By RODRIQUE NGOWI
Associated Press
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) —
Scottie dog has a new nemesis in Monopoly after fans voted in an online contest to add a cat token to the property trading game, replacing the iron, toy maker Hasbro Inc. announced Wednesday.
The
results were announced after the shoe, wheelbarrow and iron were neck
and neck for elimination in the final hours of voting that sparked
passionate efforts by fans to save their favorite tokens, and by
businesses eager to capitalize on publicity surrounding pieces that
represent their products.
The vote on Facebook closed just before
midnight on Tuesday, marking the first time that fans have had a say on
which of the eight tokens to add and which one to toss. The pieces
identify the players and have changed quite a lot since Parker Brothers
bought the game from its original designer in 1935.
Rhode Island-based Hasbro announced the new piece Wednesday morning.
Other pieces that contested for a spot on Monopoly included a robot, diamond ring, helicopter and guitar.
Fans from more than 120 countries voted.
"We
put five new tokens out for our fans to vote on and there were a lot of
fans of the many different tokens, but I think there were a lot of cat
lovers in the world that reached out and voted for the cat to be the
new token for Monopoly," said Jonathan Berkowitz, vice president for
Hasbro gaming marketing.
The Scottie Dog was the most popular of
the classic tokens, and received 29% of the vote, the company said. The
iron got the least votes and was kicked to the curb.
The cat, which has no name, received 31% of votes for new tokens.
The online
contest to change the tokens was sparked by chatter on Facebook, where
Monopoly has more than 10 million fans. The initiative was intended to
ensure that a game created nearly eight decades ago remains relevant and
engaging to fans today.
"Tokens are always a key part of the
Monopoly game ... and our fans are very passionate about their tokens,
about which token they use while they play," Berkowitz said.
Monopoly's
iconic tokens originated when the niece of game creator Charles Darrow
suggested using charms from her charm bracelet for tokens. The game is
based on the streets of Atlantic City, N.J., and has sold more than 275
million units worldwide.
To make the game relevant to fans abroad, the names are changed to well-known streets in when it is introduced to a new country.
The
other tokens are a racecar, a shoe, thimble, top hat, wheelbarrow and
battleship. Most of the pieces were introduced with the first Parker
Brothers iteration of the game in 1935, and the Scottie dog and
wheelbarrow were added in the early 1950s.
"I'm sad to see the
iron go," Berkowitz said. "Personally, I'm a big fan of the racecar so
I'm very relieved it was saved but it is sad to see the iron go."
The
social-media buzz created by the Save Your Token Campaign attracted
numerous companies that pushed to protect specific tokens that reflect
their products.
That includes garden tool maker Ames True Temper
Inc. of Camp Hill, Penn., that spoke out in favor of the wheelbarrow and
created a series of online videos that support the tool and online shoe
retailer Zappos which pushed to save the shoe, Berkowitz said.
"We've
even had some companies like Jolly Time Pop Corn reach out and petition
to have a popcorn token added to the game, even though that's not one
of the new five tokens," he said.
Versions of Monopoly with the new token will come out later this year.
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Monopoly: https://www.hasbro.com/monopoly
Rodrique Ngowi can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/ngowi
