Monopoly fans cast out iron
Facebook voters replace token with cat
PAWTUCKET, R.I. — The Scottie dog has a new nemesis in Monopoly after fans voted in an online contest to add a cat token to the property trading game, replacing the iron, toy maker Hasbro Inc. announced Wednesday.
The results were announced after the shoe, wheelbarrow and iron were neck and neck for elimination in the final hours of voting that sparked efforts by fans to save their favorite tokens.
The vote on Facebook closed just before midnight on Tuesday, marking the first time that fans have had a say on which of the eight tokens to add and which one to toss. The pieces identify the players and have changed quite a lot since Parker Brothers bought the game from its original designer in 1935.
Rhode Island- based Hasbro announced the new piece Wednesday.
Other pieces that contested for a spot included a robot, diamond ring, helicopter and guitar.
The Scottie Dog was the most popular of the classic tokens, and received 29 percent of the vote, the company said. The iron got the fewest votes and was kicked to the curb. The cat received 31 percent of votes for new tokens.
The online contest to change the tokens was sparked by chatter on Facebook, where Monopoly has more than 10 million fans.
Monopoly’s iconic tokens originated when the niece of game creator Charles Darrow suggested using charms from her charm bracelet for tokens. The game is based on the streets of Atlantic City, N.J., and has sold more than 275 million units worldwide.
Versions of Monopoly with the new token will come out later this year.