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Rumor: EA brings Monopoly & Scrabble to XBLA
360Sync.com noticed some interesting language from an EA press release earlier today, specifically the line:"EA also is developing new Monopoly and Scrabble ®(in North America) titles for multiple platforms, as well as other titles that will be announced later this year."Wait a second, could that mean that EA will be bringing Monopoly and Scrabble to XBLA? While no one is talking, we think it would be an amazing idea. Seriously people, Monopoly on Live is teh hotness.[Thanks, xenocidic]
EA to bring Hasbro to your DS
For those of you who find themselves enjoying board games, but would like considerable less board in there, know that EA has announced that several Hasbro properties will be turned into games by the publishing powerhouse. No longer will your games of Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit be confined to the Monday night get-together at your neighbor's house, as you'll soon be able to enjoy these games without your "friends."The titles currently in the works are: Littlest Pet Shop (DS, Wii, PC) - fall NERF "N-Strike" (Wii, DS) - fall Looking over the rest of the list for titles releasing on mobile phones and to EA's online POGO portal, we're wondering why the DS is getting the shaft. Monopoly, Yahtzee and Scrabble are all releasing on mobile phones and via POGO, but where's the DS love? All we get are these two games? We hope this changes ...[Via Joystiq]
EA announces intial batch of Hasbro games, G.I. Joe sadly absent
Electronic Arts has sewn up the rights to deliver games based on numerous Hasbro properties, though before you get too excited in hopes that you'll soon be revisiting your past and playing games based on G.I. Joe, we should note that of this "initial slate" of brands singled out by the companies not one packs a 'kung fu grip.' EA calls these games "new ways for families to build relationships through digital entertainment," which of course means we'll be seeing at least some of these games crop up on the Wii. In fact, the first titles from the deal confirmed for both the Wii and DS include games based on Littlest Pet Shop and NERF "N-Strike," both of which are being put together by EA's Salt Lake Studio. Last year EA inked a deal with Hasbro for rights to make games based on the seemingly innocent but often cutthroat board game Monopoly, and players will be able to edge their way out of (and into) virtual bankruptcy come March for mobile phones and later in the fall over EA's casual POGO portal for the PC. Other brands in the works as part of this new deal include Scrabble, Operation, and Trivial Pursuit, meaning that in the not to distant future we could be once again partying like it's Christmas 1980.
Scrabulous under fire from Hasbro, Mattel
With 2.3 million active users, Scrabulous has become the Facebook application of choice for linguaphiles and procrastinators unlike. Unfortunately for its many, many fans, Scrabble publisher Hasbro has become a bit grumpy over the success of the free, unofficial clone of its bestselling game. CNN's Fortune blog reports that Hasbro's been trying to pull the plug, requesting that the web and Facebook versions of the clone be removed.Hasbro owns all distribution rights for Scrabble in the United States. Mattel, who owns the rights for all other parts of the world, has only recently joined in the fight, placing further pressure on Scrabulous' developers, who are based out of Calcutta.At the moment, EA currently has a contract deal with Hasbro to develop and distribute digital versions of its games, including Scrabble. One commenter on CNN's post, who claims to represent Hasbro, stated that EA is currently developing a digital version of Scrabble, and that Scrabulous' execution raised heads after being strikingly similar to the version in production. Whether or not this is true, we hope that some sort of agreement can be reached that can keep the Facebook app afloat.Read - "Will someone please start a Facebook group to save Scrabulous?" [CNN Fortune]Read - "Facebook asked by Mattel to remove Scrabulous" [CNet]
Off the Grid: Long-distance gaming
Every other week Scott Jon Siegel contributes Off the Grid, a column about card games, board games, and everything else non-digital."Non-digital games are awesome" is the line I usually insist upon in this column. But even awesome analog games have their faults: namely, if you don't have anyone to play with, you can't really play.So, as an end-of-year treat, let's look back at the last year+ of games reviewed, and find some ways to play those suckers against some internet folk:Settlers of CatanI still haven't gotten around to reviewing Settlers, but I did chat with Brian Reynolds about the Xbox Live Arcade version of the game, which is probably the best bet for consistent, high-volume net play.For those who don't have an Xbox 360 (like, well, me), Aso Brain Games hosts an unofficial, Java-based version of the game called Xplorers. After a free registration, the site allows users to player ranked and un-ranked versions against other users and bots, and features a number of expansion and additions to the base rules, which can be toggled on or off. Don't let the low-fi look of the site dissuade you; Xplorers is a well-put-together Settlers clone, with a solid interface and a consistent number of users online at any time.
