X

Cat battles robot in race to be new Monopoly token (pictures)

The cat proved king in a field of five proposed new tokens for Monopoly. Here's how they fared in an online vote by fans around the world.

Tim Hornyak
Crave freelancer Tim Hornyak is the author of "Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots." He has been writing about Japanese culture and technology for a decade. E-mail Tim.
Tim Hornyak
Cat.jpg
1 of 6 Hasbro

Fat cat

In a Facebook vote sponsored by Hasbro, Monopoly fans from 185 countries have chosen this cat as the newest token to join the board classic game. It garnered 31 percent of the vote, the highest out of five proposed new tokens.

Meanwhile, the least popular classic token turned out to be the iron, which had 7.6 percent support. In the final hours of the vote, the iron traded places several times with the shoe and the wheelbarrow, which received 7.9 and 7.7 percent, respectively, but ultimately lost.

jail.jpg
2 of 6 Hasbro

Jail time

Hasbro staged mock prisoner lineups for the classic tokens, asking fans of Monopoly to choose which one would stay in the slammer.

The tokens originated with a suggestion from Monopoly inventor Charles Darrow's niece, who wanted to use charms on a charm bracelet.

In the 1950s, the dog, wheelbarrow, and a horse and rider replaced a lantern, purse, and rocking horse in the token set.

Helicopter.jpg
3 of 6 Hasbro

Super copter

One of the five proposed tokens, the helicopter received 15 percent support from fans, placing third. The robot, in second place, received 27 percent. The Save Your Token Campaign attracted massive attention. Even outside brands like Chevrolet, Duracell, Tropicana, and Playskool joined in, backing tokens that reflected their products in some way.
Guitar.jpg
4 of 6 Hasbro

Six-string

Another proposed token, the guitar, garnered only 13 percent of the vote, putting it in last place.
Ring.jpg
5 of 6 Hasbro

A token is forever?

This diamond ring didn't do all that well as a possible Monopoly token, earning 14 percent of the vote and finishing fourth out of five contenders.
NEWMonopolytokens.jpg
6 of 6 Hasbro

New token lineup

And here it is, the new Monopoly token lineup including the latest addition, the cat. Yes, myriad online fans of Lolcats, Cheezburger cats, and all the other felines of every stripe proved too numerous for those who fought the good fight.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos