Nope. That's because it's a board game. Monopoly, in fact. A 54-year-old man was playing with a female friend, and when she wouldn't sell him Park Place and Boardwalk - I mean, really! - he hit her in the head, breaking her glasses.

Reader Rich B. wrote in, full of hoary disgust at what these "board games" are doing to the nation. "Wonder if the politicians will finally see reason and call for a ban of all board games, before they destroy our American youth?"

I think it's a valid point. The feelings of being ruined, dealt with unfairly, driven out of business, and unable to pay the rent - even in a virtual environment - creates powerful stress, and it's not hard to see that leading to incidents of anger or violence. And not just in Monopoly. I remember back in Candy Land, this one time I got stuck on a fucking licorice space in Molasses Swamp and the feelings of helplessness were just debilitating ...

Mich. Man Jailed for Assault During Monopoly Game [AP on Google News]

Calling their Hasbro lineup "hot holiday must-haves", EA applauds the performance of games like Littlest Pet Shop, Nerf N-Strike, Monopoly, and Hasbro Family Game Night for their performance.

“By innovating with these family brands and delivering a quality, fun game experience our EA Hasbro video games are something parents and friends can gift with pride this holiday season,” said Chip Lange, Vice President and General Manager EA Hasbro. “Our focus on creating audience-appropriate games has paid off with the consumers we wanted to reach and made EA Hasbro titles THE gift to give this holiday.”

This partnership was really a win-win for both companies. Partnering recognizable family-friendly Hasbro brands with video games created some of the most worry-free video game buys a parent could find on retail shelves. Hell, even I bought Littlest Pet Shop, which is "teeming with adorably cute pets that girls can collect." *cries*

Family Gamers Choose EA Hasbro Games This Holiday
LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF “N-STRIKE”, MONOPOLY and HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT Video Games Prove Hot Holiday “Must-Haves”

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—A video game for girls, a game and NERF blaster combo for boys and two video games for everyone in the family to play prove hot holiday sellers for Electronic Arts, Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS). The first wave of console and handheld titles under the EA and Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) long-term agreement have combined to sell two million units globally since their respective fall launches, according to internal EA sell-thru data.

LITTLEST PET SHOP for the Wii™, Nintendo DS™, and PC reached store shelves in October and according to NPD aggregated DS skus were the #2 overall Nintendo DS title in the US for the month of November1 and the #1 Nintendo DS title in France in October.2 The game, inspired by the Hasbro blockbuster toy line, is teeming with adorably cute pets that girls can collect, take on adventures in four vibrant worlds, or play with via a myriad of mini-games.

NERF “N-Strike”, available on the Wii since October, was the #10 title according to NPD for the month of November. The game, inspired by the globally popular Hasbro franchise, features non-stop NERF-style pandemonium where players are faced with a series of challenging missions that put blasting strategies and skills to the ultimate test. NERF “N-Strike” also ships with a custom NERF SWITCH SHOT EX-3 blaster, the first ever 2-in-1 video game and toy peripheral bundle to hit the market.

HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT, available on the Wii and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, launched in November and was awarded a Toy Wishes 2008 All-Star Award. Featuring six games including: BATTLESHIP, YAHTZEE, BOGGLE, CONNECT FOUR, SORRY! and the all new, SORRY! Sliders. Both MONOPOLY which is available for the Wii, PlayStation2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems and HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT had strong launches and continue to build momentum through the holiday.

“By innovating with these family brands and delivering a quality, fun game experience our EA Hasbro video games are something parents and friends can gift with pride this holiday season,” said Chip Lange, Vice President and General Manager EA Hasbro. “Our focus on creating audience-appropriate games has paid off with the consumers we wanted to reach and made EA Hasbro titles THE gift to give this holiday.”

It's extremely difficult to screw up making a Monopoly game. The entire blue print is there, and has been for some time. Heck, it even turned out OK for the 8-bit NES. So what's different about the iPhone version? Not a whole lot, but as you probably guessed, you'll be touching and swiping all the way to free parking!

