You can find almost any theme of Monopoly imaginable, from SpongeBob Squarepants to the Disney Princesses (I call Ariel's castle!). You can even buy the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant in The Simpsons version (a personal family favorite). However it seems Hasbro Games wants us to think less traditional methods of energy and more along the lines of solar and wind power.

At least the new Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition would suggest so anyway. The utilities portion of the game will undergo a green makeover when the new edition is released this fall. Say a fond farewell to the Water Works and Electric Company and greet the new Wind Energy and Solar Energy instead.

Marisa Pedatella, a Hasbro spokesperson said "We just felt they were a little dated" and it "made sense considering the global initiative to go green."

You can buy Wind Energy or Solar Energy for a whopping $1.5 million each though that's a heck of an inflation increase considering the old Water Works or Electric Company sold for a paltry $150. If you're playing the The World Edition and are unfortunate enough to land on one of the new utilities, you'll have to pay the owner 10,000 times your dice roll. Ouch. Do they also accept cheque or Visa in the new edition?

» Globe and Mail