According to Judy Chen, Hasbro Taiwan's marketing manager, the decision to list the capital of Taiwan will boost the Republic of China's international image, as the game will be released worldwide. Chen explained that earlier this year, the company decided to produce the "Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition," and conducted an Internet poll to determine which cities would be included.
In the first round of competition, 68 cities were whittled down to 20 after 5.6 million fans voted worldwide. The two remaining spots on the board were decided following a bonus round run-off. Taipei and Gdynia in Poland were the final two winners and take their place alongside the world's leading metropolises.
The complete list of cities included in the game is Montreal, Riga, Cape Town, Belgrade, Paris, Jerusalem, Hong Kong, Beijing, London, New York, Sydney, Vancouver, Shanghai, Rome, Toronto, Kiev, Istanbul, Athens, Barcelona, Tokyo, Taipei and Gdynia.
"We are thrilled that the first-ever global board game includes an eclectic mix of cities that showcase their dynamic cultures, sights and history of the planet," said Helen Martin, vice president of global marketing for the Monopoly brand. Monopoly first hit the market in 1935 and is available in 81 countries, Hasbro Taiwan said, adding that more than 250 million copies of the game have been sold and around 1 billion people have played it.
Janice Chen, product manager for Hasbro Taiwan, explained that the new edition of the game aims to emphasize the multicultural aspect of today's globalized world. "This is why we decided to replace street names with cities," she said. "Furthermore, players can become familiar with features and characteristics of those cities and are encouraged to learn more about the particular countries on their own." Chen added that the National Palace Museum was selected as Taipei's representative image because of its magnificent architectural style and rich cultural aspects.
Rose Chao, deputy executive of Taipei City Tourism Committee, said the inclusion of Taipei and the NPM in the game will catapult Taiwan onto the international stage. "The island will receive increased exposure and visibility, and this will promote our tourism industry," she said.
Wayne Liu, director of International Affairs Division at the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, agreed with Chao and pointed out that according to the bureau's statistics, places of historic interest are the main attractions for foreign visitors in Taipei. "Therefore, the National Palace Museum as the symbol of Taipei will enhance the city's international reputation and attract more foreign tourists from abroad," he said.
The 73-year-old game's makeover goes further than just replacing streets with cities, though. The old utilities "Electric Company" and "Water Works" will be replaced by "Wind Energy" and "Solar Energy." Also, three of the four railroads will be replaced by air, cruise and space travel options. Neither "Community Chest" nor "Chance" escaped the revamp, and will now allow players to instead attend cultural events and organize festivals.
Capturing the imagination of people around the globe, the world record for the longest Monopoly game is 1,680 hours, with 36 hours the record for playing Monopoly standing on one's head. More than 200 versions exist at present with more in the works. This month Reebok is launching a Monopoly-styled footwear range. And filmmaker Sir Ridley Scott of "Blackhawk Down" and "Gladiator" fame is working on a movie version, with tycoons pitting their wits in mega-deals.
Hasbro Taiwan said it expects to sell around 100,000 world edition Monopoly sets islandwide over the next two years, with 1 million local fans expected to play in the future.
Write to Eric Chao at clchao@mail.gio.gov.tw