Hasbro releases Monopoly: Socalism with the tagline Winning is for Capitalists

Time

Looks like Hasbro may have pissed off a few people with their latest board game.

Just as Monopoly for Millennials was met with mixed reactions when it hit shelves last November, Hasbro’s new Monopoly Socialism game is coming up against some criticism.

In the wake of the toy company unveiling a new edition of its classic board game that parodies the concept of socialism, some detractors have taken to social media to criticize the thinking behind the spin-off.

“In the Monopoly Socialism game players move around the board working together to make a better community by managing and contributing to projects such as a no-tip vegan restaurant, an all-winners school, or a museum of co-creation. But nobody said that cooperation is easy!” the game’s description reads. “You’ll have issues with your neighbors, your DIY community projects go awry, you’re constantly voting to shake things up, and there’s always an emergency that requires dipping into the Community Fund!”

Twitter user and Rutgers professor Nick Kapur states that he bought the game so we don't have to, and he proceeds to criticize the game's portrayal of socialism in a series of tweets, which you can see in full in the link above:

Replies criticize him for his more positive opinion of socialism. Ted Cruz got his two cents in the conversation:

As of the posting of this thread, the game is sold out at Target.

I find it hilarious.

They need gimmicks so people momentarily forget how boring monopoly is.

Seems like Hasbro understands their game already causes fights, might as well make a game intentionally designed to cause fights as a stunt.

I'd be interested to see some of the gags in monopoly for millennials though. I imagine it's shit like, "You got sick and have super high medical bills. You lose your house, and we will start taking around 40-50% of your earnings because you can't pay your bills."

Or maybe, "Your college loan debts that the adults talked you into as a kid are out of control, there are no jobs left in the field you are qualified to work in, but McDonald's is hiring, live the American Dream!!!!"

Or perhaps, "You worked really hard and it didn't pay off, sometimes it's just about the generation you were born into."¯\_(ツ)_/¯

How about, 'Want better healthcare for all? Too bad, old people are too afraid of change to allow you to make anything better."

God I could do this all night. Another, "Immigrants shouldn't come here legally you snowflake libby bitch! I mean yeah we're all immigrants, but the jerbs!"

"Work three jobs and still can't make a living? Bootstraps! Also millenials like you are lazy"

"You want the majority to get their way in democracy? Can't have that. Gerrymandering, bitch!"

I'm, I'm going to stop now.

I love Monopoly, but if I recall correctly it was intended as a criticism of capitalism and the buildup of economic rents to begin with.

Damn, you gotta give it to them, no way they didn't knew (I hope) this was going to cause a brouhaha and still did it.

Needless controversy, who's the audience for this? Liberals will be pissed and are conservatives going to buy enough of these to break even?

It is one thing for someone to think this up but to actually produce it? That person should be fired. I play A LOT of Monopoly (PC version) and it is not secret that it isn't the best designed game, why do this and get yourself some bad publicity for Hasbro?

I suppose this is a limited edition type of deal with not many actually produced.

Like it or not, now you have entered the culture wars.

Monopoly: Socialism Edition makes about as much sense as non-alcoholic beer.

With that said, I think people need to lighten up with being offended. I don't think anyone privileged enough to Tweet is that dear to socialism.

Pretty much this. The Monopoly "guy" is a satire modeled after J.P. Morgan, and his name is "Rich Uncle Pennybags".

You spend the game greedily buying up property, only to end up in jail where you belong, only to get out because you're rich.

Isn't the point of Monopoly to overprice everything to the the point that everyone else goes broke?

And this promotes capitalism?

Can't we just enjoy our beloved board games from childhood? It was a fun game.

Well it does already exist.
Personally I don't see the harm or even offense in having different versions of a board game. If that's going to be what causes an outrage then either one can't see the larger issues in the world/society or there aren't any issues and it's time to nitpick.

Wow takes a special kind of snowflake to whine about a game.

As kids, our parents and uncles played a hardcore version of Monopoly with us. Fortunately those lessons carried over and we are millennials without those issues, and treat life like the Monopoly Man taught us.

I don't know whether to laugh or be sad that you learned life by a board game.

@Treflis said:

@Serraph105 said:

Seems like Hasbro understands their game already causes fights, might as well make a game intentionally designed to cause fights as a stunt.

I'd be interested to see some of the gags in monopoly for millennials though. I imagine it's shit like, "You got sick and have super high medical bills. You lose your house, and we will start taking around 40-50% of your earnings because you can't pay your bills."

Or maybe, "Your college loan debts that the adults talked you into as a kid are out of control, there are no jobs left in the field you are qualified to work in, but McDonald's is hiring, live the American Dream!!!!"

Or perhaps, "You worked really hard and it didn't pay off, sometimes it's just about the generation you were born into."¯\_(ツ)_/¯

How about, 'Want better healthcare for all? Too bad, old people are too afraid of change to allow you to make anything better."

God I could do this all night. Another, "Immigrants shouldn't come here legally you snowflake libby bitch! I mean yeah we're all immigrants, but the jerbs!"

"Work three jobs and still can't make a living? Bootstraps! Also millenials like you are lazy"

"You want the majority to get their way in democracy? Can't have that. Gerrymandering, bitch!"

I'm, I'm going to stop now.

Well it does already exist.

Personally I don't see the harm or even offense in having different versions of a board game. If that's going to be what causes an outrage then either one can't see the larger issues in the world/society or there aren't any issues and it's time to nitpick.

Yes, it's mentioned in the article at the top in the original post. That's how I knew about it in the first place.

Its a joke man (woman?); but we did play a real cut throat version of monopoly. My parents, and now us play Monopoly in real life, though we make our housing affordable (usually under price to people stay longer but can save money to buy their own house after 10 years or so).

My parents are/were "bootstap" parents, but they would at least help finance the boots, you just have to get the straps, attach, and pull them up yourself. (Buy a man a fishing rod, then teach him how to fish)

This just sounds funny. I don't really see the harm in it and I'm considered a socialist half the time for the way I look at corporations.

Says Parody on the box.....

Indeed. If played through, one person ends up with everything

@ad1x2: ROFL who gets upset over a game hardly anyone would ever play.