Tuesday, April 6, 2010

(What would have been) the stupidest thing in the world

Scrabble to allow proper nouns. I know this is all over the internet right now, but it's worth a quickie post: does Mattel really think that youngsters will be attracted to Scrabble because they will be allowed to to form SNOOPDOGG using all their tiles, plus letters already played in SLIPKNOT and LADYGAGA? You know, instead of jerking off on Chat Roulette or engaging in the ancient pleasures of glue sniffing or video game console modding. And where are people going to be playing this new Scrabble, at their Windows 8 party?

Mattel has clearly fallen on hard times. This is like suddenly realizing your beloved grandma isn't getting any action and forcing her to attend her wheelchair pilates class in a G-string and pasties.

Meanwhile, time marches on: stay tuned for my iPad as an e-reader review. As if you haven't already re-read The DaVinci Code on it, just for kicks.

EDIT: Damn! I mean, thank goodness!

Here's what's actually happening. Mattel, which owns the rights to Scrabble outside of North America, is introducing a game this summer called Scrabble Trickster. The game will include cards that allow players to spell words backward, use proper nouns, and steal letters from opponents, among other nontraditional moves. The game will not be available in North America, where rival toy company Hasbro owns Scrabble.

Well, I had a good rage on for half a day or so, anyway. Now that healthcare has passed, such passion is hard to come by, alas.

4 comments:

rmellis said...

I have to say, though, that "Scrabble" contest in the picture was the worst tiled-letter gaming experience EVER!!!

Anonymous said...

Brian is actually reading the manual in that pic, that's why I used it. He actually didn't remember how to play...

AC said...

I wish I could show you a graph of the emotional rollercoaster I experienced while reading this post. From shock to horror to anger and betrayal to confused hope and, finally, relief.

I didn't understand the vehement outpouring of rage and grief expressed by certain friends when the Health Care Reform bill passed. But now I think I get it.

Art O.T. Grid said...

So what you're saying is that Mattel is a communist organization and probably wasn't really born in this country?