Rocketopoly!

[brockrwood]

My baby doll (girlfriend) found a thrift shop treasure for me: Rocketopoly! ULA released this customized version of the Monopoly game in 2018, it seems. I guess this was a trade show item? If so, that is some serious investment in swag. Wouldn’t they have to pay Parker Brothers a licensing fee?

Check out the real metal tokens, including an astronaut!

 

[neil_w]

My guess is that, if there's no explicit reference on the box or instructions to Parker Brothers, then they ain't payin' nothin'.

There are *so* many *OPOLY variants/ripoffs. This one looks better than most. Good find!

 

[brockrwood]

My guess is that, if there's no explicit reference on the box or instructions to Parker Brothers, then they ain't payin' nothin'.

There are *so* many *OPOLY variants/ripoffs. This one looks better than most. Good find!

I hope United Launch Alliance’s merger with Blue Origin goes through. Really want to keep those Vulcan Centaur rockets flying!

 

[ljwilley]

Wouldn't it be great if you could rent an Atlas V for 25 bucks

 

[mh9162013]

Wouldn't it be great if you could rent an Atlas V for 25 bucks

I'm guessing ULA would go for that, but they'd require you to buy the loss-of-rocket insurance, which may cost somewhere in the ballpark of $150 mil?

 

[brockrwood]

Wouldn't it be great if you could rent an Atlas V for 25 bucks

I noticed that the play money is in simple dollar denominations, not millions of dollars. I assume that ULA did that on purpose. ULA launches may be a great value, as claimed by the company, but I think all space launches, even the cheapest, are in the millions of dollars, no? No need to highlight that basic industry fact on the play money…

 

[boatgeek]

I'm guessing that the people who put the game together for them had some long and careful discussions with intellectual property lawyers. They are careful not to use any of Parker Brothers' names (eg Homes/Inns vs. Houses/Hotels), so it's probably just far enough into the gray area to not be worth suing over. I'm very curious if it was a trade show or internal company giveaway. It seems slightly more likely to be the latter because it seems to have a lot of inside knowledge.

I love the fact that you can buy the White House and Capitol Hill. A little too close to life...

[edit] If only they had spent 15 more minutes on the text around the Mission Contingency and Mission Success card places. Mission Success is particularly bad.

 

[Antares JS]

Congratulations, you found the one Monopoly knock-off that I might actually buy.

 

[brockrwood]

I'm guessing that the people who put the game together for them had some long and careful discussions with intellectual property lawyers. They are careful not to use any of Parker Brothers' names (eg Homes/Inns vs. Houses/Hotels), so it's probably just far enough into the gray area to not be worth suing over. I'm very curious if it was a trade show or internal company giveaway. It seems slightly more likely to be the latter because it seems to have a lot of inside knowledge.

I love the fact that you can buy the White House and Capitol Hill. A little too close to life...

After looking for a “made under license from Parker Brothers” statement in vain, I think you may be right about this game being an “internal” thing. Maybe it is was a fun morale booster for a corporate meeting or company training event. The board is very professionally done, as are the nice metal tokens. If this was for some sort of internal training event, ULA spared no expense to boost morale.

 

[NTP2]

Congratulations, you found the one Monopoly knock-off that I might actually buy.

I was just thinking of you, you work for ULA and you love bored games!

 

[Antares JS]

I was just thinking of you, you work for ULA and you love bored games!

I work for NG, not ULA...

 

[brockrwood]

I work for NG, not ULA...

Northrop Grumman Antares rocket! Blasting off from Wallops to re-supply the ISS!

(It does fly from the Wallops Island facility on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, correct? Can it blast off from other sites as well?)

What kind of supplies does it carry?

 

[Azamiryou]

Such a shame they went with homes and inns instead of, say launch pads and VABs.

 

[Antares JS]

(It does fly from the Wallops Island facility on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, correct? Can it blast off from other sites as well?)

What kind of supplies does it carry?

Yes, no, and whatever is needed on the station.

 

[brockrwood]

Yes, no, and whatever is needed on the station.

I am thinking cold cuts, beer, and awesome gaming laptops for the slow, downtime parts of the ISS schedule. ;-)

Just kidding. Still, food and water would seem to be essential to life on the ISS, no?

 

[Antares JS]

I am thinking cold cuts, beer, and awesome gaming laptops for the slow, downtime parts of the ISS schedule. ;-)

Just kidding. Still, food and water would seem to be essential to life on the ISS, no?

Food, water, clothing, science equipment...

 

[brockrwood]

I'm guessing that the people who put the game together for them had some long and careful discussions with intellectual property lawyers. They are careful not to use any of Parker Brothers' names (eg Homes/Inns vs. Houses/Hotels), so it's probably just far enough into the gray area to not be worth suing over. I'm very curious if it was a trade show or internal company giveaway. It seems slightly more likely to be the latter because it seems to have a lot of inside knowledge.

I love the fact that you can buy the White House and Capitol Hill. A little too close to life...

[edit] If only they had spent 15 more minutes on the text around the Mission Contingency and Mission Success card places. Mission Success is particularly bad.

It appears you are correct. Rocketopoly does appear to be an internal, employee appreciation gift. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ula-rocketopoly-2018-edition-board-3762600360

 

[NTP2]

I work for NG, not ULA...

 

[Capt. Eric]

Food, water, clothing, science equipment...

And air fresheners. Lots and lots of air fresheners! Those little pine trees should be hanging everywhere!!

(what's wrong with that statement?)