Angry Scrabblers

Scrabble players take their pursuit very seriously.  After all, it's a game played by people who pride
themselves on their vocabulary and command of language.

Scrabble players are upset about changes to the app

Mess around with the game at your peril.

Unfortunately that's exactly what has happened with the hugely popular Scrabble app.   It appears that control of the app recently moved from the Scrabble license holder, Mattel, to games specialist, Electronic Arts (EA).

However, the transition has produced a very poor customer experience and Scrabblers around the globe are up in arms.

The single biggest gripe is the loss of game history.  Serious players have notched up thousands of games and  commanded high positions on global leagues.  But that history was wiped when the transition occurred and red-faced Mattel have fessed up to admit they can't get it back.

They've also changed the game play so that it doesn't automatically refresh the board after each move, meaning the player must manually execute the refresh - very annoying.

The producers have tried to claim that they've improved the game by adding the ability to play the game in six different languages - the gamer response to that seems to be, why would I want to do that?

Another cardinal sin has been committed.  Scrabble has always used the Chambers dictionary, a reference book that players are intimately acquainted with.  The game now uses the Collins dictionary, another excellent work but still different to what has always been associated with the game.

This appears to be customer relations disaster for Mattel.  They have clearly taken their eye off the ball and have upset a loyal and passionate customer base.  In the age of technology and social media a faux pas like this spreads around the world in the time that it takes to refresh an app.   Some better user involvement before the transition could have averted this mess.

Disgruntled Scrabble players vent their frustration (BBC)