circular board or quadrilateral? Cash currency or fake credit cards? This is the stuff of ruined relationships.

The anniversary version (pictured) has a unique round board that designers say is friendlier for games with four or more participants. The designers also decided to get rid of the cash in favor of credit cards, which they say is more relevant to people under the age of 30.

In the monopoly wars, I'm imagining there will be two camps, not four. There will be people who are OK with the circular board and the switch to digital currency, and people who are fine with neither-the purists and the pragmatists. There will be a middle ground in this fight, but it will be drenched in blood.

I think I might be one of the purists. I get that the new design makes a bit more sense, and that giving players credit cards is less trouble than managing a bank full of cash. But classic is the best - just ask those New Coke folks!

Monopoly Revolution will be out in fall, for $35. And don't worry-you'll still be able to find old-style boards, too.