Hasbro introduces new range of boardgame/app hybrids starting with The Game of Life zAPPed on iOS

Until today, you could either play Hasbro's The Game of Life in classic boardgame form gathered around the dining room table or on iPhone and iPad as a standalone app.

Now, though, you can combine the two.

Thanks to toy maker Hasbro's new zAPPed range of boardgame / app hybrids, you can enjoy all of the perks of the digital boardgame experience while still getting to mess around with brightly coloured plastic cars on the kitchen floor.

Using tech licensed from French software company Volumique, Hasbro has just released the all-new version of The Game of Life, with special zAPPed editions of classic properties such as Monopoly and Battleships set to join it on store shelves in June and September, respectively.

Obviously, the most interesting element of these three new boardgame interpretations is the way in which the iPhone or iPad is integrated into the core experience.

The thoroughly modern take on the well-established The Game of Life formula, for example, sees you placing your iPad in the centre of the board, downloading the companion zAPPed app, and booting up a virtual spinner to replace the traditional plastic one.

Apple's touchscreen tablet will also be used to play clips from America's Funniest Home Videos in The Game of Life zAPPed, adding an extra layer of multimedia interaction to an already-innovative product.

The type of iOS integration in Hasbro's zAPPed range will vary from game to game, mind. So, in Monopoly zAPPed, for instance, banking duties are handed over to your iPhone or iPad. By just tapping a special bank card against your iOS device, you can subtract from, and add money, to your virtual Monopoly accounts.

The Battleship zAPPed game, meanwhile, goes a step further by doing away with the traditional playing board altogether and letting you place ship pawns directly onto your iPad screen.

While this is an interesting take on the future of boardgames, it remains to be seen whether it will entice iOS users away from their fully digitised App Store counterparts.

On the other hand, incorporating an iOS device into a beloved boardgame in the abovementioned fashions might be a nice way of introducing grandma to the Cult of Apple.

Let us know your thoughts on this unique form of cross-media synergy from Hasbro in the comments below.

If you fancy giving one of these reinventions a whirl, by the way, you can purchase The Game of Life zAPPed right now for $24.99 from Toys R Us and Amazon. Monopoly zAPPed and Battleships zAPPed will be available in June and September, respectively.