Millions Worldwide Passed "Go" Through Facebook in First-Ever Record
Attempt in MONOPOLY Millionaires
REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) today
announced MONOPOLY Millionaires, the popular social game on
Facebook®, established a new Guinness World Records® title. On April 7,
2011, Global MONOPOLY Day, the record was set for the most number of
people playing the game simultaneously worldwide. MONOPOLY
Millionaires is the first free-to-play social gaming version of the
world's favorite family game brand from Hasbro, and can currently be
played on http://apps.facebook.com/monopolymillionaires/.
The inaugural Global MONOPOLY Day drew massive participation from an
enthusiastic and diverse worldwide player audience. Some amazing stats
include:
-
From America to Zimbabwe, fans representing 197 countries took part in
the record attempt
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More than 1.6 million game sessions were played within the 24-hour
period
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More than 50 million in MONOPOLY money collected for rent
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36 million dice rolls
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Over 2.5 million houses built
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5.6 million players passed "Go"
"We are pleased to welcome innovative new records such as this one for MONOPOLY
Millionaires into our record books," said Gaz Deaves, Gaming Editor
for Guinness World Records. "The worldwide reach and volume of people
who participated in Global MONOPOLY Day speak for the popularity of the
game brand. Social gaming is an emerging area of interest for Guinness
World Records, and records such as this demonstrate that the phenomenon
is growing and here to stay."
Released by EA in February 2011, MONOPOLY Millionaires was the
fastest growing Facebook game in the first two weeks of March, and
experienced an increase of more than 350% in active monthly players in
its first two months of availability. MONOPOLY Millionaires is
played by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide on a daily basis,
according to AppData.
"MONOPOLY Millionaires brought this beloved brand to a new
and expanded audience, and we've seen a great response from our Facebook
community," said Chip Lange, Senior Vice President of EA's Hasbro
Division. "The successful record attempt is not only a testament to the
success of MONOPOLY in the social media space, but also to the
dedication of millions of MONOPOLY fans around the world who showed
their support on Global MONOPOLY Day."
"It was exciting to witness millions of MONOPOLY fans simultaneously
gathering on Facebook to vie for properties and riches," said Mark
Blecher, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Digital Gaming and
Media at Hasbro. "MONOPOLY has entertained families for more than 75
years. The success of Global MONOPOLY Day further validates how Hasbro
continues to re-invent the play experience of the world's favorite
family game brand to be relevant to today's consumer."
The record was set on Global MONOPOLY Day during a ten-minute period
over the course of 24 hours, as defined by the Guinness World Records
organization. Official adjudicators confirmed that 32,976 people played MONOPOLY
Millionaires from 8:30 to 8:40 a.m. PST on that day.
About MONOPOLY
Since 1935, more than 275 million copies of MONOPOLY have been sold in
111 countries and 40 languages. Hundreds of different editions of the
game have been published, but the most popular continues to be the
classic "Number Nine." Affectionately known by its original product
number, "Number Nine" is based on the streets of Atlantic City and is
nearly identical to Charles Darrow's original submission to Parker
Brothers. The MONOPOLY name and logo, the distinctive design of the game
board, the four corner squares, the MR. MONOPOLY name and the character,
as well as each of the distinctive elements of the board and playing
pieces are trademarks of Hasbro for its property trading game and game
equipment.
About Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) is a branded play company providing children
and families around the world with a wide-range of immersive
entertainment offerings based on the Company's world class brand
portfolio. From toys and games, to television programming, motion
pictures, video games and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro
strives to delight its customers through the strategic leveraging of
well-known and beloved brands such as TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP,
NERF, PLAYSKOOL, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and
MONOPOLY. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com.
© 2011 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) is a global leader in digital interactive
entertainment. The Company's game franchises are offered as both
packaged goods products and online services delivered through
Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and
tablets. EA has more than 100 million registered players and operates in
75 countries.
In fiscal 2011, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.6 billion.
Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for
critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster franchises such as The
Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield, and Mass
Effect™. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.
Need for Speed and The Sims are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mass
Effect is a trademark of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd.
MONOPOLY is a trademark of Hasbro. John Madden, NFL, and FIFA are
trademarks of their respective owners and used with permission. Facebook
is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
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Playfish
Tom Sarris, Director of Global Communications,
415-578-3194 (Media)
tom.sarris@playfish.com
or
EA
Hasbro
Alexis McDowel, PR Director, 650-628-7703 (Media)
amcdowel@ea.com
Source: Electronic Arts Inc.
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