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Scrabble is getting a bit of a makeover, at least in Europe.<\/p>\n
Mattel<\/a> has unveiled a double-sided board that features both the classic word-building game and Scrabble Together, a new rendition designed to be accessible \u201cfor anyone who finds word games intimidating.\u201d<\/p>\n This new version, which is now available across Europe, is advertised as being more team-oriented and quicker to play. The update marks the first significant change to Scrabble\u2019s board in more than 75 years, Mattel said Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to ensure the game continues to be inclusive for all players,\u201d Ray Adler, vice president and global head of games at Mattel said in a prepared statement, noting that consumers will still be able to choose between the classic game and new version.<\/p>\n Seeking to expand their reach, toy companies have rolled out alternative or simplified ways to play board games for years, ranging from \u201cjunior\u201d editions made for younger children to multiple sets of instructions that players can opt into for increasing difficulty.<\/p>\n Scrabble Together is marketed toward players of all ages. Jim Silver, a toy-industry expert and CEO of review site TTPM, said the double-sided board is a smart approach because it allows players to switch from one mode to another as they wish.<\/p>\n Mattel\u2019s announcement was also accompanied by a survey that offered a glimpse into some of the ways British consumers have previously tackled classic Scrabble. London-based market researcher Opinion Matters found that 75% of U.K. adults aged 25 to 34 have searched a word when playing the board-and-tile game to check if it\u2019s real. And almost half (49%) reported trying to make up a new word in hopes of winning.<\/p>\n Whether the new version will expand beyond Europe one day remains to be seen. While Mattel, which is based in El Segundo, California, owns the rights to Scrabble around much of the world, Hasbro<\/a> licenses the game in the U.S., for example.<\/p>\n \u201cMattel and Hasbro have worked separately to develop different versions of Scrabble every year,\u201d Silver said. As a result, some versions are only available in certain countries, creating a \u201cinteresting dynamic\u201d for avid fans of the game, he added.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Hasbro, which is based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, confirmed to The Associated Press via email Tuesday that the company currently has no plans to roll out the European updates to Scrabble in the U.S.<\/p>\n Scrabble\u2019s origins date back to 1931, when American architect Alfred Mosher Butts invented the game\u2019s forerunner. Scrabble\u2019s original name was \u201cLexiko,\u201d according to a Mattel factsheet, and before officially getting the Scrabble title and trademark in 1948, Butts\u2019 creation was also called \u201cCriss-Crosswords,\u201d \u201cIt\u201d and \u201cAlph.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, Scrabble is produced in 28 different languages. More than 165 million games have been sold in 120 countries around the world since 1948, according to Mattel, with an average of 1.5 million games sold globally each year.<\/p>\n Beyond<\/a> the decades-old Scrabble fanbase, other word games have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, including Bananagrams and online guessing game Wordle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nSubscribe to the new Fortune CEO Weekly Europe newsletter to get corner office insights on the biggest business stories in Europe. Sign up<\/a> for free.<\/div>\n