Warhammer dev: "It's time to iterate"
MMO Gamer has a great interview up with Josh Drescher, Senior Game Designer on Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, or WAR, as I like to call it. The two got to chat at E for All (the same place where our own Barb D. got to play the game), and Drescher gives a pretty good inside look at what it's like to be the team in charge of making the game that everyone but EA suspects might try to "kick WoW's arse."First up: the delay. Drescher doesn't go as far as Marc Jacobs in saying the delay was planned all along, but he does say that it was time to cool their jets and focus on what they had already, rather than bringing new stuff into the game. Drescher also touches on the "Realm vs. Realm" aspect of the PvP, and says he's excited to have a game where war is ongoing and front lines matter.Unfortunately, there are a few MMO conventions that even WAR can't get away from-- the starter quests are still FedEx and rat killing, and you can't actually go run and PvP right away. As Drescher so wittily puts it, "There's a Scrabble game in 1/3 of all American homes and yet new copies of it still ship with instructions." He also says that they are aiming for a fairly traditional PvP balance-- "not quite the paper-rock-scissors thing... [but] we're not going to give someone who can do a ton of damage heavy armor also." There is still some innovation, however-- high level players in lowbie areas will apparently get turned into chickens. Sounds good to me! Definitely check out the interview if you're at all interested in how WAR is turning out so far.
Ubisoft apologizes for 'lesbo' use in Scrabble DS
Ubisoft has apparently apologized to customers after the word "lesbo" was discovered as a proper word to use in Scrabble 2007 for the Nintendo DS. Although the Belfast Telegraph got all uppity about the issue and Ubisoft apologized, the simple fact of the matter is that "lesbo" is an official word in the Chambers Official Scrabble Dictionary. In the game there is a "junior" version that omits offensive words, but lesbo is not considered an offensive word in the Scrabble dictionary. Ubisoft merely apologized if offense was caused, they are not pulling the game.Ubisoft just seems to be running into language issues lately. Back in June they pulled Mind Quiz over the use of the word "spastic." In case you're wondering, many, many derogatory words are official Scrabble words and therefore make perfect sense as allowable in the game. That's the funny thing about a game based on language, they aren't all going to be happy-shiny fun nice words. Besides, a skillful player would wait until they received the extra "S" for "Lesbos," an island in the Aegean sea.Update: Faux pas, you can't use Lesbos because it's a proper noun. Fine, then just say it's a plural of the derogatory word, that way it's still kosher, but then you become that pluralizer Scrabble player.[Via EuroGamer]
Spelling out multiple offenses with Ubisoft's Scrabble
Every time we turn around, it seems there is another ruckus caused by the presence of a word in some game or another, but when it's in Scrabble, it raises a brow or two. After all, isn't Scrabble all about words and the vast depth of language? Apparently, not everyone thinks so. A parent in Northern Ireland received quite a shock when playing Ubisoft's Europe-only Scrabble DS recently with his seven year-old daughter. It seems they were playing in junior mode -- which strips the obviously offensive words from the official Scrabble word list -- and the word "lesbo" came up. The parent, Zachary McAdam, has called for a recall of the game based on the word's inclusion in the junior mode, because he finds it offensive.The problem is, who decides which words are "offensive?" According to the definition in the dictionary used by Ubisoft's title, "lesbo" is a "Derogatory slang short form of lesbian. Although lesbo did not become current until 1940s: previously used by heterosexuals as derisive insults to gay women, though it seems that gay women are now using the words to describe themselves in positive terms." And that last part certainly seems to be true -- you can even find the reflected in popular culture (used by individuals and characters to self-identify in a tongue-in-cheek manner). Not even all homosexuals can agree on whether or not "lesbo" is offensive; according to qWords. org, a "a collaboratively-edited collection of queer language," "lesbo" is just "a diminutive form of lesbian." It is not labeled as usually offensive when used, as are some other words. It seems even "lesbo" can have multiple meanings and implications.
SXSW: Games + Entertainment Brands: Five Top Trends In 2007
This panel brought together Robert Nashak, GM of Yahoo Games, Chris Charla, director of business development for Foundation 9, Charles Merrin from Real Networks, and Brian Ring, the GM of Interactive Content for Scope Seven. The purpose was to discuss the top five trends in 2007 in the realm of gaming and entertainment. When games meet entertainment brands, it's traditionally meant a game based on a movie that comes out a few weeks (or months) after the film has hit theaters. However, for the past few years games have started to be released concurrently with the films, or even before the movies come out. Hollywood studios now include video game development in the earliest stages of pre-production, and even involve game companies in the writing process.Games + Entertainment Brands also encompasses traditional board games, like Scrabble and Monopoly, being licensed for video games, and toys like Bratz and Barbie as well. We break down the top five trends that will be hitting games + entertainment brands in 2007 after the jump.
