Scrabulous rises from the dead
Just days after disappearing from Facebook, the popular word game Scrabulous has returned. But there have been changes.
The biggest is a new name. Gone is the one that helped create problems with Hasbro Inc., the company that owns the North American rights to the Scrabble board game. Now it’s called Wordscraper.
The game itself has also changed. Instead of Scrabble-like square tiles, for instance, Wordscraper has circles. The tiles earning double and triple points have been rearranged, and tiles for quadruple points have been added.
This early in the game, it’s unclear whether the cosmetic changes will be enough to fend off a lawsuit by Hasbro. In the meantime, hundreds of thousands of former Scrabulous users can resume what I’m guessing is a favored workday diversion.
Tim has covered a wide range of topics, including tourism, crime, aviation and gambling, since becoming a reporter in 1990. The Oklahoma native joined the Post-Dispatch in 2007 after spending nine years in Orlando. In his spare time, he's often exploring one virtual world or another. He can be reached at tbarker@post-dispatch.com. 
