monopoly
Latest
Game of Life and Monopoly are EA's first games on Samsung Smart TVs
Thanks to EA and Samsung, its now possible to play board games with your family while simultaneously negating the purpose of board games – which is to spend meaningful time with the people that you care about away from the noise and radiation of the all-engulfing boob tube.Samsung Smart TV owners have access to virtual versions of both Monopoly and The Game of LIFE via their television's Samsung Apps marketplace. Each game costs $10 and features exactly what you'd expect from each: Buying/selling/trading property in Monopoly, becoming a teen widower in LIFE, etc. Players that also own Samsung smartphones (specifically the S1, S2 and S3) can download a free companion app that turns their phone into a motion controller for throwing dice and spinning wheels.We'd also like to take this opportunity to announce that "Playing The Game of LIFE while staring at a giant, expensive television" wins Joystiq's Unintentional Irony of the Year Award.
Samsung Smart TVs getting Monopoly and The Game of Life as first two EA titles
Samsung Smart TVs can now boast more than just bird flinging in the games department, with EA today dipping its toe in the Samsung App store in the form of two major digital board games: Monopoly and The Game of Life. The games cost $10 a pop, and are controllable with your WiFi-enabled Samsung Galaxy SI, SII, and SIII mobiles -- you'll need to snag "mobile companion apps" for each game to enable controls, which adds some tilt sensor-based waggle (the apps are free). That brings the grand total of notable standalone games on Samsung's Smart TVs to three, but then there's always Gaikai support to tide you over as well, eh? And hey, we hear there's a new Nintendo machine on the way pretty soon, in case you wanna go down the rabbit hole even deeper.
Argue over who gets to be Chun-Li's bracelet in Street Fighter Monopoly
We've always assumed, given there's a version for just about everything, that Street Fighter Monopoly already existed. Then we were wrong, but now we are right. Yes, 'Monopoly: Street Fighter Collector's Edition' is now available on Amazon at a RRP for $39.99.The tokens are Chun-Li's bracelet, Vega's mask, a Hadouken, M.Bison, Blanka, Ryu, and Zangief's tiny red shorts. Alright, we made that last one up, but we had to highlight the oversight. As for the properties, while they're set to locations like 'Japanese Bathhouse' and 'China Marketplace,' in reality we reckon they're ordered by the character portraits on them. So, M. Bison and Gouken are the dark blues, which we suppose makes sense. Although there must be a case for Ryu (yellows) and Ken (reds) being the most valuable. Mind you, we're just happy they included everyone's favorite boxing gentleman, Dudley (light blues).
Zynga and Hasbro make CityVille Monopoly, more, for when you're board
Pretty soon your mom won't need the computer to get her Words with Friends fix. The Zynga and Hasbro partnership will bear its first fruit this fall, when board game adaptations of CityVille, Words with Friends, Farmville and Draw Something hit retail, ABC reports.CityVille Monopoly will be available in October for $24.99. It's a version of the Hasbro classic where players are tasked with building skycrapers instead of houses and hotels, and the first player to build four skyscrapers wins. Hungry Hungry Herd also releases in October, for $22.99, and is Hasbro's interpretation of FarmVille – it's just Hungry Hungry Hippos without the hippos.Words with Friends will be available in two flavors this October and will play exactly the same as the online game, in the standard, $19.99 edition and a deluxe $39.99 edition with a rotating board. Not much is known on the fourth and final game, an adaptation of OMGPOP's Draw Something, which Zynga acquired for $200 million back in March. The board game adaptation of Draw Something is planned for late October/early November and will likely play a lot like Pictionary.
