Meow! Hasbro unveils new token for Monopoly game

PAWTUCKET, R.I. Scottie dog has a new nemesis in Monopoly after fans from more than 120 countries voted to add a cat token to the property trading board game, replacing the iron, toy maker Hasbro Inc. (HAS) announced Wednesday. It was the first time that fans have had a say on which of the eight tokens to add and which one to toss.

The results were announced after passionate efforts by fans to save their favorite tokens and businesses eager to capitalize on publicity surrounding pieces that represent their products. The shoe and the wheelbarrow had joined the iron as endangered tokens.

The online contest to change the tokens was sparked by chatter on Facebook, where Monopoly has more than 10 million fans. The vote on Facebook closed just before midnight on Tuesday.

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The initiative was intended to ensure that a game created nearly eight decades ago remains relevant and engaging to fans today. The tokens have changed quite a lot since Parker Brothers bought the game from its original designer in 1935.

Fans from more than 120 countries have voted.

Other pieces that contested for a spot on Monopoly included a robot, diamond ring, helicopter and guitar.

"We put five new tokens out for our fans to vote on and there were a lot of fans of the many different tokens, but I think there were a lot of cat lovers in the world that reached out and voted for the cat to be the new token for Monopoly," said Jonathan Berkowitz, vice president for Hasbro gaming marketing.

The Scottie Dog was the most popular of the classic tokens, and received 29 percent of the vote, the company said. The iron got the least votes.

The cat, which has no name, received 31 percent of votes for new tokens.

The results were not entirely surprising to animal lovers.

The Humane Society of the United States website says there were more than 86 million cats living in U.S. homes as of August 2011.

Monopoly's iconic tokens originated when the niece of game creator Charles Darrow suggested using charms from her charm bracelet for tokens. The game is based on the streets of the casino town of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and it has sold more than 275 million units worldwide.

To make the game relevant to fans abroad, the names are changed to well-known streets in when it is introduced to a new country.

The eight tokens are an iron, racecar, Scottie dog, a shoe, thimble, top hat, wheelbarrow and battleship. Most of the pieces were introduced with the first Parker Brothers iteration of the game in 1935, and the Scottie dog and wheelbarrow were added in the early 1950s.

"Tokens are always a key part of the Monopoly game ... and our fans are very passionate about their tokens, about which token they use while they play," Berkowitz said.

The social-media buzz created by the Save Your Token Campaign attracted numerous companies that pushed to protect specific tokens that reflect their products.

That includes garden tool maker Ames True Temper Inc., which spoke out in favor of the wheelbarrow and created a series of online videos that support the tool, and online shoe retailer Zappos, which pushed to save the shoe, Berkowitz said.

Versions of Monopoly with the new token will come out later this year.