Monopoly Gets Democratic

M@
By M@ Last edited 218 months ago
Monopoly Gets Democratic
Who Says High Streets Are All The Same.jpg

Ah, Monopoly. Londonist owes you a pint. Many a staid Christmas evening has been enlivened by your magic. Everyone wants to be the dog, so large it can eat a battleship; nobody is sure of the rules to ‘Free parking’, or if indeed it has any; predictable jibes will ensue over the ‘beauty contest’ card. And, of course, if only this were real money.

With Christmas out of the way, and sales of the game languishing back in Old Kent Road, it’s time once again for the annual tradition of Parker launching a ‘special edition’, to drum up some media interest. And, well, it’s worked.

This year, you, the voting public get to choose which locations will appear on the new board. Property website rightmove.co.uk have selected two alternatives for each square on the basis of current market prices. From the original board, only Oxford Street survives, and suggested new entries include Bishopsgate and Brick Lane. The board will be out, and here’s the stonking surprise, in time for Christmas.

There are so many possibilities for discussion here. Which properties might reflect modern London? Should the Chance and Community chest cards be re-written? And what shapes should the playing counters be? (Gherkin? Mayor Ken? Glass testicle?)

And why has there never been a Reality TV show based on the famous game? It’s only a matter of time.

For a nice discussion about all this, go to Annie Mole's site, go directly to Annie Mole's site, do not pass go, do not collect £200.

Postscript: We sent off for the form today. The whole set-up strikes us as vaguely shambolic. First of all, several properties are incorrectly named (Lime House, Saville Row and Long Acre Road; assuming in the latter case that they're not suggesting the suburban and obscure Long Acre Road over in Epping). Some properties appear twice (King's Road, Shaftesbury Road), which could cause problems if both instances win the vote. Finally, on submitting my votes, I received an 'Out of office' reply. Go back to Old Kent Road.

Last Updated 31 January 2006