World of Warcraft Monopoly now available at the Blizzard Store
The World of Warcraft Monopoly Collector's Edition is now available at the Blizzard Store for $39.95. This Monopoly set comes with tokens chosen by fans, bills featuring your favorite World of Warcraft heroes, and Azerothian real estate. For example, in the places of Boardwalk and Park Place are Orgrimmar and Stormwind, respectively. The official World of Warcraft blog goes into more detail. If you'd like to see the full contents of the board game before you make your purchase, check out Joystiq's unboxing image gallery. While WoW Monopoly is a new addition to the Blizzard store, it has been available at retailers since May 18, 2012. Note that your Battle.net Balance (where Diablo III Real-Money Auction House proceeds go) cannot be used to purchase anything at the Blizzard Store at this time. But if you've been waiting to buy the World of Warcraft Monopoly Collector's Edition direct from Blizzard, now is your chance.
Reminder: We're giving away a World of Warcraft Monopoly set
If you haven't yet entered for a chance to win a World of Warcraft Collector's Edition Monopoly set from those of us here at WoW Insider, today is your last chance to do so. Head over to our contest post and leave a comment to enter. Do not comment here on this post to enter the contest; comments left on this post will not be considered when choosing our winner. Good luck, and don't forget to read the full contest rules. %Gallery-155647%
Enter to win a Collector's Edition World of Warcraft Monopoly set
Earlier this week, we discovered an unexpected package on our doorstep: a World of Warcraft "Collector's Edition" Monopoly set straight from Irvine, California. We've been following the progress of this product since its premature leak back in February, through the community voting process to choose the play pieces, and the reveal of whose faces will grace the big bills. Very rarely do we get to watch the development process of a licensed product so closely, so it's a pleasure to now hold the actual product in our hands. Of course, the best way to celebrate getting our hands on the product is to immediately give it to someone else. That's exactly what we're going to do to bring the month of May to a close. We're going to follow in our big brother Joystiq's footsteps on this one -- to enter, answer a simple question in the comments below: given the opportunity, where in the world of Warcraft would you buy real estate? Rules and conditions for this giveaway are listed after the break. %Gallery-155647%
Joystiq unboxes WoW Monopoly
USAopoly's awesome foray in WoW-themed board games comes in the form of the World of Warcraft version of Monopoly. With player pieces like a Hearthstone, Core Hound Pup, and Mechagnome and WoW-themed real estate to buy with WoW-themed money, you know you're going to have fun playing this with your friends. I call the Hearthstone piece, though, and no one lets Sacco near the bank, because I bet he's a cheater. Check out Joystiq's unboxing gallery here. World of Warcraft Monopoly is available for sale today. Joystiq is even giving away one of the games to a lucky commenter, so head on over to the site and enter to win.
Joyswag & Unboxing: 'Collector's Edition' World of Warcraft Monopoly
USAopoly and Blizzard have teamed up to develop a special, World of Warcraft-themed "Collector's Edition" Monopoly set, which lands at retailers tomorrow. Not only did we get a first look at the final product, the team at Joystiq is reluctantly giving it away to one lucky reader.Get a detailed look at the WoW-themed Monopoly set in the Joystiq gallery below.Entering the contest is easy! Just tell us where in Azeroth you'd buy the most real estate. Need some inspiration? Check out our latest coverage of WoW's upcoming Mists of Pandaria expansion.Rules and conditions for this giveaway are listed after the break.%Gallery-155647%
WD grits teeth, hands over the goodies to Toshiba to regulators and dentists' delight
Western Digital has completed its FTC-ordered handover of assets to Toshiba in order to buy Hitachi's HDD business Viviti. The wedding of the year was halted when regulators, citing monopoly concerns, demanded WD hand over a bundle of IP, R&D materials and production line gear to Tosh. In exchange, Western Digital will take over Toshiba Storage Device (Thailand), the arm of the company that was devastated in the recent flooding. It's WD's aim to integrate the remaining assets into its own local operations -- you can read the official line in the land of pure imagination below.
Buy and sell Azerothian real estate in World of Warcraft Monopoly
We've featured the World of Warcraft Monopoly game before, along with the heroes depicted on their currency. Some more concrete (or steel, depending on your faction) info has come our way from Kotaku. As you might have expected, Orgrimmar and Stormwind are the Boardwalk and Park Place analogues. Apparently, goblin financing terms are steep; of course, that whole Deathwing thing might have depressed Stormwind real estate values a tad. Additionally, the traditional houses and hotels are replaced by taverns and towers. Personally, if I'm playing, I'll take the four taverns over the tower any day. Call it a "morale bonus." World of Warcraft Monopoly is due to release later this spring.
