By Alec Meer on September 9th, 2009 at 5:51 pm.
Perhaps massively multiplayer city-building/tycoonery is going to become the next big sub-genre – the natural future of all those management games that quietly earn a lot of money from non-traditional gamers. We’ve got Cities XL incoming in a few weeks, for better or worse, and now toymakers Hasbro are taking a crack at something very vaguely similar with Monopoly City Streets. Clever bit: it’s based around Google Maps, it’s designed to be one giant game that runs until the end of Janaury 2010, and in theory every single street in the world can be purchased. It’s the World’s Biggest Game Of Monopoly, apparently. Hah. It’s not as big as the game of Monopoly I’ve just thought of.
It launched today, but its poor website currently seems to be having a bit of a funny turn about all the visitors, so don’t expect to get in right away. Plenty of time, however. The idea is that every new player gets given three million pretend dollars, then goes pretend shopping for pretent real estate across the pretend globe. As in the board game, their pretend streets can be used to charge rent and/or to erect buildings upon, but a twist is that Chance cards are now used to sabotage rivals’ streets. So, er, it’s not like Cities XL at all. But it has got streets in it! Yes, streets!
It’s a lovely idea – just hope it isn’t simply a rich-get-richer affair (oh! irony!), in which a handful of psychotically committed folk race ahead and make everyone else feel pretty useless.
Again, the site keeps falling over for me (I’m having terrible luck with MMOs today), but give it a go yourself here.
09/09/2009 at 18:04 Serondal says:
wow, this is insaity!
09/09/2009 at 18:12 Poindexter says:
Muahahahahaha! It’s my chance to buy up a little town and make no money because no one lands there!
09/09/2009 at 18:16 now wait just a sec says:
dibs on Bergen!
09/09/2009 at 18:18 jsutcliffe says:
Can you be specific about what properties you own? I want to buy every street I’ve ever lived on.
09/09/2009 at 18:22 iownnyc says:
its a great concept.. but the damn thing needs to work! disappointed with google!
09/09/2009 at 18:31 Roadkill says:
I’m guessing it’s Hasbro falling down, not Google.
09/09/2009 at 18:32 JayT says:
Cant get in the site yet, from Mexico. seems they werent expecting so much enthusiasm.
09/09/2009 at 18:41 JayT says:
Guess ill be the sole sovereign of all the places i ever lived on…
09/09/2009 at 19:01 Xercies says:
Has Old kent Road gone yet/ I’ll just get it with my £200 passing Go…There is Go isn’t there?
09/09/2009 at 19:10 TOOTR says:
Does this mean we can expect Valve and Google to team up for Left 4 Dead 7 and you’ll be able to get teams to fight off zombies in your own specific neighbourhoods? :)
09/09/2009 at 20:28 Some Guy says:
now that would be cool
09/09/2009 at 21:54 Serondal says:
09/09/2009 at 22:01 Serondal says:
We’re getting a lego MMO and now one for monopoloy ? I cant’ wait for my Risk MMORPG ^_^
09/09/2009 at 22:04 We Fly Spitfires says:
Sounds like an awesome idea! Now I can actually afford to buy the flat that I rent within a virtual world! :)
09/09/2009 at 23:05 Ginger Yellow says:
Does this mean we can expect Valve and Google to team up for Left 4 Dead 7 and you’ll be able to get teams to fight off zombies in your own specific neighbourhoods? :)
The Last Guy on PSN does something like this.
09/09/2009 at 23:25 ascagnel says:
I tried to get on and it was so hammered it was redirecting me to the default Apache “I just set up my web server” page. It seems like its back now, though.
09/09/2009 at 23:28 ascagnel says:
Also, would this be the equivalent of Cities XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXL?
09/09/2009 at 23:33 brog says:
didn’t monopoly last too long as it was?
09/09/2009 at 23:35 Serondal says:
I normally play monpoly fast and loose and cheat (and still lose) Word of advice NEVER EVER Let me be the banker. I’ve got the hands of Chris Angel but ONLY when playing games involving fake money.
09/09/2009 at 23:57 reaper47 says:
Now this looks kinda cute.
10/09/2009 at 00:15 Ajay says:
Here is a quick screengrab of what ever I could get before the server went down and the site stopped loading again.
ref: http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stUkldR0VLQFtaQ1pUWl9e/monopoly_and_google_maps_masup
It looks interesting and I would love to play this game!
Cheers
http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stUkldR0VLQFtaQ1pUWl9e/monopoly_and_google_maps_masup
10/09/2009 at 00:19 Serondal says:
HAHHA!!
Um, our servers our down. We’re trying to find out if the building containing them has been demolished. Very clever indeed :P
10/09/2009 at 00:47 Freakoftheuniverse says:
Aww, no love for Australia! And I had horrible plans to make the Sydney Harbour Bridge even more expensive than it already is!
10/09/2009 at 02:52 Coded One says:
Baw… website is down…
I already signed up and shelled out for some expensive streets in my local area, I really like the concept, but there isn’t enough interaction between players, it’s more of a “I grabbed New York on opening day so I win” sort of thing.
Although, you could do some amazing iPhone integration and have you paying rent on any street that you walk through, would add another level of play to the game.
10/09/2009 at 10:57 Skree says:
Even if that were technologically viable, can’t help but think it would only exacerbate the problem of dominant obsessives, who would then of course refuse to leave the house…
10/09/2009 at 10:58 Leperous says:
At first glance, yes, but the way the game works – giving you “chance” cards that let you “attack” other players’ streets and alter their value – could well mean those high profile roads are also very high risk.
10/09/2009 at 11:06 David Christie says:
Country not supported yet
Lame! I want to be the one racing ahead and being a Monopoly Hero!
10/09/2009 at 17:57 CPY says:
God damn this game, totaly not working.
12/09/2009 at 06:16 Krupo says:
Seems like all the good streets are already purchased? Feh.