Google’s Monopoly City Streets Launches Today

Here's one Google Monopoly that won't have regulators buzzing.

Starting today, Hasbro is launching a massively multiplayer worldwide game of Monopoly online using the Google Maps service.

Players start out with $3 million of Monopoly money and can then digitally purchase real city blocks across the globe. Users will then be able to create buildings and start collecting rent.

The new, interactive version of Monopoly is set to last for 4 weeks and has been launched to promote the new City Edition of the popular game.

From the Monopoly City Streets website:

The goal is simple. Play to beat your friends and the world to become the richest property magnate in existence.

Own any street in the world. Build humble houses, crazy castles and stupendous skyscrapers to collect rent. Use MONOPOLY Chance Cards to sabotage your mates by building Hazards on their streets.

The game also relies heavily on Google's Sketchup as evidenced on the game's blog (yes it's a Blogger blog):

We still need 3 new building designs and we’d like YOU to design them!

MONOPOLY and Google SketchUp fans worldwide be sure to check back from next Tuesday 8 September for entry details and the chance to show the world your ultimate 3D building creation.

This sounds like a fantastic idea for Hasbro. We can't wait to try it out!