Expedia adds to Google's EU antitrust woes, decision expected after Easter
Google's position as the dominant search engine doesn't come without a price. Smaller search sites have already tapped on the EU Commission's door to register their complaints about how they are ranked, and Microsoft has also let its feelings on the matter be known. Now, we can add the Redmond spin-off, Expedia, to that list of sore losers disgruntled firms. The travel search site claims it has specific details outlining how the search giant has violated European anti-competitive laws. A Google spokesperson issued a statement saying "We haven't seen the complaint yet, but we've been working to explain how our business works, cooperating with the European Commission since this investigation began." The EU Competition Commissioner says a decision will be made after Easter, at which point Mountain View will either be charged, or the investigation will be dropped. If only that were the end of its EU troubles.
Mexico's CFC deems Telcel 'too dominant' in mobile call termination, more regulations coming
Things could be getting a tad bit messy for the world's richest man, Carlos Slim, as Mexico's CFC (or Federal Competition Commission) has ruled one of his companies holds too much power in a key wireless sector. The CFC's beef with Telcel isn't exactly novel; earlier this year the antitrust agency served the phone outfit with an 11,989,000,000 pesos fine (around a $1 billion) for "monopoly practices." Telcel's latest troubles date back to 2011, when the CFC deemed the company "too dominant" in the mobile call termination game, and now it's taken a unanimous vote that'll allow it to implement "asymmetric" regulations on Telcel's service quality, charges and information. Not all is lost for Slim's carrier, however, since it could still appeal the CFC's decision.
Amazon Appstore for Android celebrates a year of life, deals for a week
Whatever Google can do, Amazon can do... too? Sure seems it, as the latter is celebrating a rather momentous occasion by giving back to the people that have brought it this far: you (and you, and you!). The Amazon Appstore for Android has officially been alive and kicking for 12 months, and Bezos and co. are slashing prices for a week instead of tossing one forgettable party. We're told to expect rock-bottom rates on iconic titles such as Fruit Ninja, Wolfram Alpha, Splashtop Remote Desktop, Dr. Seuss's The Shape of Me and Other Stuff, TuneIn Radio Pro, TETRIS, PAC-MAN, The Lost City, MONOPOLY, AccuWeather Platinum and more. Birthday deals start today with one of the top paid apps, Plants vs. Zombies, at 67 percent off, and you can expect to see more in the coming days. Crack open that dusty wallet and hit the source link, vaquero.
World of Warcraft Monopoly money features heroes on the bills
Kotaku has got the scoop on the cool fake Monopoly money to be included with the World of Warcraft Monopoly game. Each bill features a faction leader (and Chen Stormstout) on the various notes, with familiar faction art representing the heroes. Here is the breakdown of characters on each bill: $1 bill Chen Stormstout $5 bill Magni Bronzebeard $10 bill Vol'jin $20 bill Tyrande Whisperwind $50 bill Sylvanas Windrunner $100 bill Varian Wrynn $500 bill Thrall Check out the gallery below of each of the Monopoly money game pieces. (Thanks to Kotaku for the story.) %Gallery-150754%
BlizzPlanet goes to Toy Fair 2012 in New York
Toy Fair 2012 started up on Sunday, Feb. 12, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, where many companies announced awesome new licensed Blizzard products that we're definitely excited about. The event ends tomorrow on Wednesday, Feb. 15. BlizzPlanet has been on the scene to report back on all of the new products coming stamped with the Blizzard seal of approval. MEGA Bloks showed up with new prototypes for the World of Warcraft MEGA Bloks sets coming soon, with cool catapults and orcish scenary. Giant MEGA Blok Thrall was on hand to pose with fans. Insight Editions showed off its Diablo III: Book of Cain, and USAopoly made one of the biggest announcements with World of Warcraft Monopoly and RISK: StarCraft. DC Unlimited continued to show off its figures for the World of Warcraft series, many of which were delayed for a long time for unknown reasons. However, these figures are coming, and they look great. Check out BlizzPlanet for coverage of all of the licensed Blizzard products showing up at the convention.
