The official rules of Scrabble are being changed for the first time in 62 years, to allow the names of celebrities, places and companies to be used.
When Alfred Butts, an American architect, invented and trademarked the game in 1948, the use of proper nouns was banned. But Mattel, the games manufacturer that owns the distribution rights to Scrabble, has announced plans to make a series of radical changes.
Players will now be permitted to use proper nouns, which will enable high scores from celebrities such as Jordan, Beyoncé and Shakira. Mattel is also considering allowing players to spell words backwards and upwards on the board and place words unconnected to other pieces.
A spokeswoman for the company said yesterday that the new rules would be a “great new twist” on the classic game. “The layout, the colours of the board, the rules and the game itself have all remained unchanged for more than 60 years,” she said. “These changes are the biggest news for Scrabble lovers in the history of the game and will provide a great new twist on the old formula.
“We believe that people who are already fans will enjoy the changes but some people will want to continue playing the old way so we will still be selling a board with the original rules.”
Mr Butts began developing Scrabble in New York in the 1930s after he failed to find work as an architect because of the Depression. He initially called his game ”Lexiko” and ”Criss Cross Words” but was unable to find a manufacturer willing to produce his idea.
Eventually he sold the rights to an entrepreneur, James Brunot, who renamed it Scrabble, which means "to grope frantically".More than 150 million sets have been sold worldwide since 1948. The new version will be released in July.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Scrabble is my absolute favouritists Board Game ever.
A week down the Coast with my Scrabble Baord and daughter and I am in heavan. Sometimes we even get Gob into a game. He is happy if he can put down the word "wank" in a triple word score.
Mattel is also considering allowing players to spell words backwards and upwards on the board and place words unconnected to other pieces.
Hey, why not leave people just drop random tiles on the board and make the best score they can with them? Fucking idiots.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
It is such a good brain excerising game, and it increases your vocabulary. Particularly with short words that have 'x's, and words with 'q's with no 'u's.
Basically Mattel is offering a new version of the game (Scrabble Trickster) in addition to the classic version, the news sites are being a bit flaky on reporting that bit. Also, this only applies to countries other than Canada and the US, Hasbro controls distribution here, not Mattel.
This is akin to the next-generation versions of Trivial Pursuit, which relied on stupid questions based in pop culture and answers that were as equally ridiculous. I have carried my original TP game through multiple moves over 20 years, as I refuse to play the watered-down versions.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
Sean wrote:I love word games but for some reason scrabble bores me.
Me too, although I will play it if asked nicely and there is wine involved
I think the point here is to make the game relevant to the next generation. Like many thing get updated -- books, movies, tv -- so here does Scrabble. Better to be updated than to be extinct, and as noted, you can play by whatever rules you chose. Plus, as a geography whiz, I like the idea of "places" being included.
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké
bigskygal wrote:This is akin to the next-generation versions of Trivial Pursuit, which relied on stupid questions based in pop culture and answers that were as equally ridiculous. I have carried my original TP game through multiple moves over 20 years, as I refuse to play the watered-down versions.
It depends on the version your playing an who you're playing it with. WE have the 90's edition which considering who we usually play it with works well. Not to mention the questions are by no means easy.
Okay... There's all kinds of things wrong with what you just said.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
