PAWTUCKET, R.I.: The Scottie dog has a new nemesis in Monopoly after fans voted in an online contest to add a cat token to the property trading game, replacing the iron, toy maker Hasbro Inc. announced Wednesday.
The results were announced after the shoe, wheelbarrow and iron were neck and neck for elimination in the final hours of voting that sparked passionate efforts by fans to save their favorite tokens, and by businesses eager to capitalize on the publicity.
The Facebook vote closed just before midnight Tuesday, marking the first time that fans have had a say on which of the eight tokens to add and which one to toss. The pieces identify the players and have changed quite a lot since Parker Brothers bought the game from its original designer in 1935.
Rhode Island-based Hasbro announced the new piece Wednesday morning.
The cat beat out the robot, diamond ring, helicopter and guitar, getting 31 percent of votes for new tokens.
“I think there were a lot of cat lovers in the world that reached out and voted,” said Jonathan Berkowitz, vice president for Hasbro gaming marketing.
The Scottie Dog was the most popular of the classic tokens, and received 29 percent of the vote, the company said. The other tokens currently in use are a race car, shoe, thimble, top hat, wheelbarrow and battleship.
