PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) - Hasbro knows that Monopoly fans play with their own rules, from negotiating to co-own properties to collecting a pile of cash if you land on 'Free Parking.'
So it is letting Facebook fans dictate the 'house rules' in future editions of the game. It's the latest stunt from Hasbro to breathe new life into the 79-year-old game. Last year Hasbro added a cat token and retired the iron. The Pawtucket, R.I., company has also issued games with an electronic bank and theme editions ranging from Monopoly Jr. to Monopoly Millionaire.
Starting Tuesday through April 3, Facebook fans can debate 10 'house rules' that are on the site. The top rules will make it into the House Rules Edition that will be available in the fall. They'll also be in the classic Monopoly's game guide in 2015, although officially the rules will not change.
The house rules up for debate can be found at facebook.com/monopoly.
Hasbro, which also makes toys like Transformers and Nerf, has been shaking up its games division with more electronic games and new editions of classic games like Monopoly and Scrabble. In its most recent fiscal year, games revenue rose 10 percent to $1.31 billion, while total revenue was nearly flat at $4.08 billion.
Hasbro shares slipped 36 cents on Tuesday to close at $54.59.