• Monopoly reveals newest game token (and the one kicked out of the box)

    By Lauren Sullivan, TODAY

    The results are in! Over the past month, hundreds of thousands of Monopoly fans worldwide voted for which new token should replace one of the iconic ones being retired after countless journeys past Go. After a hard-fought campaign, representatives revealed the newest game piece Wednesday morning on TODAY.

    (Drum roll, please.)

    Monopoly’s newest token is…

    The makers of Monopoly decided to modernize the game a bit by adding a new token and retiring one of the classics. The TODAY anchors chat about the new token, as voted by the public, which will replace the iron.

    The cat!

    To rally players to show their support for their favorite tokens, Hasbro launched a Facebook app. While the results among the 250,000 votes on TODAY.com’s live poll were close, the feline edged out its competition: the robot, diamond ring, helicopter and guitar.

    It’s sad news for some, as the sly cat will replace one of the game’s venerable pieces, which has also been chosen by voters. The boot, iron and wheelbarrow were tied for last place until Tuesday night when the wheelbarrow and shoe hung on and the iron got the boot.

    'I loved the iron': Watch anchors discuss the change

    What do you think of the results? Are you excited to play with the cat token, or sad to see the iron go? Vote below:

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  • Fans react to Monopoly's token vote: Don't touch a thing!

    By Lauren Sullivan, TODAY

    Hasbro may have underestimated their fans’ loyalty to Monopoly. An announcement that the company will replace one of the iconic game’s tokens next month with a fan-selected newbie has Monopoly players everywhere clamoring.   

    The worldwide Facebook vote asks fans to decide which classic game piece should go, and which new token should be added.

    We asked TODAY's Facebook fans to weigh in: Which of the pieces on the chopping block – the car, thimble, boot, Scottie dog, battleship, hat, iron or wheelbarrow – would they save?  

    Many nostalgically voted for the pup:

    Christine Bishop-Maul
    The Scottie Dog was always my favorite!

    Rose Pfisterer Evard
    Save the Scottie, add a Kitty!

    Kate Mata
    Keep the dog! Everyone always wanted to be the dog! Lol!!

    Leslie Rogers
    I love the dog so save the dog.

    Lisa Best
    the Scottie is my piece don't do away with it

    Lara Nardell
    Save The Scottie!!!!

    Others had no problem offering opinions on which token should get the ax (our condolences, thimble and iron):

    Harold Jones
    Thimble needs to go!! Go take it. Away!

    JoElla Miller-Zimmerman
    Send the thimble to jail!

    Melanie Patterson
    Get rid of the STUPID thimble. I always wondered about that piece.

    Nancy Nagy
    the iron needs to be flattened...and hello kitty!

    Lesia Burnett-Sharpensteen
     Leave it be...Although no one ever wanted the iron...

    The overwhelming majority, though, asked that Monopoly stay exactly as it is:

    Rebecca Grimm Bailey
    Why change it up??? It's classic and represent the era from whence it came!! Change is good, but not in this case. Love Monopoly!

    Judy Hayes Nelson
    Please, please do not take away from our historical heritage this great classic game. Leave it alone and just add another token and more funds so that more can play. This is our family "tradition" game that all play including the young ones. A new token or two would be great!

    Meghan O’Brien
    Don’t get rid of ANY!!!!!!!!

    Cordie Myles
    Don't change any of the piece just add more. My children and I play monopoly daily and I won a lot of money playing with the wheel barrel. Don’t change anything.

    Elizabeth Rodriguez
    Why even change? This is a classic game. Leave it alone!

    While some fans were overwhelmed by the idea of change, others offered alternatives to the current replacements in consideration:

    Mary Stanley
    Keep the Scotty! Don't lose any of the originals. Not sure if I like the new ones. How about a tiny lap top?

    Daniel Collins
    Make one of the pieces a Twinkie!!!!!

    What do you think? Should the Scottie stay and the thimble go? Or is Monopoly too iconic a board game to touch? Visit our Facebook page and let us know.

    And remember to mark your calendars: Hasbro will reveal the new token exclusively on the TODAY show on Feb. 6. 

    More on TODAY.com:

     

  • Monopoly is sending a game piece to jail, permanently

    By Lauren Sullivan, TODAY

    Monopoly is sending one of its tokens directly to jail forever — without passing go, without collecting $200.

    The iconic board game is asking its Facebook fans to vote for their favorite game piece, including the car, thimble, boot, Scottie dog, battleship, hat, iron and wheelbarrow.

    The one that receives the fewest votes will be voted off the board next month. 

    It seems everyone has a personal connection to Monopoly’s signature game pieces. Savannah gushed on the show Thursday morning, urging viewers to cast their votes and revealing her loyalty to the thimble – but then admitted that she also likes the iron (a token likely to get voted off, according to our tally).

    Joining in on the nostalgia was Natalie, who said that she and her sister used to fight over who would be the Scottie dog as children.

    Do you have a signature game piece? Tell us on Facebook!

    https://apps.facebook.com/saveyourtoken/

    Hasbro is asking their Monopoly Facebook fans to vote for a new token.

    As of Jan. 9, the dog and the car have garnered the most support. Fans of the wheelbarrow and hat may need to select a new game piece. 

    But out with the old and in with the new: Monopoly will replace the shunned piece with a cat, diamond ring, guitar, helicopter or toy robot.

    This isn’t the first time Monopoly has introduced replacement tokens. According to Hasbro.com, the lantern, purse and rocking horse got the ax in the early 1950s, making way for the dog, wheelbarrow and the horse and rider (the horse eventually got booted from the box, too).

    Hasbro's promotion hearkens back to M&M’s marketing stunt in 1995, when the the tan-hued chocolate candy was nixed and fans were asked to vote for a new color (the verdict was blue).

    Hasbro will reveal the new token exclusively on TODAY on Feb. 6. Be sure to watch! 

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