Re: Mattel Dumbs Down Scrabble to Make it 'More Inclusive'

On Fri, 12 Apr 2024 18:22:21 -0700
anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net> wrote:

Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

On Fri, 12 Apr 2024 18:31:32 +0000
BTR1701 <no_email@invalid.invalid> wrote:
 

..and less competitive. 'Cause being competitive is just the worst.
 
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https://scrippsnews.com/stories/new-scrabble-edition-aims-to-make-game-more-inclusive-less-intimidating/
 
Scrabble's fan base is full of people who take their board games
seriously. If you're intimidated by the classic word game, a new
version might be just right for you.
 

I'm at a loss to think of any way in which the game is
"intimidating". Sure, you can lose but most people don't find that
intimidating, just discouraging at the most.  If you're intimidated
by Scrabble, may I suggest test some counselling by a mental health
professional? Or maybe just reading so that you can build a
vocabulary.
 
A vocabulary of words is pretty much all you need to be able to play
Scrabble. I'm not talking about playing at a competitive level
either, just the level of friendly games with strangers. I have a
version of Scrabble called Words By Post on my phone and  

 
I play WORDS WITH FRiEnDS on mine.
 

I played that one briefly but deleted it due to excessive ads. Words By
Post has no ads at all :-)

 
typically have half a

dozen games on the go at once. Over the course of literally a few
thousand games, I have lost almost exactly as many games as I've
won. I've never once been frightened to play or suicidal as a
result of playing. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose: it's that
simple.

Scrabble Together Mode seeks to make the game more accessible and
easier to play. The emphasis in the updated game is on cooperation
and collaboration rather than competition. For those who found the
original Scrabble a little too intense, the new version could be a
breath of fresh air. 

 
This sounds like what they did with Sorry, a board game we used to
play as kids. A few years back, when my mother was in her final
months, I wanted to find a way to spend time with her that wasn't
too taxing for her so went to the toy store to find a game she
already knew. I found a copy of Sorry! and thought it was a perfect
fit. There was some verbiage on the box about "Fire and Ice
power-ups" which was completely unfamiliar but I didn't realize
they'd altered the game rather dramatically. When we actually
started playing it, it was only barely recognizable and the
"improvements" really didn't make it better in my opinion. In fact,
the box was even missing a couple of things needed to use the new
power-ups, although I quickly figured out a workaround for those.
 
These Scrabble "improvements" actually sound like a calculated
decision to take the competition out of the game entirely, which is
essentially the whole point of it. I can hardly wait until Jeopardy
follows this path and the whole point of the game is for ALL THREE
PLAYERS TO WIN by collaborating to clear the board!
 

 
 
 

--
Rhino