Blizzard readying WoW Monopoly boardgame
If you've ever wanted to own the Twilight Highlands or the Swamp of Sorrows, Blizzard's new foray in boardgaming is for you. The gaming giant is partnering with Hasbro and Parker Brothers to bring you a World of Warcraft-style Monopoly title. The unholy hybrid will be available this May for $39.95. Blizzard is also allowing fans to vote on game pieces via its Facebook page, and the choices include the doomhammer, crafting anvil, hearthstone, and spellbook. Blizzard is also trying its hand at a RISK tie-in with RISK: StarCraft, which is slated to debut later this summer.
zAPPed board games hands-on
Alright, zAPPed is no GameChanger but, where Hasbro's line of iOS-integrated board games falls short in the pun department, it shines in cleverness. The Game of Life launched just a couple of days ago with a special edition designed to be used with an iPad app, while other classics Battleship and Monopoly are scheduled to follow later in the year. All make your iDevice an integral part of the gaming experience and leverage an ingeniously simple solution to boosting the interactivity. Underneath the game pieces are uniquely arranged capacitive plastic pads that allow the apps to identify what you're holding. Different boats in Battleship have slightly different arrangements of pads underneath that allow the app to tell whether your carrier or destroyer has been sunk.Monopoly uses the same trick to differentiate player debit cards. When it comes time to make a transaction, you swipe the card across the screen of your iPhone and funds are automatically added or subtracted from your account. Monopoly also adds a few more play options, including a mini game for escaping jail. The Game of Life, of course, lets you spin a virtual wheel, but also customize virtual pegs -- adding hair and accessories where once you were stuck with plain pink or blue ones. Game of Life zAPPed Edition is out now for $25, while Monopoly will land in June, followed by Battleship in September. Check out the gallery below and the PR after the break. %Gallery-147154%Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Official Monopoly: World of Warcraft game to be unveiled next week
Anyone familiar with board games could tell you that there are about 100,000 different versions of Monopoly out there. There's an officially licensed The Wizard of Oz Monopoly. There's a Powerpuff Girls Monopoly. And a Looney Tunes Monopoly. Even the lousy IP-cash-in movie effort Cars 2 has its own version of Monopoly. So it would only stand to reason that World of Warcraft would get its own version of Monopoly eventually, right? Right. According to BlizzPlanet, an officially licensed World of Warcraft Monopoly will be unveiled at next week's Toy Fair 2012 in New York City. There really aren't any details as of yet, just that the board game will be showcased. Presumably, though, there will be a lot of customization involved, right down to the playing tokens. Perhaps even more exciting than Monopoly (a game I am incapable of losing, FYI) is the companion Blizzard tie-in, Risk: StarCraft. Supposedly, the playing pieces for that game will include StarCraft II units. That's all sorts of awesome. Update: BlizzPlanet has removed its references to these games in its Toy fair 2012 posting, so it's possible USAopoly was not prepared to announce these products yet.
Pass Go, collect 20m credits in Mass Effect Monopoly
One is a complicated, galaxy-spanning game of intrigue and backstabbing, and the other is Mass Effect. Why not combine the two? Deviantart user tommyfilth created this custom-made Mass Effect Monopoly board ("MassNopoly"), complete with Cerberus Tasks and Alliance missions in the place of Chance and Community, and actual Mass Effect relays standing in for the railroads. Eden Prime is the cheapest spot on the board, but beware: Stacked up with a few extra colonies and a corporation, it'll cost you 250 million credits if you land on it. Unfortunately, this was just a DIY project tommyfilth made for his family this past Christmas (inspired by another custom Fallout-inspired Monopoly set), so none of it is official or available for purchase. If we were Commander Shepard, this would be our favorite board game on the -- well, you know.
