Mattel introduces official Facebook Scrabble game originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) and Mattel (NYSE: MAT), which own the right to Scrabble, are none too pleased with Scrabulous, a knockoff of the game that has gained tremendous popularity as an application on Facebook.

The game-makers have sent cease and desist notices to four parties involved with the production and distribution of Scrabulous, but it isn't immediately clear who those parties are.

In a statement, Hasbro said that it hoped to reach an amicable solution, but that, "If we cannot come to one quickly, we will be forced to close down the site and its associated distribution points."

The obvious solution is to make the game a fully-licensed version of Scrabble, and give Hasbro and Mattel a cut of the ad revenue it generates. Such a move would also probably boost sales of the board game at retail stores as people realize that Scrabble is actually pretty fun.

According (subscription required) to the Wall Street Journal, "While there are authorized Scrabble games online, Scrabulous has gained popularity because it's free, easy to play with friends and easy to access on Facebook. Scrabulous listed more than 600,000 daily active users on Facebook as of Wednesday and is one of the 10 most used applications on the site. People can also play at Scrabulous.com."

Scrabble-makers go after popular Facebook knockoff originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Monopoly Extreme -- Why should players be allowed to stroll uninhibited down Boardwalk and Atlantic Avenue, when the game could be much more interesting in a Grand-theft- Auto-type world? Imagine shooting your way out of Marvin Gardens, highjacking a Reading Railroad train, and trolling Baltic Ave. for a hooker.
• Chutes and Ladders -- In the video world, falling into a chute would cost the player much more than a few squares - perhaps even a visit the Hell! Ladders, on the other hand, could lead to greater rewards, such as a front row seat at a Barry Manilow show in Las Vegas. Or do I have those backwards?
• Bratz - the Hilton version. Dress up your Bratz from an endless variety of skanky outfits (underwear tonight- yes, or no?), take her partying in the hottest Hollywood clubs, indulge her in the very best drink and toot, and check her in to the most exclusive rehab clinics. Accumulate points every time she manages to smack a paparazzi with her purse.
• Scrbl - txt vrsn. Txtrs cmpt 2 c who cn use t fwst ltrs 2 spl wrds.
• Easy-Bake Iron Chef - No more light bulbs and tasteless cakes. In the virtual world, mini-chefs can compete with gamers around the world to create monster desserts, exotic entrees or even cook up batches of meth.

Electronic Arts (ERTS) to game up Hasbro (HAS) brands originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.