History
The origin of
Monopoly however, was way before 1935. Its roots
can even be traced in 1904. A Quaker woman by
the name Elizabeth J. Magie Phillips created an
educational board game hoping it would be a
better tool to teach people about the single tax
theory of Henry George. The game was
subsequently called The Landlord’s Game, and it
was published a few years later.
Thereafter, many
games patterned on it came out in the market.
Elizabeth Phillips, in fact, also patented a
fresher version of her game in 1924. A little
over ten years later, the Parker Brothers came
out with Monopoly. Since then, several people
across America have been contributing to its
design and development. This made what Monopoly
is today. But despite the alterations in look
and style, the fundamental and rudimentary rules
of the game have hardly changed.
In the 1970s,
however, Monopoly’s history greatly suffered
when it was believed that a man named Charles
Darrow was the sole creator of the board game.
The distortion of Monopoly’s history caused
several court cases throughout the years.
Various historians and company owners of
Monopoly have switched loyalties from the Parker
Brothers and Charles Darrow. Luckily, some
people have seen the importance of Monopoly in
society. They have spent their time researching
the true history of the world’s most played
board game.
Monopoly and
the Nazis
Across the 20th
century, Monopoly has given people different
ways of entertainment, comfort, and even escape.
In 1941, British Secret Service had a special
kind of Monopoly created for prisoners of war
held by the Nazis. Their Monopoly contained real
money, maps, compasses, and other materials
useful for escaping. These were actually
distributed by the International Red Cross.
Rich Uncle
Pennybags
It has also been
said that the trademark of Monopoly, Rich Uncle
Pennybags, was patterned on J.P. Morgan—a name
still familiar to American financing and
philanthropy.
Multifaceted
Monopoly
Monopoly also
adjusted to the environment and popular culture.
For example, a London based Monopoly is quite
different from an Atlantic City version, and it
all falls to certain rules—like how a player can
spend time in jail—to the name changes in
streets and avenues. There is even a McDonalds
Monopoly for promotional purposes. There is a
Monopoly game that caters to the adult upper
class, which can range from the gilded to silver
plated versions that can cost up to 100,000
dollars. Also, there is a version for kids
called Monopoly Junior.
Monopoly has also
crossed over to virtual reality with the game
Monopoly Tycoon, Monopoly Casino, and even
Monopoly Star Wars. Throughout the years there
had been add-ons to the board game itself. Even
a short-lived TV show came out in the 1990s.
Now, Oscar-nominated director Ridley Scott plans
to make a movie based on Monopoly.
These different
versions are testaments that Monopoly is an
extremely popular game. It can be a wonder at
times why a game that never ends can be the most
widely played contemporary board game. It is
simply that fun. Examining the age bracket it
caters to, it seems to never lose its freshness.
Not to mention that the game incorporates
business sensibilities among players.
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