Mattel introduces 'Scrabble Together' that's less competitive and more inclusive
What's the story
Mattel, the globally recognized toy company, has unveiled a new version of the classic board game, Scrabble. Named "Scrabble Together", this innovative variant is designed to be less competitive and more inclusive. The game features a unique double-sided board that promotes collaboration among players and allows them to set objectives based on their preferred difficulty level.
Inclusivity focus
Scrabble Together: A Game for All
Ray Adler, Vice-President and Global Head of Games at Mattel, shared with The Guardian the company's aim to make Scrabble more accessible for players who find traditional word games daunting. He stated that "Scrabble has truly stood the test of time as one of the most popular board games in history," and that they aim to ensure it continues to be inclusive. Adler added that Scrabble Together is ideal for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by classic word games.
Trend alignment
Scrabble Together aligns with cooperative gaming trends
Brett Smitheram, the 2016 World Scrabble Champion, echoed Adler's sentiments about the new game. He noted that Scrabble Together aligns with a trend among younger people who prefer cooperative games over competitive ones. The game not only celebrates the "wonder of words", but also "brings people together", according to Adler. This new variant promises a faster pace and simplified scoring, making it more appealing to a wider audience.
Gaming motivations
Board games: An escape and connection medium
A study conducted alongside the launch of Scrabble Together revealed that over half of board game enthusiasts use games as an escape from social media. Additionally, 65% reported that playing board games helps them unwind. The motivations for playing varied across age groups, with 55% of players aged 34-54 playing to relax, while 69% of those aged 25-34 play to connect with friends.
Generational differences
Competitiveness in board games across generations
The study also examined attitudes towards competitiveness across generations. It found that 35% of Americans perceive baby boomers as the most competitive group, followed by millennials at 31%, and Gen Z at 29%. Surprisingly, almost half of Scrabble's players attempted to create new words for victory, with 75% of 25-34 year-olds verifying word authenticity during gameplay.
Language evolution
Scrabble's tradition of incorporating new words
Scrabble has a long-standing tradition of incorporating new words into its official gameplay dictionary. In 2022, the Merriam-Webster dictionary, which serves as the official referee for eligible words in the game, added 500 new words to its seventh edition. These additions include slang terms like "adorbs" (adorable), "amirite" (am I right), and "bae" (loosely, babe), as well as topical terms such as "subtweet" and "vax".