New Version of Monopoly That Addresses Dwindling Attention Spans Will Exclude Some Pretty Important Aspects of the Game

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Hasbro has already made some pretty significant tweaks to its classic Monopoly board game (remember the decision to ditch the iron token?), but a new version meant for younger players will include changes that may seem like a bit much for long-time fans of the game.

In an effort to address the dwindling attention spans of today’s youths, Hasbro has created a new version of the board game, Monopoly Empire, which will include real-life brands to own and exclude the jail portion of the game.

Yes, because the company wants to keep the game fast paced for today’s attention spans, Monopoly Empire won’t include the classic “go to jail” portion of the popular board game.

“The drastic -- and rather jaw-dropping -- changes are meant to make the game more appealing to younger children who don't have the patience for longer games,” Yahoo! Games reports, citing Hasbro.

“Monopoly Empire is designed to be completed in as little as 30 minutes, a far cry from the marathon sessions that can take place with the original,” the report adds.

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And that’s not all.

“You're no longer collecting properties in the new game, either. It's all about buying and trading the world's top brands, which opens the door for blatant marketing plays by Xbox, Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Samsung, among others,” Yahoo! Games notes.

Okay, an Xbox 360 controller token is actually kind of cool.

But let’s go back to that part where Monopoly Empire eliminates the jail portion of the game.

“That takes away an element that seems essential to the heart of the Monopoly experience. The risk of going to jail adds nearly as much stress in traditional Monopoly as landing on an opponent's hotel-adorned property and having to mortgage your own holdings, though it can also act as a reprieve for players when cash is low and people are approaching your ‘neighborhood,’” Chris Morris writes for Yahoo! Games.

Monopoly isn’t the only game being tweaked by Hasbro. The company has also come up with quicker versions of Scrabble and Boggle.

"Parents and children tell us they want a quick in-and-out, frictionless gaming experience," Jonathan Berkowitz, vice president of marketing at Hasbro, tells The Wall Street Journal. "That's the snackable component."

And here are some interesting notes from Morris:

Between 2004 and 2009, the media consumption of youngsters soared from 1.5 hours a day to 7.5 hours a day, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study. And while a survey by Mattel found that 60 percent of parents would like their children to spend more time with traditional toys, kids gravitate toward social media, electronic games and television. They're focused on winning and moving on to the next thing, but those priorities come at the expense of socialization and face to face bonding time with friends and family.

Hasbro obviously hopes to address this issue by making fast paced versions of their classic games.

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Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

Featured image Getty Images.

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