Monopoly: Is it really just a game?
May 19, 2008When I was still very young, I along with my three other siblings used to play Monopoly all the time. The game, as one who’s used to playing it would be aware, takes us nearly a whole day to finish, sometimes even until daybreak just to declare a winner. The game takes so long for two reasons. First, the objective for the entire first part of the game is just to pray for luck with dicing, and hoard all the properties that you can with the standard amount of money allocated to each player. The second one is because of how the money keeps transferring from player to player until one of the players finally strikes luck and is able to form a whole chain of hotels over powerful properties. The game got us addicted because aside from the thrill of having that much amount of money in your own hands, it’s also enthralling to experience having to collect rent whenever someone passes by your properties and being able to completely manage your own money.
In a lot of ways, the game Monopoly can be considered quite educational for young and aspiring entrepreneurs, as the game not only relies on luck but also requires strategizing and logic. To some, it may be just a game, but actually, it teaches a lot about real life, from making kids aware of how rentals and tenancy works to teaching them about mortgages and bankruptcy. Moreover, Monopoly does not just entail money matters, but it also reveals to its players how luck can either push your credit limits or possibly turn you into a millionaire with its “chance” and “community chest” squares.
Looking back, as much as the game excited me whenever I was winnin
g, losing the game was very, very stressful and dramatic. I remember when my sister Jean struck luck and got a hold of all the properties on the “Upper East Side”—meaning the ones that asked for the most expensive rental fees. It was nerve-wrecking whenever I had to pass by those two properties at the end of the road. One wrong throw of the dice and everything I owned would be hers. Of course, the inevitable had to happen and after a few hours of being able to avoid stepping on her costly property, I got shot down. The damage was devastating. I had to return my hotels and houses for half the price, mortgage all my properties and surrender all my cash on hand, but, it still wasn’t enough to pay for my rental fee. At that moment, we declared that Jean was our Monopolist for the day as she beamed with joy and showed off her wads of colorful play money. When a Monopolist is present, there’s no way out, there’s no other way but to follow the prices being dictated and to pray for luck to be on your side. However, the bottom line is, as much as we might all dislike the presence of Monopolists, at the end of the day, we all want to be the Monopolist for the day, and that’s why we play the game.
- j.uy
i didn’t know monopoly could be so profound and interesting hooray for the bald old guy with the monocle and top hat! he needs a wig like mine the big old white ones
Reading your blog entry sure brought back some profound memories of me and my circle. We were sitting at a corner of starbucks, rolling the dices, watching every play-by-blay until late..with the remaining 3 oligarchists/aspiring monopolists refusing to give up until a monopolist is declared, and the store manager calling the shots reminding us that the shop is closing hahaha.
“Upper East Side”… you mean the blue-chip properties? I laud the GG reference and the insights, guess I never saw Monopoly the board game in this light
As a kid I really didn’t have a clue or knew the reason behind the game. All I really cared about then was to get rich (and at the same time be happy when other people get poor) as well as picking my favorite piece to be as my player. (my favorites were the cowboy, car, and iron)
Learning how to play monopoly is a great educational experience. However I think the concepts involved might be hard to grasp for young children.
It’s great on how you enjoyed (or not if you usually lost) playing with your siblings. Good insights, good concepts, good drama as well…
“…at the end of the day, we all want to be the Monopolist for the day, and that’s why we play the game.”
Wow! Exagge! Hahaha! Since puwede nang quote yung line na yan.. I shall relate it to love. Okay, not really love as in love. Basta. Monopoly is like having a friend with benefits. You exhaust your partner with all the benefits you can gain. You find ways to make him/her want you more because you don’t want to lose your benefits, do you? After exhausting everything, what do you do? You open him/her to the market because either you already benefited much from him/her or you are assured that he/she is already dependent on you. That’s a friend with benefits. That’s monopoly.
Excellent metaphor for real-life monopolies! No wonder monopolists are so protective when it comes to their properties and interests; if an ordinary person (e.g., you) can derive that much joy and fulfillment from holding all that monopoly power in a simple little board game, how much more a real monopolist?
Haha. You’d probably make a great monopolist someday. :p
Sometimes we apply the concept of cartel here so that we won’t have to force anyone out of bankruptcy. It allows us to hold on to as many properties agreed upon as possible. We all know this beats the whole point of Monopoly, which is to be the last firm standing. However, at the end of the game, even with the pre-game agreement, someone loses out. Runs out of luck. So one way or another, even with a not-so-stiff competition, some firms will be forced to exit the market. More often than not, they just run out of luck. Like they say, in this world, at least 90% of what you do or achieve is thanks to luck.
This is an interesting entry
i wonder if it can be furthered by delving into how eco theories can serve as strategies in winning 
then we can get revenge for you and kick out jean from the ultimate monopolist’s chair 
haha. i personally prefer scrabble.