In the New Monopoly, an AI Prevents You from Cheating
If you've ever played a marathon game of Monopoly, you know that it brings out the very worst in people-even your dear, dirty, lying, cheating friends and family. Sick of all the conniving? Then you're going to love the latest version of the classic board game, Monopoly Voice Banking, which now comes with built-in AI to nip nefarious behavior in the bud.
The biggest upgrade is the voice-activated top hat in the middle of the board, designed to keep track of all cash and property transactions, rendering actual cash-which sneaky cheaters pocket when the other players aren't looking-moot.
Business Insider played Monopoly Voice Banking and preferred it to the original, calling it "an efficient, faster version that's simple to play," although one with a slight learning curve.
Jen Boswinkel, the Senior Director of global brand strategy and marketing for the board game, told Business Insider that Monopoly Voice Banking is a "new type of gaming experience." She said that since voice-operated products have become so prevalent, Monopoly wanted to take advantage of the opportunity that reinvented the classic game.
Here's How It Works
The game requires three AA batteries and minor assembly of the top hat, which twists right onto the base. The voice-activated top hat isn't super advanced, so don't expect to be able to talk to it like you could an Alexa or Google Home speaker.
There are four buttons, one for each player of the game. When your turn comes up, you press your button and read a command from a card you pull out of a deck. Commands include "train ride," "balance," and "buy [property name]." You can also check in with Mr. Monopoly to ask "who's winning," or use the Undo or Repeat buttons as needed.
The new version was made for two or four players in order to speed the game up. Other differences include the elimination of six properties and the ability to purchase utilities and railroads.
Monopoly Voice Banking will be available for purchase July 1, and is available for pre-order now:
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