World Cities Vie for Monopoly’s Boardwalk

Monopoly is spurring a debate even more impassioned than the one over who gets dibs on the sweet metal dog token, and this one’s brewing on a global scale. Reigning as the world’s most popular branded board game (or so says the Guinness World Records), Monopoly recently unveiled plans for a new edition of the game, called Here & Now: The World Edition, which pits 68 world cities from six continents against each other in a worldwide online vote to determine which cities deserve the game board’s coveted property spaces.

The contest began Jan. 21, and voters have until Feb 28 to cast their ballots for up to 10 cities daily. The top 20 cities will nab property space in rank order from highest to lowest property value. Among the U.S. cities included on Monopoly’s short-list of global cities are Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Unsurprisingly, Paris, London, and New York are currently vying for the top spots.

But the truly exciting news—drumroll, please—are the two “wild card” spots open for write-in votes. Beginning Feb. 29, the top 20 most nominated write-in cities will square off for the two low-rent property group spaces traditionally reserved for Baltic and Mediterranean Avenues.

No word on whether the token game pieces will transcend the cultures, or, more realistically, if they will scream of capitalistic symbols. But, then again, that’s what a true monopoly is all about anyway, right?

Who are you voting for?

Image: Hasbro, Inc.

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