ARE YOU IN QUÉBEC?
The youngest MONOPOLY world champion ever was crowned at last year’s World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada. After two days of fierce competition, Bjørn Halvard Knappskog a student from Oslo, Norway, beat out 40 competitors and in the final round he won, defeating players from the United States, Russia and New Zealand, in record time. His prize was $20,580, the equivalent to the total amount of MONOPOLY money in a standard game.
"This was the best game in the tournament for me," said Knappskog, "This is my first professional tournament and it was fun just to be here. I was really happy to be here whether I won or lost, but I’m also happy to have won."
Phil Orbanes, author of The MONOPOLY Companion, former head of research and development for Parker Brothers and thirty year veteran World Championship judge, once again served as chief judge for the competition.
The first MONOPOLY World Championship tournament took place at Grossinger's Resort in New York in 1973. Since that inaugural game, 12 MONOPOLY tycoons, hailing from United States, Ireland, Singapore, Italy, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Japan, Netherlands, Hong Kong and Spain, have earned the title of World Champion.
MONOPOLY has literally reshaped the classic game with the introduction of Revolution. This exciting reinvention of the beloved board game features a groundbreaking round board, along with electronic banking, music and sound effects.
"The new MONOPOLY: Revolution Edition continues Hasbro's tradition of providing new and revolutionary entertainment options for families," said Jane Ritson-Parsons, Global Brand Leader for MONOPOLY. "As MONOPOLY has truly become the world's favorite family game brand, and is a part of pop culture, we are pleased to celebrate our anniversary by offering new MONOPOLY entertainment experiences for families around the world."
Though the new game still features the traditional streets of Atlantic City, property values have risen to reflect today's prices. Instead of collecting $200, players will take in $2 Million every time they pass GO. Helping them track their millions is an electronic "banker" that also serves as the die, and music player. For the first time, sound effects and music clips from hit songs from five decades, including "Umbrella," "Bad Day" and "Drive My Car," provide a soundtrack throughout the game.
Another equally exciting new launch is MONOPOLY U-BUILD, which introduces a totally new concept in MONOPOLY game play—the build-it-yourself board. Players construct the game track by snapping together hexagonal property spaces, giving them control over the length of the game. Players that want to play a speed round can choose a Starter Track for a 30-minute game or go for a longer game by choosing the Classic Track for a 60-minute game. Once players have become at adept at "building" the game, they can move into Pro or Freestyle tracks for a totally unique game experience. MONOPOLY: Revolution Edition will be available in Fall 2010. The game is recommended for two to six players, ages 8 and up. MONOPOLY U-BUILD will be available in Fall 2010 and is for 2 to 6 players, ages 8 and up.
Stemming from the strategic alliance between Hasbro and Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), EA has created digital versions of MONOPOLY which are available for download for mobile phones or free online at www.Pogo.com™ MONOPOLY is also available for console gaming systems, including the Nintendo Wii™, Xbox 360™, PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3.
