Originally Posted By alexbook Forget health care reform, global warming, and Pixarification of Tomorrowland. Here's something really upsetting: >>Proper nouns come into play in Scrabble rule change Mattel said the use of names will add a "new dimension" to Scrabble The rules of word game Scrabble are being changed for the first time in its history to allow the use of proper nouns, games company Mattel has said. Place names, people's names and company names or brands will now count. Mattel, which brings out a new version of the game containing amended rules in July, hopes the change will encourage younger people to play. Until now a few proper nouns had been allowed which were determined by a word list based on the Collins dictionary. In Scrabble, players try to gain the highest points by making words with individual letter tiles on a grid board. Each letter tile has a points value between one and 10, based on the letter's frequency in standard English. Various coloured squares on the board can double or triple a player's points. 'New dimension' Mattel said there would be no hard and fast rule over whether a proper noun was correct or not. A spokeswoman for the company said the use of proper nouns would "add a new dimension" to Scrabble and "introduce an element of popular culture into the game". She said: "This is one of a number of twists and challenges included that we believe existing fans will enjoy and will also enable younger fans and families to get involved." However, Mattel said it would not be doing away with the old rules altogether. It will continue to sell a board with the original rules. Scrabble was invented in 1938 by American-born architect Alfred Butts. He later sold the rights and it was trademarked in 1948. << <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8604625.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_...4625.stm</a> ----- Personally, I'll refuse to play by the new rules. You don't mess with perfection, and Scrabble is as nearly perfect as a board game can be.
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 In my family we've almost always played with these types of rules. (Mostly because it made it easier when we were kids) It doesn't really matter. Who plays board games by the "set rules" anyways. Homebrewed rules are always better.
Originally Posted By Lady Starlight I'mwith you Alex! I'm going to defy the rules. ANRACHY! I'm such a rebel! ( did I even spell that right?) lol
Originally Posted By TXDISNEYNERD That is just wrong. I'm with you. I'll refuse to play by these rules too! Well, unless I happen to have a great proper noun that uses all my letters and hits a triple word score. Nah, I don't think I could even do it then.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper The number of times I could have used "Pixar" as a word makes this rock in my book.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Place names, people's names and company names or brands will now count.<< Hmmmm. So does that mean IBM is now a word? NBC? LADY GAGA? This will cause a lot of Trouble™ and Aggravation™. They'll be Sorry™.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I'm all for taking a Risk™ but I don't think Mattel has a Clue™. They haven't built a better Mousetrap™.
Originally Posted By alexbook "'Fluxojur' is the name I would give to a pet budgie, if I had one. And look, it just happens to fall on a triple word score."
Originally Posted By Mary Poppins What are the scrabble clubs going to do? What about the scrabble competitions? I can see where Mattel is coming from. It's trying to get the young people involved in the game. Will texting shorthand be allowed next? Where will this end? And, LOL, tooney.
Originally Posted By iamsally My daughter called this morning to tell me this. Our family has been avid Scrabble players for a number of generations. Personally, I was quite content with the original rules. As has been pointed out; a proper name, by law no less, can be spelled and pronounced anyway one wants it to be. >>>>Homebrewed rules are always better.<<<< My father used to mark the backs of the vowels so he would never end up with all vowels or consonants. He insisted it made it a "better" game. We argued about that one until he died. He could not grasp that I felt that the challenge of making a good word with no vowels in my hand was part of the fun. To each there own of course but there will be no changes in this household while I am still alive. BTW: When playing with small children, we did let them use proper nouns to help keep things even. But they had to be recognized by the family. And by age 9 or 10 the real rules were enforced.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan But seriously, it makes the game pretty pointless. Like Alexbook illustrated, if anything goes it becomes a bit like tic-tac-toe, which as WarGames taught us, becomes a game inwhich no one wins. Even if you make the rules so that you can't make up names, you could use the stock ticker identity of a company and use up all your letters pretty quickly.
