As Monopoly GO! reaches its one-year milestone, the team behind the popular mobile game reflects on its remarkable journey. With earnings surpassing $1 billion, then quickly reaching $2 billion, the team took a moment to commemorate their achievements by sharing a celebration video on LinkedIn, outlining the game's evolution thus far.

"We're incredibly proud of our team's accomplishments, transitioning from a seven-year development journey to achieving the status of the number one mobile game, embraced by millions of players worldwide, every single day," writes the Scopely team. "To honor the dedication and creativity our team members have poured into this game, we're revisiting the adventure we've embarked on."

Co-CEO Walter Driver reflects on the game's development journey, emphasizing that Monopoly GO! is far from an overnight success. The game's origins trace back seven years, with six years dedicated to its completion and global launch.

Intriguingly, Monopoly GO! didn't start as a surefire hit. Initially conceived as a midcore experiment codenamed Boardwalk in 2016, it underwent significant transformation under the leadership of Massimo Maietti, SVP and GM of Monopoly GO!. Maietti's commitment to delivering an exceptional gaming experience led to the project's reboot as a casual experiment dubbed Top Hat.

Despite initial challenges, including technical instability and gameplay issues, the team persisted. "If you like the game you're playing, then you know you have an audience," remarks Apel Keshishian, the game's senior technical artist. "It took us a year to fall in love with this mechanic and gameplay," adds Maietti.

With determination and perseverance, Monopoly GO! evolved into a massive success story, boasting over 150 million downloads and attracting over 10 million daily players. "I'm enormously proud of Monopoly GO! as one of the largest game launches of all time," says Walter Driver, emphasizing Scopely's ethos as a journey-oriented company. However, Massimo Maietti humbly acknowledges that there's still room for improvement. "I don't think we're 'great' yet. We still have a lot of iterating to do," he asserts.

As Monopoly GO! continues its path towards achieving a revenue milestone of $3 billion and beyond, the team remains dedicated to refining and enhancing the game, ensuring an even more captivating experience for players worldwide.

Source: adapted from an article by Daniel Griffiths, Editor for PocketGamer.biz.