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Monopoly Money Traded for Debit Cards

Board game giant Hasbro is giving one of their most popular games, Monopoly, a distinctly modern makeover by swapping out its trademark multi-colored paper money for debit cards. The new electronic banking version of the game (pictured here), which is as-yet only slated for release in the U.K., features plastic Visa cards that are swiped through a device to keep track of a player’s funds. “The new electronic Monopoly reflects the changing nature of society and the advancement of technology,” spokesman Chris Weatherhead told Sky News. We can’t help but wonder what’s next. Will the Monopoly Man’s dandyish attire be swapped out for designer threads, or for a millionaire in a double-breasted suit with a horrible comb-over?

Here’s what the people are saying:

“[I] remember that playing monopoly as a kid actually helped a bit with math and perhaps even with the idea of handling money…One perk I guess would be not running out of Monopoly money. Still, I hope the regular Monopoly money version of this game is still available somehow.” — Zadillo, engadget.com

“If they really wanted to keep up with ‘advancement of technology’, shouldn’t they implement PayPal or Smart Cards?” — delicategeniusblog.com

“I think it’s brilliant! Board game hackers can’t be far behind…” — Don’t Panic!, engadget.com

“If they want to modernize Monopoly, why stop there? They should make the properties increase in value quickly so that anyone who doesn’t purchase the property early rounds will never be able to afford anything. The richest player at any given point in the game will be be able to buy his/her way out of jail, while the poorest has to spend twice as long in jail as any other player. Get rid of Community Chest, Free Parking, and Luxury Tax, since they’re just outdated relics of an era in which people cared more for their society than their wallets. And the person who buys the utilities should be allowed to change the rules at any point during the game to ensure they always win. That’s how it seems to work in the real world.” — thismodernworld.com

Talk: Should Monopoly keep makin’ dat paper? COMMENT

On the Web: monopoly.com