Filed under: Gaming, iPhone, App Store
Scrabble for iPhone gets a Facebook boost
Say the words 'Facebook' and 'Scrabble' in the same breath and you're likely to get the evil eye from fans of the lamented Scrabulous application that formerly called the social network its wordy home, even though the official game has made its way back onto Facebook. Despite the stomp job on the unofficial version from Hasbro The Hardnosed Holder of the copyright, the game is still addictive in analog, online and iPhone formats.Now a new version of the iPhone Scrabble game, which previously permitted networked head-to-head play over WiFi, is giving players the option of using the Facebook Connect tools to play against friends far and wide. Announced today at the Game Developers Conference, the FBC-friendly build of the app requires you to add the Scrabble application on Facebook, then log in from the iPhone to connect the two. If you don't already own the iPhone app, it's $4.99US. Play can cross over between the web and iPhone versions of the game with no difficulty -- I'm loading it up as we speak and challenging my Facebook buddies (who are, without exception, better at Scrabble than I am) to a match or two.
We'll have a full rundown of GDC opening day iPhone news later on tonight.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JT said 7:40PM on 3-24-2009
Yeah, if it actually worked. Game locks up when you play a word.
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Tyler said 8:14PM on 3-24-2009
Not to mention I never want to play it due to the unnessarily loud startup sound. Doesn't matter if you have it on vibrate or the volume all the way down. Still starts up at full volume. Waste of $5...
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Maurice said 8:50PM on 3-24-2009
I just "upgraded" today and overall the speed has improved, plus you get access to another dictionary (shit is now a valid word). BIG downside: Quick Play is gone. Now it takes 3 taps to start a game. I know EA wants to push Facebook, but it's another 3 taps to resume a saved game.
Tip: The volume for the start-up movie is controlled by your speaker volume, just play a song and turn the volume all the way down. Now you're set for the next time you start the app.
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umijin said 9:43PM on 3-24-2009
I could care less about BS FB hooks. What a waste of coding time and resources.
The previous version of the game didn't even allow me to listen to my own audio while playing the game. Did they fix this glaring error?
And it always took 3 taps to play a game for me, as I never used quick play- too easy.
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Dan Buckley said 2:51AM on 3-26-2009
Yes they did. You can play with your own music finally. That kept me from playing it more. Now I can play with my own music and over the net.
cinemec said 9:48PM on 3-24-2009
Not too far + wide... for some bizarre reason EA don't sell scrabble on the UK app store.
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Michael Rose said 10:36PM on 3-24-2009
The reason is not so bizarre as all that: Hasbro doesn't own Scrabble worldwide, just in the US.
cinemec said 12:28AM on 3-25-2009
Well you learn something every day. I wonder if Mattel will ever bring a scrabble worldwide app to the iphone.
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