Re: Response from NSA

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: : I was as stunned as the rest of you when I found out that there was no more Mplayer scrabble. Most of you have described it as well as can be. To me it was like finding out my best friend had died. Words can barely describe the full range of emotions I went through. : : Two things went through my mind. "Why" and is there a possibility "we can get it back". : : I did not see a menu in Hasbro's Website to vent my displeasure of them flexing their corporate muscle upon the scrabble community. So I wrote (email'd) NSA to see if they knew anything of this. As it turns out, they knew of this and pretty much answered both of my above questions. Below will be my original email and the response from John Williams. : : My email to NSA / John Williams: : : Re: Mplayer Scrabble : : : : To: John Williams : : : : Hello John: : : : : Sunday afternoon the folks at Mplayer pulled the plug on Scrabble. From what I have heard, Hasbro and Mplayer could not come to some financial agreement, thus Hasbro forced Mplayer to close their Website to Scrabble. : : : : In case you don't know, Mplayer is a Website that host games. Among the many games they host, Scrabble was one of them. There was probably 300-500 regular Scrabble players with varying degrees of playing ability and interest in the game. The Website used Scrabble CD ROM ver1.0 as its source of playing medium. : : : : The main feature of this Scrabble Website was that it used a 30 sec clock to time each turn. While this is not the same as a 25 minute clock in an ordinary game, it kept the game flowing at a swift pace and minimized the opportunity for cheats. Games typically took no more than 15 minutes to play. It was common to get in 3 games in one hour. For myself, I played between 100 to 200 games per month for the last 18 months. In all my years of playing at club, I probably averaged 175 games a year. So, Internet Scrabble was a place where I could get in many more games. : : : : The reason I am contacting you is that I hope you have some inside information from a Scrabble headquarters point of view as to what happen and what we may expect in the future. If it is a done deal and this site is closed down forever, then that is what I want to know. If there is a possibility that it may be reopened, then I would like to know that. Basically, I just want a straight answer. Many of us are in a state of shock. This came as a complete surprise. All we wanted to do was spend our spare time playing the game we enjoy. : : : : The Website where we have a message board where folks can post comments is at: http://www.igl.net/mscrabble : : If you scroll down the left of this Webpage, you'll see the Message Forum. I urge you to spend a few moments to read a few of the post. Everyone is in a state of shock and are scrambling to find an alternate site to play Scrabble. : : : : The site where we played is at: Http://www.mplayer.com/mscrabble : : : : I know you must be a busy person. Your insight into this dilemma would be deeply appreciated. I know you are a advocate of promoting the game and shedding a positive light upon the game. This decision seems to reach neither one of these goals. Thanks for your time and I eagerly await a response from you. : : : : : : Keith Valentine : : Mem# 14760 : : Responce from John Williams that next day: : : Dear Keith: : : Thanks for your email. Believe me, I am as disappointed as you as it : : appears my ongoing email Scrabble game with about six people is about to be : : curtailed as well. : : Here's the deal. : : The MPlayer deal, as well as the Scrabble cd-rom, email games, etc., were : : all handled out of Hasbro Interactive. This is (was) operated as a seperate : : division from the Hasbro Games Group, our regular contacts, who handle the : : board game. : : The NSA tried with great zeal and enthusiasm for several years to cultivate : : a relationship with Hasbro Interactive, to make them understand the : : potential the game had on the internet in terms of play, tournaments, : : community, etc. : : They were clueless. : : We dealt with a revolving door of executives, all of whom are gone now as : : the HI division is essentially out of business. If you search the web, : : you'll find a business story from about a week or so ago that announced the : : sale of HI's assets to a European company, who will allegedly pump new life : : into Scrabble and other brands on the internet. This will all be run out of : : a new site called games.com. : : The last time I checked it was still under construction, but you may want : : to look. This site will reportedly be the place where interenet Scrabble : : will be located and cultivated. : : We are in the process of trying to make contact with the new operators. We : : also hold hope that the one consistent, Scrabble-savvy person we dealt with : : at Hasbro Interactive will be retained by the new company. : : I'm headed off to the annual Toy Fair in NYC for the next 2 weeks where I : : hope to have more information. : : In the meantime, disgruntled NSA members may want to go to either : : Hasbro.com or Scrabble.com to see if there is a venue to register your : : disappointment. I'd ask that your tone be appropriate and that you do not : : say the NSA has sent you there. (Remember, we depend on Hasbro for most of : : our funding -- no sense alienating anyone!) : : Anyway, that's all I know for now. Feel free to check in in two weeks or : : so. Also feel free to post this on the site you mentioned. : : John D. Williams Jr. : : Executive Director/NSA : : NATIONAL SCRABBLE® ASSOCIATION : : PO BOX 700 : : GREENPORT, NY 11944 : : 631-477-0033 : : WEBSITE: http://www.scrabble-assoc.com : : My thanks to both of you gentlemen for providing this helpful information.I will be looking forward to getting more information regarding the future support of Scrabble version 1.0 and will post it at this forum. : Scott Franssen

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