Newsy: Scrabble F-U-R-Y

Mattel recently announced the planned release of Scrabble Trickster, a version of the classic board game with relaxed rules, much to the ire of Scrabble purists.

Colbert: "It's just like the Scrabble you grew up with, minus what made it Scrabble."

Mattel, owner of the vocabulary-stretching board game Scrabble in the U.K., has announced plans to release "Scrabble Trickster" which, among other changes, allows players to use proper nouns -- and it has Scrabble purists a-n-g-r-y.

We're looking at perspectives from Huliq.com, Comedy Central, The Daily Telegraph, Fox and Kotaku.

A writer on the website Huliq.com says this just might be what Scrabble needs to attract new players: "The new rules may sound like a game catering to the ADD and dyslexic crowd, however, it does give Scrabble a new lease on life. After all, the game isn’t exactly selling out in stores."

Comedian and talkshow host Stephen Colbert was excited about the news, especially because it would finally allow him to play his favorite word: "This will be so much more fun than the way I used to play Scrabble, passing until I got the letters to spell 'Reagan,' being told that wasn't allowed, then flinging the board at the wall and storming out of my daughter's room."

But in a blog on The Daily Telegraph, a Scrabble enthusiast calls the potential rule changes: "An act of desperation by the makers, who have presumably noticed that not only can younger people not spell, read or write, they will cry off to their Playstations if asked to cope with the simple and necessary rule prohibiting proper nouns."

Anchors from a local Fox affiliate wonder how the rules would be enforced on such a version of the classic game.

Seymour: "Suppose I know something that you don't know, is that just tough luck for you?"

Perkins: "Well yeah, but if you know a word that I don't know, you've always had an advantage."

Seymour: "but I should know a word, but suppose it's some remote place in like, you know..."

Perkins: "So you have the advantage."

But a writer for gaming website Kotaku says the outcry over a potential rule change might not be related to the rules at all: "There are those who will vehemently protect the sanctity of a game, wanting it not to be changed. Sometimes they have a point. Sometimes they are snobs."

If you plan on picking up a copy of Scrabble Trickster or just enjoy making up your own rules, keep in mind that "Newsy" is worth 11 points.

Writer: Tracy Pfeiffer

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.