There have been numerous Monopolyvideo games based on the core game mechanics of Parker Brothers and Hasbro's board game Monopoly. They have been released by numerous developers and publishers on multiple platforms over 35+ years.
Many unlicensed, non-commercial computer games based on Monopoly were distributed on bulletin board systems, public domain software disks and academic computer systems, and appeared as early as the late 1970s. At the time, Parker Brothers was unaware of this distribution until a user informed them of one version that stated "A Parker Brother game" on the title screen; the company then began enforcing its copyright and trademark on Monopoly.[11]
Monopoly for the PlayStation was developed by Gremlin Interactive, and a Windows and Macintosh version by Westwood Studios. The Windows/Mac version played top down, while the PlayStation version was in 3D. They both had cutscenes in common, played when showing the game pieces moving on their own.[13] In 1998, Hasbro Interactive released a Monopoly video game for Microsoft Windows, which used 3D graphics instead of the top-down design used in previous versions. It ran on Windows 95 (although can be run on up to Windows XP, but will not work on Windows Vista and up) and had a special online play feature which used a modem.[14]
A new version developed by EA Bright Light was released in 2008 for the Wii, PlayStation 3, iPhone and Xbox 360, with a slightly stripped-down version for the PlayStation 2. It includes a transatlantic selection of boards, including the new Here & Now edition boards and new game mode, Richest. There are no online features, however. EA's Monopoly game scored fairly poorly, with a 54% average on the PS3 on Metacritic,[15] and 56% on the Xbox 360.[16] The Wii version fared better with 70%.[17] The Official Nintendo Magazine in the UK were most positive in their evaluation of the Wii version, which they called "great fun" in the Christmas 2008 issue.[18]
The Monopoly Family Fun Pack, produced by Ubisoft for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, was released on November 18, 2014. It is an on-disc bundle consisting of the digitally-released Monopoly Plus and Monopoly Deal, with the latter sharing the same UI elements and graphic engine as the former, as well as Monopoly Plus's My Monopoly expansion.[19] Both games and My Monopoly were individually available as standalone games, excluding the latter, which also served as DLC for the former. In 2017, Ubisoft released a more traditional Monopoly video game on the Nintendo Switch, based on Monopoly Plus. This game takes advantage of the Joy-Con's "HD Rumble" feature.[20] In 2020, the Stadia version of the game, based on the Switch version, in turn, based on Monopoly Plus, was released. The 2024 version produced by Ubisoft was released with custom colored dice and tokens.
Mobile versions
There are several official mobile Monopoly games and variants, including Monopoly Poker - Texas Holdem,[21] Monopoly Slots - Slot Machines,[22] Monopoly Solitaire: Card Games,[23] Monopoly Tycoon,[24] Monopoly,[25] Monopoly Junior,[26] and Monopoly GO!.[27] Monopoly GO! has seen impressive growth, passing $1 Billion in revenue in its first seven months.[28]
Other versions
An official version, Safe As Houses was released for the Atari ST.[29]
An electronic handheld version of the game was marketed from 1997 to 2001.[30]
For several months in 2009, Google Maps hosted an online version of Monopoly, Monopoly City Streets, using its maps as the board.[31]
↑Leemon, Sheldon (January 1988). "Go Directly To Jail". Compute! (ABC Publishing) 10 (92): p. 30. https://archive.org/stream/1988-01-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_092_1988_Jan#page/n31/mode/2up. "As it turns out, the company has been completely unaware of what was going on. It was not until a user named David Addison made and distributed a particularly detailed version of the game on the Amiga that Parker Brothers became aware of the problem. This program contained the phrase "A Parker Brother game" on its title screen, which apparently made someone think that Parker Brothers might be interested. They were not only interested, but appalled to learn how many computer versions were being circulated."
MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.
Features
Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]
Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.
History
Logo used until March 2014
MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]
In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025}
On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]
On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]
In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]
On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]
See also
IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions