Toy Fair 2010: Hasbro: Board Games

We finish our coverage of Hasbro’s Toy Fair offerings with a look at some modern updates to classic board games.Three of Hasbro’s most classic and iconic board games: Monopoly, Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit are being modernized with fresh new takes.

Scrabble is going electronic, with the debut this year of Scrabble Flash. In this innovative new take, you play with five electronic tiles. Each tile displays a letter and you move the tiles around to create words. The IR sensors on each tile register the words, while a computerized internal times ticks away. It plays very fluidly and looks like it should be a fun, new fast paced way to play the classic word game.

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Trivial Pursuit is also trying out a new way of playing, with Trivial Pursuit: Bet You Know It. The intriguing concept of this game has you using betting chips to wager on whether or not someone will know the answer to the question they are being asked. Build up enough chips and you can buy a category wedge! This game will also allow you to choose your overall question subject using a new card wallet. This is definitely setup to be a HUGE party game and the new categories and play options should draw in people who do not like to play “classic” Trivial Pursuit.

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However, the biggest change is coming to Monopoly. This year is the 75th Anniversary of Monopoly. To celebrate, Hasbro is making the most daring change to Monopoly ever: THE BOARD IS GOING ROUND! It is called Monopoly Revolution and I heard about it just days before Toy Fair. After reading the Press Release, I knew I had to see it for myself. And, I have to tell you, I think it is incredibly cool. The board is round. There is no money, all banking is done electronically. The property values have been adjusted for the current age and the starting money adjusted appropriately. All players start with $2 Million, and you get $2 Million for passing GO. The houses and hotels are glass like, as are the tokens. Chance and Community Chest cards are also electronic and the game features sound and even Music. I can’t wait for this to come out in the Fall! What’s amazing is the impressions are mixed, but there does not seem to be a middle ground. People either love it or hate it. I hope more people will warm to it, because I can wait for it. One note, though, It WILL NOT be replacing the standard version, which will still be available on shelves.

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That does it for Hasbro at Toy Fair 2010. I would like to thank Joe Moscone and Allison Williams of Hunter Public Relations for their assistance with this report. Our Toy Fair coverage continues with the little blocks that could: LEGO

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