I guess nothing is sacred anymore. Remember playing Monopoly as a kid? Great game right? I dunno about you, but I remember the piles of paper money being the best part. In the newest versions of the game however, the paper money is gone:
Parker Brothers is phasing out the cash-based version’s funmoney and replacing it with an “Electronic Banking” flavor that could leave Mr. Moneybags turning his pockets inside out as his stash is replaced by a magnetic strip. New kits are completely devoid of the famous multi-colored bills; instead, you’ll find phoney Visa debit cards and a calculator / reader which keeps a running tabulation of your riches — or lack thereof. A deal was struck with Visa to design the mock cards and readers, presumably after surveys showed that 70% of adults used cash less often now than they did a decade ago (no surprise there). When asked about the dramatic change, Parker said replacing cash with plastic “showed the game was moving with the times.”
Even though I remember the paper money being extremely fun, I am glad that it’s gone. Why? Because I am a huge supporter of getting rid of cash altogether. No need to teach kids how to use a dying form of money. Bring on the smart plastic cards, cell phone wallets, or even better, implantable identity/wallet solutions!
Read: Engadget