The first thing you'll notice is the entire game is rendered fully in 3D. Not just the pieces and board itself, but the table, chairs, and even the background environment is completely viewable. Speaking of environments, as the subtitle implies, this game has a bit more of an international flavor. The press release even asks such rhetorical questions as: "Why buy Baltic when you can own Istanbul?" The names of properties are different (damnit! I always loved buying St. James Place) and there's "Did You Know?" facts on the Chance and Community Chest cards.

One of the new features EA made sure to highlight was the fact you could roll the dice by giving your iPhone a good shake or two. This may be an issue on tight flights or bus rides, however. The PR rep there pointed out there's no time limit to rolling. You could, essentially, roll forever before "letting go." This could turn into a fun drinking game, I think.

For multiplayer, you can have up to four players connect via Wi-Fi or simply play "Pass 'n Play" mode where each player can take turns on the same iPhone. Also, one feature it has that I think should be mandatory in any co-op related online game is having the AI take over for players that have to leave abruptly.

Overall, it's looking like it has everything you'd want and come to expect out of a Monopoly game nowadays. The touch screen makes buying and trading properties a cinch, and the multiplayer can help satisfy your friends on an extended trip.

I usually make a point of keeping my mouth closed in front of game publisher/developer people. See, I think I have tons of great gaming ideas. I blurted out randomly something about how it would be a good idea to create a Star Wars Edition of this game for iPhone.

The EA rep agreed with me.

Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition will be available for the iPhone and iPod Touch and is scheduled for release this month.

"EA is taking MONOPOLY'S core gameplay and bringing it to life in a way never before imagined," said Chip Lange, Vice President and General Manager of EA's Casual Label. "With this dynamic take on Hasbro's classic board game, we've accelerated the pace of play, added new interactive mini-game sequences and integrated multi-player moments designed to make MONOPOLY a non-stop party for the whole family."

EAs finally openly admitted to creating a video game Monopoly.

(Many thanks to Fahey's wit.)

EA DEALS PRIME REAL ESTATE IN
MONOPOLY VIDEO GAME

Most Played Board Game in the World Reinvented
With a Party Twist For Next-Gen Video Game Platforms

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - April 23, 2008 - The Casual Entertainment Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today released additional details on MONOPOLY (working title), the first Hasbro-branded video game set to launch on next-generation consoles including Wii™ and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system. MONOPOLY will also be appearing on the PLAYSTATION®2 computer entertainment system as well as mobile phones and Pogo.com™. The multiplatform video game is inspired by Hasbro's highly anticipated MONOPOLY HERE & NOW: The World Edition board game. Currently, the MONOPOLY video games are set to release this fall simultaneously with the global launch of the new board game.

The MONOPOLY video games promise a fresh take on the timeless classic with accessible gameplay for players of all ages and skill levels. The all-new digital gaming edition brings a party twist and features 4-player simultaneous play, ensuring that everyone is engaged and allowing the whole family to get involved in the fun and play together. Faster gameplay eliminates downtime freeing up players to wheel and deal their way through some of the most recognizable cities and landmarks from around the world. Families can fill up their passports as they try to unlock new and never-before-seen game boards or challenge each other to fun interactive mini-games like breaking out of the jail cell and running away with all the loot. Play in offline single or multi-player mode and compete to own it all and win!

"EA is taking MONOPOLY'S core gameplay and bringing it to life in a way never before imagined," said Chip Lange, Vice President and General Manager of EA's Casual Label. "With this dynamic take on Hasbro's classic board game, we've accelerated the pace of play, added new interactive mini-game sequences and integrated multi-player moments designed to make MONOPOLY a non-stop party for the whole family."

"It promises to be a very exciting fall for MONOPOLY fans worldwide," said Mark Blecher, General Manager of Digital Media and Gaming at Hasbro. "EA has done a tremendous job of re-imagining the world's most popular board game by remaining true to the traditional gameplay that millions of consumers have come to love while also creating new digital twists that can only be achieved in an interactive world. Rolling the dice and passing go will never be the same."

... the institution said on Thursday that the two electronics companies would be investigated because they were suspected of fixing prices of display panels for Nintendo's DS portable gaming devices. The Commission's investigators have already searched a few factories and offices owned by Sharp and Hitachi's display unit, Hitachi Display.

