The beloved game of Scrabble is a favorite pastime for grammar enthusiasts and gameplay strategists who love to show off their skills in creating and remembering words.
But market research by manufacturer Mattel found that Gen Z favors collaboration over competition, and that gaming can be a bit intimidating, especially for people who aren’t proficient in the English language or those who haven’t played in a while. ‘ — now things are about to change.
After more than 75 years, there will be a new version of the classic Scrabble game that will be more “collaborative”.
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The game, called “Scrabble Together,” will feature a double-sided board: one side is a standard Scrabble board and the other side is a “collaborative, faster-paced” game to make the gameplay “more accessible to anyone you find words intimidating games.”
When players choose to play Scrabble Together, they will compete in several challenges as a team as well as have access to using “helper cards” if the game becomes too difficult.
“Scrabble has truly stood the test of time as one of the most popular board games in history, and we want to ensure the game continues to be inclusive for all players,” said Ray Adler, Global Head of Games at Mattel, according to CNN. “For anyone who’s ever thought ‘word games aren’t for me,’ or felt a little intimidated by the Classic game, Scrabble Together mode is an ideal option.”
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However, for now, the new version of the game is only available in Europe. A company representative told the Associated pressthat there are no plans to bring the new version of the game to the United States
Since its launch in 1948, it is estimated that over 165 million Scrabble boards have been sold in 120 countries.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Mattel was up just over 5% in the one-year period.
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