Words worth

Form being a simple word game to a cultural icon, Scrabble has created history by upholding its magnificence for six decades.

For 60 years, Scrabble has managed to string together people from around the world

Form being a simple word game to a cultural icon, Scrabble has created history by upholding its magnificence for six decades. A popular birthday gift and a family favourite since 1948, Scrabble8217;s meteoric rise began after an out-of-work architect Alfred Mosher Butts from Poughkeepsie, New York decided to invent a board game. He attempted to create a game that would use both chance and skill, by combining features of anagrams and crossword puzzles. Initially turned down by two companies because of the fear of lack of commercial potential, the game8217;s journey has been one of the most fruitful

chapters in history.

In a world where the shelf life of a board game isn8217;t more than two years, it is a huge achievement for Scrabble to have survived 60. 8220;What has actually helped it survive is the edutainment value it generates and the group play it involves,8221; says Rahul Bhowmik, head of marketing, Mattel Toys India. FYI, since 1994 it is Mattel that has taken over the manufacture of Scrabble outside of USA and UK.

To mark the 60th year, Hasbro games, owner of Scrabble in USA launched the diamond anniversary edition game. From the sleek folding case to the two slide-and-store trays, there has never been a more convenient way to enjoy a game.

As a popular board game of all time, Scrabble has had a large impact on the Indian pop culture scene. Mattel is conducting quizzes on Scrabble8217;s history and the Scrabble Association of India SAI has held a national tournament to celebrate the game8217;s success. 8220;It is not merely about word power today. It is a memory game which requires learning superfluous words,8221; says Udayan Grover, committee member and Scrabble player, adding, 8220;We have a tournament coming up next month in Pune which will part of the celebration. Also, a new committee has been established to bring about a few altercations.8221;

The game instills healthy competition and has been a favourite with cricket commentator Gautam Bhimani as well. 8220;I reckon playing it from the age of 10. It was an exercise to form newer words that are not just superficial but genuine. During your formative years it is the best way to build your vocabulary.8221; While it was a convenient way to spend time with friends, to make it more interesting, a few conditions were added. For instance, forming words related to cricket; like bat, ball, stump, pitch and so on. Retired english teacher Dorothy Mascarenhas, swears by the game and encourages parents to gift their children a set each. 8220;While the best way to improve your English is read good books, Scrabble comes a close second.8221;

While it is essentially a team game, played by two to four people, celebrity make-up artist Clint Fernandes at times plays it all by himself using two sets. 8220;It is my favourite hobby and it jogs my mind a bit. Recently, I bought the

Story continues below this ad

Hasbro online version of the game, which I can travel with anywhere I want,8221; he smiles. Prior to this, many have launched online versions of the game, the most popular being Scrabulous.com launched by the Agarwalla brothers, Jayant and Rajat. 8220;But none have been able to compete with the original,8221; says Bhowmik.