As the only two suppliers of LCD panels for Nintendo's DS and DS Lite they might be punished based on anti-monopoly laws if they have been found colluding to fix prices. In the US and elsewhere we've seen similar cases involving Visa, Mastercard and their member banks. WayTooHigh.com offers the following definition for price fixing:

Price fixing is an agreement between business competitors to sell the same product or service at the same price. In general, it is an agreement intended to ultimately push the price of a product as high as possible, leading to profits for all the sellers. Price-fixing can also involve any agreement to fix, peg, discount or stabilize prices. The principal feature is any agreement on price, whether express or implied. For the buyer, meanwhile, the practice results in a phenomenon similar to price gouging.

Sounds like they've been getting business tips from Bowser.

Hitachi Display and Sharp Investigated by Japan's Fair Trade Commission [eNews 2.0]

Electronic Arts today announced nine Hasbro games that will be hitting a variety of platforms over the next year.

Littlest Pet Shop and NERF "N-Strike" are both set to come to the Wii and DS this fall, with Littlest Pet Shop also making its way to the PC. Scrabble, Monopoly Here and Now and Yahtzee Adventures are all being developed for mobile phones. Electronic Arts is also developing Yahtzee, Monopoly Here and Now: World Edition, Trivial Pursuit and Operation for their online casual gaming service, Pogo.com.

"EA and Hasbro want to give families new ways to enjoy games; we want give them a new way to come together, connect, spend time and have fun around the TV or online," said Chip Lange, Vice President and General Manager of EA's Hasbro Studio. "Bringing the spirit of these games to life as video games has allowed us to create really unique and creative experiences for families and friends of all ages to enjoy together at home or online."

"We are thrilled that together we are bringing our great toys and games to life in the digital world and providing consumers with new and dynamic ways to enjoy our amazing brands," said Mark Blecher, Hasbro's Senior Vice President of Digital Media and Gaming.

EA will be showing off a number of the games at the upcoming Toy Fair in New York later this month. Hit the jump for the full release with game descriptions.

EA ANNOUNCES FIRST HASBRO TITLES IN DEVELOPMENT — PLAYERS CAN COLLECT, BLAST, DEAL OR SPELL THEIR WAY TO VIDEO GAME FUN!

LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF, MONOPOLY and YAHTZEE among First Franchises to Hit a Variety of Game Systems, Online and Mobile under EA and Hasbro Agreement

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - February 11, 2008 - EA Casual Entertainment today announces its first step in transforming the interactive family entertainment landscape with its initial slate of Hasbro games in development on a variety of game consoles, mobile devices and for online play. These games provide new ways for families to build relationships through digital entertainment with some of world's greatest brands. The first Nintendo Wii and DS titles that will be available this fall are LITTLEST PET SHOP, and NERF "N-Strike," both in production at EA's Salt Lake Studio. EA also is developing new MONOPOLY and SCRABBLE ®(in North America) titles for multiple platforms, as well as other titles that will be announced later this year.

Mobile gamers can already experience the fun of SCRABBLE (in North America) and YAHTZEE DELUXE on their phones. Starting this spring, EA Mobile will introduce the next generation of classic Hasbro titles. The first games in this exciting new expansion include MONOPOLY HERE & NOW, TRIVIAL PURSUIT®, RISK, and YAHTZEE ADVENTURES, a re-invention of the classic dice game.

For online web play EA's Pogo.com is developing engaging, authentic online experiences for MONOPOLY and YAHTZEE as fun, multiplayer experiences. Trivia fans can look forward to the much anticipated launch of TRIVIAL PURSUIT this fall. Additionally, Pogo.com is launching two connected downloadable titles, OPERATION and PICTUREKA, which can be played offline or players can connect online on Pogo for bonus features and the social experience of playing the game with others. With more than 13 million visitors a month, the pogo.com community delivers a unique online experience for family and friends to connect and play these hugely popular Hasbro games together in the virtual world.

