MICHELLE R. SMITH
Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Hasbro is now offering a "Star Wars" Monopoly set for sale in the U.S. that includes the female character Rey after an uproar that started 18 months ago with an online plea by an 8-year-old girl to include her.
The company began selling the set on its website a few days after The Associated Press reported Rey fans were still waiting to buy Monopoly sets that included the main character of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," after Hasbro promised in January 2016 to sell one.
The Pawtucket-based game maker had been selling a version of the game that had only male characters, prompting 8-year-old Annie Rose Goldman, of Evanston, Illinois, to write a letter in January 2016 telling the company "girls matter." The letter went viral, and Hasbro promised to make what it called "a running change" to include Rey in sets it said would be available later in the year.
Get ready, #SanDiego! We’re heading to #SDCC tomorrow. Follow along w/ #HasbroSDCC for the latest updates!
— Hasbro (@HasbroNews) July 19, 2017
Hasbro told the AP last week that while it made such sets, there was "insufficient interest" among American retailers, so they were never sold in the U.S. It said some retailers sold the sets overseas. Customers who bought the set and wanted a Rey token would have to call the company and have one shipped.
The story revived the #WheresRey hashtag on social media and prompted a tweet from "The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams' production company, Bad Robot: "For those 'sufficiently interested' contact Hasbro customer service to get your Rey Monopoly token!"
A spokeswoman for Hasbro did not answer when asked how many people called to request a token.
The listing on Hasbro's website says the game will be available on July 25. Earlier this week, the site placed a limit of one set per household, but that line was removed after the AP asked about it.
The company says it has many other products that include Rey, and it plans to reveal more this week at San Diego Comic-Con.
