The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Casey Buck on January 24, 2021, 10:57:59 PM

Title: Scrabble without the Scrabble®
Post by: Casey Buck on January 24, 2021, 10:57:59 PM
I think it's a shame that a clue-based Scrabble hasn't been done in nearly 30 years. The primary thing that has stymied a revival (and for that matter, reruns on Buzzr) is Hasbro and possibly Exposure Unlimited.

So that got me thinking, can you do a Kirkland Signature version of Scrabble without infringing on Hasbro's IP?

There's only three things that you'd have to change that I could think of:

1. The name, obviously.
2. The tiles to determine the letters to place. Maybe change that to just simply picking two numbers, like on the 1990 pilot.
3. The pink and blue square bonus money mechanic.

Other than that, isn't the rest of the game Fremantle's domain?
Title: Re: Scrabble without the Scrabble®
Post by: TLEberle on January 24, 2021, 11:36:28 PM
I mean, Camouflage was pretty dang close.
Title: Re: Scrabble without the Scrabble®
Post by: parliboy on January 25, 2021, 01:07:32 AM
So that got me thinking, can you do a Kirkland Signature version of Scrabble without infringing on Hasbro's IP?

So basically, make a Words with Friends game show?
Title: Re: Scrabble without the Scrabble®
Post by: Strikerz04 on January 25, 2021, 01:41:54 AM
So that got me thinking, can you do a Kirkland Signature version of Scrabble without infringing on Hasbro's IP?

So basically, make a Words with Friends game show?


Bingo.
(and that's also not a name suggestion, either)
Title: Re: Scrabble without the Scrabble®
Post by: Joe Mello on January 25, 2021, 11:09:48 PM
So that got me thinking, can you do a Kirkland Signature version of Scrabble without infringing on Hasbro's IP?
I'm semi-joking, but my suggestion is "Caesar's Challenge without the Caesar's"
Title: Re: Scrabble without the Scrabble®
Post by: parliboy on January 26, 2021, 02:00:12 PM
I'm semi-joking, but my suggestion is "Caesar's Challenge without the Caesar's"

That just won't work.  You can't have Caesar without the dressing.
Title: Re: Scrabble without the Scrabble®
Post by: PYLdude on January 28, 2021, 07:53:15 PM
So that got me thinking, can you do a Kirkland Signature version of Scrabble without infringing on Hasbro's IP?

So basically, make a Words with Friends game show?


Bingo.
(and that's also not a name suggestion, either)

Weren’t they actually attempting to do this?
Title: Re: Scrabble without the Scrabble®
Post by: Casey Buck on January 28, 2021, 08:46:55 PM
So basically, make a Words with Friends game show?
Not quite. When I referred to Scrabble, I meant "TV Scrabble", as in the Woolery 80s version (complete with the punny clues and the Sprints). Is there a solid enough game there without having the Scrabble chrome?
Title: Re: Scrabble without the Scrabble®
Post by: parliboy on January 29, 2021, 02:34:23 PM
Is there a solid enough game there without having the Scrabble chrome?

Yes... if the quality of the presentation itself is high enough.  Political considerations set aside, Chuck's hosting style was anything but cookie cutter.  He knew how to steer the ship, and he knew when to let the ship steer itself.   Too many "hosts" don't know how to do that.
Title: Re: Scrabble without the Scrabble®
Post by: Clay Zambo on January 29, 2021, 03:05:32 PM
When I referred to Scrabble, I meant "TV Scrabble", as in the Woolery 80s version (complete with the punny clues and the Sprints). Is there a solid enough game there without having the Scrabble chrome?

The game is certainly entertaining enough. If you want some way to connect one answer to another, it could be last-letter-of-one-answer-becomes-first-answer-of-the-next.
Title: Re: Scrabble without the Scrabble®
Post by: Neumms on February 03, 2021, 01:25:31 AM
2. The tiles to determine the letters to place. Maybe change that to just simply picking two numbers, like on the 1990 pilot.

I've had the same idea. The letters could pop up at random how they did in the Scrabble Sprint. I'd also love to see them play the Sprint alternating turns using something akin to a chess clock, like Grand Slam.