"EA and Hasbro want to give families new ways to enjoy games; we want give them a new way to come together, connect, spend time and have fun around the TV or online," said Chip Lange, Vice President and General Manager of EA's Hasbro Studio. "Bringing the spirit of these games to life as video games has allowed us to create really unique and creative experiences for families and friends of all ages to enjoy together at home or online."

"We are thrilled that together we are bringing our great toys and games to life in the digital world and providing consumers with new and dynamic ways to enjoy our amazing brands," said Mark Blecher, Hasbro's Senior Vice President of Digital Media and Gaming.

At Hasbro's Toy Fair showcase in New York February 17-19th, EA will unveil LITTLEST PET SHOP on the Wii and DS, NERF "N-Strike", and EA Mobile's SCRABBLE, YAHTZEE ADVENTURES and MONOPOLY HERE & NOW.

EA HASBRO TITLES IN DEVELOPMENT INCLUDE:
LITTLEST PET SHOP for Wii, DS and PC, scheduled to ship Fall 08
LITTLEST PET SHOP brings the magic of owning your own pet shop to your home. EA brings the quirkiness and cuteness of the popular Hasbro girl's brand to life in a new digital world. Players can explore three unique environments as they unlock new pets, playsets, accessories and more.
Players will discover magical moments of delight as they build relationships with their pets. This game is the next must-have addition to fans growing Littlest Pet Show collection. Add to the ultimate Littlest Pet Show collection with three different versions of the Nintendo DS game; each with unique pets.

NERF "N-Strike" for Wii and DS, scheduled to ship Fall 08
Become the master of mayhem in the first NERF blaster action game. In a world created to be the perfect landscape for NERF pandemonium, players can wreak havoc and perfect their blasting skills or challenge friends to clashes with both single and multi-player game modes. With the brand new custom NERF blaster, players can then take the action outside as their controller transforms to fire actual NERF darts!

EA MOBILE
SCRABBLE® for mobile phones, currently available in North America
This exciting update of the classic board game now includes flexible difficulty levels, built-in word list, dynamic animations, scrolling and full-board views. Easy-to-use controls allow for alone play, a challenge with computer in a phone, or enjoy pass 'n play with a friend. Easily keep track of game scores and statistics. Fun new features appeal to both wordplay mavens and casual gamers. Test word wits with SCRABBLE!

MONOPOLY HERE AND NOW for mobile phones, scheduled to ship in March 08
Monopoly Here and Now, a modern makeover of the world's most popular board game. Buy and sell destinations around the U.S. as you compete to own it all and win! Unique player icons, sound effects, vivid graphics and easy-to-use, one-button controls deliver all the excitement of the beloved game.

YAHTZEE ADVENTURES for mobile phones, scheduled to ship in April 08
Play the treasured dice game on your phone. Travel the globe, meet new characters and challenge them to a game, roll the colorful dice and be the first to score a YAHTZEE! Enjoy Classic, Duplicate, Rainbow and Battle modes. Pass 'n Play with your friends, or try your hand at a Yahtzee single-player adventure. Dynamic, exciting gameplay, easy controls, automatic scorekeeping deliver terrific mobile entertainment for you, your friends and family.

POGO.COM GAMES
YAHTZEE for online play: scheduled to release Summer 08
Shake, Score and Shout YAHTZEE with family and friends online! There are two ways to win in this fun and addictive game from Pogo.com. Compete for the top score on a real-time leader board as you and up to 19 people roll the dice in a series of timed rounds. Show your team spirit as you collaborate with other players to advance your team goal and earn bonuses for scoring YAHTZEE together. Take the YAHTZEE fun online!

MONOPOLY HERE & NOW: WORLD EDITION for online play: scheduled to release Fall 08
Risk it all to own it all online! Jet set across the globe and buy and sell property in the most desirable cities in the world. Play alone or wheel and deal with up to 3 people using one of three sets of rules or make the game more challenging by customizing your own game. The unique player icons, sound effects and graphics deliver all the excitement of the beloved game. Will you be the next the next online billionaire?

TRIVIAL PURSUIT for online play: scheduled to release Fall 08
Get your daily dose of trivia fun online! Challenge your daily trivia knowledge with an easy to access, interactive online trivia game. Answer the trivia questions correctly and earn points towards your wedges in pursuit of completing your pie collection by the end of the week. The player with a full pie wins! Not a trivia expert? Take a stab at it. There's something in it for everyone!

