Scrabble is XBLA bound, Hasbro channel coming soon

by Richard Mitchell { Jan 6th 2009 at 3:00PM }

After it was first rumored nearly a year ago (along with Monopoly), EA has announced that Scrabble is indeed heading to Xbox Live Arcade. The company also announced the creation of a brand new Hasbro Family Game Night "channel" in Xbox Live Arcade. The channel will serve as a "digital game closet," according to EA Hasbro general manager Chip Lange, where players can quickly access various Hasbro games without leaving the channel. Players will be able to "earn virtual trophies, furniture and themes" to decorate their closets by playing Hasbro games. In addition to Scrabble, other titles planned for the service include Sorry!, Sorry! Sliders, Battleship, Connect Four, Boggle and Yahtzee.

The Hasbro Family Game Night channel is set to debut this spring, though no specific dates have been given for any of the individual game releases. Oh, one more thing: No Monopoly mentioned, folks. Sorry.

[Via Joystiq]

Tags: battleship, boggle, connect-four, ea, electronic-arts, hasbro, hasbro-family-game-night, scrabble, sorry, sorry-sliders, yahtzee

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

yo Naturale @ Jan 6th 2009 3:08PM

The biggest problem with digital versions of Scrabble will always be the lexicon employed. If it's not permissive enough the game is far less enjoyable.

Don't tell me "honkey" isn't a word. "Honky" and "honkie" are acceptable too (according to Merriam-Webster).

I'll be first in line to buy Yahtzee though.

Tony @ Jan 6th 2009 3:12PM

I'd like to see Risk on there someday too.

Phawx @ Jan 6th 2009 3:20PM

Monopoly
Risk
Clue

Maul @ Jan 6th 2009 3:24PM

I own monopoly on the 360 already...

Why would they make it for the arcade if it's already out?

xenocidic @ Jan 6th 2009 3:30PM

maybe because it was an epic fail (no online? why wouldn't i just break out my board if i wanted to play at home?)

HazyCloud @ Jan 6th 2009 3:45PM

@ xenocidic

Thanks for saving me 40 bucks.

yo Naturale @ Jan 6th 2009 4:01PM

One of the pleasant side-effects of playing board games on a computer or a console is that it speeds the game up considerably. Which is a plus for "long" games like Monopoly and Risk.

Sure, it loses the charms of laying out all the game-pieces, rolling die and seeing that big stack of play money in front of you.

Not long ago I broke out my Risk set and started a game with my brother and sister-in-law. One moment of charity by my sister-in-law to not wipe my army off the face of the map *only* 45-minutes into the game turned out to be a big mistake. Three hours later, I had rebuilt my army and repaid the favor with a (pleaded for) death-blow. The *next day* I managed to take care of my brother's pesky army as well.

While fun in retrospect, sometimes playing a game measured by a clock and not a calender is preferable.

maul @ Jan 6th 2009 4:06PM

Why is it an epic fail? Have you even played the game? Yes it lacks online but I hardly consider it even something that would hardly hinder the game. Who wants to play Monopoly with strangers who will, and you know it's true, just quit when you get a monopoly. The game can last hours. Online the game would suck worse than GOW2.

But, in the comfort of your home with family members it is far from an "epic fail." God, who even uses that term anymore. Get some new slang for something you don't like.

marauder800 @ Jan 6th 2009 4:28PM

Monopoly is an epic fail because of the lack of Live support, as mentioned, and the fact that you must play with 4 players at all times. Want to play a 3 player game with your friends? Too bad...we're making you include an AI player in the mix that doesn't understand the subjective values in negotiating properties. I bought and played this the day it came out, and haven't touched it since.

On topic...I think the Hasbro channel will be quite good, depending on pricing.

xenocidic @ Jan 6th 2009 4:31PM

I wouldn't necessarily play with strangers, I could play with friends (either real, or XBL-met)... but over XBOX LIVE... instead of in my cramped 1-bedroom.

glad you like it, but this has fail written all over it. if you have any more appropriate slang that I can apply to this uber-suckage, be my guest.

brytdavis @ Jan 6th 2009 3:25PM

Chutes and Ladders

Deezul @ Jan 6th 2009 3:33PM

Don't forget Candyland for your 3 year old gamer!

LegendaryRedass @ Jan 6th 2009 3:32PM

This is great news for me. My wife isn't into console games, she'll play spider solitaire or trism on the iPhone I got her for Christmas, but she loves yahtzee and scrabble. This is the gateway game I've been waiting for. Hopefully my wife and kids and I will be fraggin noobz as a family this time next year. Lol

Mike @ Jan 6th 2009 5:16PM

I have a G1 and am all over Spider while my kids are hogging the 360 with Viva Pinata and Culdcept Saga.

Kindergamer @ Jan 6th 2009 3:55PM

It Own Channel, No!!!

AoE @ Jan 6th 2009 4:07PM

... why not? look at it this way, if you hate board games/hasbro, it's all contained in one spot you can easily skip over. Or, if you love board games/hasbro, it's all contained in one spot you can easily visit.

Jonman @ Jan 6th 2009 4:06PM

Boggle? I'm a freakin' Boggle champ. On the one hand, I'll kick the world's ass at Boggle. On the other hand, how the hell will that work without a chat pad / keyboard?

drdre74 @ Jan 6th 2009 4:24PM

so it looks like Microsoft is biting Sony again by doing a gaming channel for Hasbro. lol Since Sony has done one with Capcom on the PSN. I knew it wouldnt be long before this started to be a common thing on all systems. Kinda makes sense though for studios to have their own store page if they have alot of content in it. Makes it easier to find stuff and see stuff that you may not have known that Dev did.