OPERATION downloadable game for the PC: scheduled to release Fall 08
The medicine is madcap and YOU are the M.D. as the ER goes arcade-crazy in OPERATION. Your role: emergency surgeon. Your challenge: diagnose and treat patients by successfully performing operations, each one a mini-game. Resources are limited and the clock is ticking, so you've got to heal 'em up and move 'em out.... Do well, and you earn points and upgrades for your hospital. Do poorly, and you'll face malpractice lawsuits from angry plaintiffs with glowing noses. Either way, OPERATION will have you — and your patients — in stitches!

EA's Hasbro games in development are part of the newly formed EA Casual Entertainment Label within Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ:ERTS). The Casual Entertainment Label is focused on creating and delivering fun and appealing casual entertainment experiences for a mass audience. With simple rules and engaging designs, these games are easy for a new player to learn but difficult to master. EA's casual games portfolio include such titles as recently announced BOOM BLOX, and currently available SmartyPants™ for the Wii™, Tetris® for mobile phones and the online gaming destination Pogo.com™.

"Our toy and game brands have been family-favorites for decades, and aligning ourselves with EA will result in broadening the reach of our brands through the 're-imagining' of these beloved entertainment icons in all key digital categories," said Brian Goldner, Hasbro's Chief Operating Officer.

EA and Hasbro Partner to Bring Casual Games to Global Audience
New Relationship Unites Two Powerhouse Entertainment Companies and Classic Brands to Create New Interactive Experiences

CHERTSEY, UK - August 10th, 2007 - Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Hasbro Inc. (NYSE: HAS) today announced a strategic licensing agreement that will bring together two of the most powerful entertainment companies in an alliance which promises to transform the interactive family entertainment landscape. The strategic relationship grants EA the exclusive worldwide rights to create digital games based upon a huge array of Hasbro's intellectual properties, including Monopoly, Scrabble, Yahtzee, Nerf, Tonka and Littlest Pet Shop, to name a few. Inspired by these classic board games and toys, EA will develop interactive experiences for a mass audience to play across key platforms including mobile, online, handheld, PC and consoles. The first games are scheduled to launch in calendar year 2008.

"The gaming market has never been more primed for a revolution in how families enjoy games," said Kathy Vrabeck, President, EA Casual Entertainment Label. "Hasbro is the ideal partner to help propel this change. Their games define fun. These are games that we all love and remember from our childhoods. The combination of EA's market leadership in the interactive space and Hasbro's timeless franchises is a perfect partnership for today's market. Together EA and Hasbro can create the next generation of fun for a new wave of kids and families."

"Our toy and game brands have been family-favorites for decades, and aligning ourselves with EA will result in broadening the reach of our brands through the 're-imagining' of these beloved entertainment icons in all key digital categories," said Brian Goldner, Hasbro's Chief Operating Officer. "Through the years, EA has proven themselves time and again as an incredibly creative company that delivers amazing content across multiple brands. We are thrilled to work with EA in bringing our brands to the next level in the digital world."
EA veteran Chip Lange will lead the overall Hasbro business initiative as VP and General Manager. Hasbro Senior Vice President Mark Blecher will head up Hasbro's digital gaming initiatives.

As part of the agreement, Hasbro will obtain certain rights to bring select EA franchises to toys and traditional games extending EA's brand footprint, and bringing Hasbro's expertise to EA's interactive properties. The relationship also allows EA and Hasbro the opportunity to unlock exciting new creative opportunities and game concepts for some of Hasbro's classic franchises.

The initial term of the strategic relationship runs through December 31, 2013, and may be extended for an additional four years subject to certain conditions, including achievement of specified performance metrics. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. In addition, EA does not expect the agreement to impact its second quarter and full year fiscal 2008 financial guidance as provided on August 1, 2007.

The EA Casual Entertainment Label is focused on creating and delivering compelling casual entertainment experiences for a mass audience. Designed with simple rules and an engaging game design, these games are easy for a new player to learn but difficult to master. EA's casual games portfolio include such titles as Boogie™ for the Wii™, Tetris® for mobile phones and the online gaming destination Pogo.com™.

The Office of Fair Trading is considering whether arrangements are in progress or in contemplation which, if carried into effect, will result in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002.

Should it be found to be a relevant merger situation, the OFT will further consider whether the creation of that situation may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the UK for goods or services that warrants reference to the Competition Commission for investigation and report.

Let's hope GAME doesn't starting building up hotels or taking over railroads before the "investigation" even begins. Kim Phu

Office of Fair Trading to Investigate Gamestation Acquisition [Games Industry Biz]

Familiar Nintendo faces become greedy, real-estate moguls along side some of the character of Square-Enix's Dragon Quest in Itadaki Street, a monopoly-like game from the DS coming out for the Japanese market in June.

Outside of regular Monopoly rules, players can also buy and sell stocks of an entire block of property (affecting their values), and there is also the option to level-up by collecting icons all over the board. Plus there are different boards like Castle of Torodaine, Death Volcano, Giant Demon's Statue and Yoshi's Island, so it's not like being in that Atlantic City Alcatraz for three hours waiting for some one to "JUST BUY BOARDWALK ALREADY SO WE CAN ALL GO HOME." Kim Phu

Meet the Characters of Itadaki Street DS [Siliconera]

Comparing poor reception of Too Human at E3 2006, Dyack points to negative early looks at films like Titanic and games like Halo as examples why games shouldn't be judged until they're complete. I can get on board with that.

What I can't agree with is Dyack's interest in seeing a single console format (despite the money it would save me and my fellow gamers). His argument is:

I think we're moving towards a homogeneous platform whether people like it or not. At the end of the day, I think it's in everyone's best interest that there be one hardware console, whether it be Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo or whether all three of them got together and said, "Ok we're going to agree upon a standard for everyone to make." [...] We'd rather spend time making the games than worrying about the hardware. And if everyone had the same hardware and when you made a game you knew you got 100% penetration because anyone who plays this game had to buy this hardware platform just like a DVD or whatever standard media format's going to be. I think that would ultimately be much better for gamers.

There's more to it than that, but you get the idea. I prefer the competition, personally, and don't look forward to another 3DO-type platform. Ever. Michael McWhertor

Denis Dyack's Utopian Video Game Future [GameDaily]

Despite all of the noise about the amazing potential that a touchscreen pocket computer with all sorts of fancy sensors could have as a gaming device, the truth of the matter is that like everything Apple, the iPhone is likely not going to be very game friendly.

That is because Apple wants to keep tight control over everything that goes on to their platform. Shocker!

Water Cooler Games reports that Apple reps are already referring to the iPhone as a "closed platform" and say that there will not be any public SDJ released. The reps did say you could call up the company if you're interested, but it sounds like they are going to be pretty damn strict about not letting in on their private money-making party.

Add to that the fact that the iPhone will support first party software only and you've got a device that won't be getting anything more exciting than a vanilla Tetris in the next decade.

One more wonderful possibility shot in the foot. Brian Crecente

Apple iPhone: Another Closed Platform [Water Cooler Games]

I haven't played Monopoly since a strategically necessary stick-up of the Monopoly bank resulted in me coughing up bloody Community Chest cards and a large cardboard 'v' uncomfortably splaying open my posterior.

Still, I'm sorely tempted by Monopoly: Nintendo Collector's Edition, a version of Monopoly with all of the 1920's Atlantic topography stripped out and replaced by spaces and pieces culled from Nintendo games. They've also gotten rid of the top hat, the yipping dog and everyone's least favorite piece, the iron, replacing them with a vintage NES controller, Mario's hat, the Zelda emblem, a Koopa Shell and Donkey Kong's barrel.

Awesome, but as Press the Buttons notes, isn't the logical next step a DS or Wii version of Nintendo Monopoly? Get on the ball, Nintendo! Florian Eckhardt

Monopoly: Nintendo Collector's Edition Coming Soon [Press the Button]

Pre-orders for the Nintendo branded Monopoly have been hovering around the Web, but no retailer seems to have a specific release date.