VIDEO.DESTRUCTOID   |   JAPANATOR   |   TOMOPOP
Destructoid is obsessive about gaming news.
Home #Serious Time


Triple-word score: Scrabble DS rocks some dirty words photo

Ubisoft had to issue a statement after it was found that the Nintendo DS title Scrabble 2007 contained an offense solution word in the anagram part of game play.

An article in the Belfast Telegraph reports that a father and daughter playing Scrabble 2007 were stumped on a five-letter anagram. Stuck, they hit the "give-up" option to find that the solution was the word "lesbo," a derogatory slang term for lesbian. The father, Zachary McAdam, said that he "nearly fell out of his chair," and then proceeded to "look it up" to make sure he wasn't over-reacting.

It turns out that this title uses 277,000 approved words from the Chambers Official Scrabble Dictionary. 

A statement from Ubisoft apologized and added:

"The dictionary includes words used in the English language, but that may be considered unusual or offensive. It is for this reason that the game includes a 'junior' option which will prevent the player and computer using these 'unusual' or 'offensive' words in playing. However, 'lesbo' is not considered as offensive by the official dictionary and therefore is playable in both options."

Remind me not to invite these two to my annual Drunken Dirty Word Scrabble Tournaments. 

[Via Next-Gen


Continue reading: More Serious Time stories





30 comments | showing # 1 to 30
prev next

mackisawesome's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 13:09
mackisawesome
DALE YOU ARE OON A ROLL TODAY WITH ALL THESE POSTS!
Dale North's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 13:11
Dale North
back from Tokyo, ready to rock ;)
blehman's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 13:15
blehman
Heh,heh,heh. Lesbo. Nice find Dale
DJDuffy 's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 13:17
DJDuffy
Shame on you Ubisoft! That's one game I won't be supporting...as far as I'm concerned, "lesbo" is a derogatory term.
Myrmidon16's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 13:19
Myrmidon16
i think this makes me want to get the game. or just play real scrabble and spell dirty words that way
Snaileb 's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 13:25
Snaileb
Duffy don't be such a Lesbot.
needsmoretits's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 13:31
needsmoretits
I've got a 7 letter word for them; PUSSIES.

In all seriousness though, lesbo is pretty damn derogatory. Oh well. Like I need a DS to play Scrabble anyway.
BahamutZero's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 13:32
BahamutZero
I will poown anyone in scrabble. with words like "poown"
BahamutZero's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 13:32
BahamutZero
"ZOMG" is especially devastating
DJDuffy 's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 13:34
DJDuffy
@ Snaileb

damn breeders. love u too!
Lance Cardigan's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 13:48
Lance Cardigan
l
e
destructoid
b
o
Lance Cardigan's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 13:49
Lance Cardigan
damn it....didnt work.
you get it tho.
MrFudge's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 13:59
MrFudge
All I see is 'Mew'. Am I not dirty enough?
Cheeburga's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 14:12
Cheeburga
Hahah, win. :]
KamikazeTutor's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 14:14
KamikazeTutor
Lesbo? That's a word in the dictionary? Which one? The Slangonary?
TheBastardSonOfAtari's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 14:19
TheBastardSonOfAtari
I play this on my DS & you can spell CUNT, which is none too shabby if on a Triple Word Score.
brad drac's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 14:22
brad drac
Bah. Lesbo is no more offensive than queermo, and anyone offended by queermo is a faghandler.
Dale North's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 14:26
Dale North
hahah @ braddrac
deanhatescoffee's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 14:48
deanhatescoffee
LOL @ brad drac. Really though, what about "lesbo" is derogatory? Is it the term itself, or the way people use it? If the derogatoriness stems from the way it's used then I say that there should be no issue with the word "lesbo" being in Scrabble; however, if the word "lesbo" is itself offensive (as dictionary.com would lead me to believe) then what the hell are the Chambers Official Scrabble Dictionary people smoking? They should know better. We expect that kind of insolence from Destructoid, naturally, but not from a well-respected family game.
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 14:53
Necros
This! Is! Lesbos!
SourGr8pes's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 15:17
SourGr8pes
Well, what else do you call someone from the isle of Lesbos then?
MechaMonkey's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 16:23
MechaMonkey
Dictionary.com says:

les·bo /ˈlɛzboʊ/ –noun, plural -bos. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.
a lesbian.

Ubisoft loses.
grrza's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 16:48
grrza
meh, if it's in the official scrabble dictionary, then shouldn't Hasboro or Mattel or whoever be the ones under fire? It's not like Ubisoft invented the rules for scrabble for jeebus sake.
Kageroth's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 18:11
Kageroth
Wow the local rag on a gaming site, things are looking up for NI :D
timmet's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 20:41
timmet
If they altered it, you guys would complain that the video game didn't follow the book.

But seriously, it's the scrabble dictionaries fault.
entropyman's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2007 21:10
entropyman
I was actually playing this the other day and it let me use jizz- I won because it was a triple word score.... funny that this article came out
3dd13's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/28/2007 05:23
3dd13
Douchebag FTW
wardrox's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/28/2007 07:34
wardrox
Ha, English ftw!
Variable Gear's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/28/2007 14:57
Variable Gear
Is "Spastic" one of the 277,000 approved words from the Chambers Official Scrabble Dictionary.

I hope so!
prev next

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!

 



see all
Freedom and Boredom
RUSE Open Beta - Advanced Instructions
World of LordCraft - Launch
Kuki Se Vraci
Splinter Cell: Conviction - GameStop Promo
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle - Euro
EVE Online: Tryannis
Majin & The Forsaken Kingdom
Naughty Bear - Aliens Spoof
Try our new video site: vToid.com





Metro 2033
by Anthony Burch
Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon
Heavy Rain Chronicles, The Taxidermist
Final Fantasy XIII
Pokemon HeartGold / SoulSilver
Calling
Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing
God of War III
Mega Man 10



Why you need to be excited about SpyParty
by Anthony Burch
Plain Sight
Need for Speed World: Race
A mindbending with Poto & Cabenga
Pocket Creatures
Easy Piano
inXile's Hunted
Resident Evil : Zombie Infection (iPhone)
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Frobot




Call for entries

New posts Expand all

New to the c-blogs? Read the survival guide
- The Dtoid Army is 60720 strong -







Why Ekans is the best Pokemon
What classic IP should Sega resurrect?
The hidden truth behind game reviews
Counterpoint: God of War III is too long, boring
The joys of being a videogame reviewer
Gather around old man Niero: Destructoid turns four
The most immature thing we've ever done: The Name Game






tips@destructoid.com
Nick Chester
Editor-in-Chief
Niero
Founder, El Jefe
Jim Sterling
Reviews Editor
Hamza Aziz
Community Manager
Dale North
News Editor
Rey Gutierrez
Destructoid Video EIC
Anthony Burch
Features Editor
Brad Nicholson
Managing Editor
Tom Fronczak Colette Bennett
Ashley Davis Ben Perlee
Conrad
Zimmerman
Chad Concelmo
Jonathan Holmes Jonathan Ross
Brad Rice Jordan Devore
Joseph Leray Matthew Razak
Josh Tolentino
Samit Sarkar
Hollie Bennett Daniel Lingen
Mikey Turvey
   








 
 
  get involved

register or login
post a blog
post a forum
enter a contest
contribute a news tip
suggest a feature
be a guest editor
support

new member's guide
login assistance
tech support
report abuse
email our editors
read our dev blog
nuclear crisis?
keep in touch

RSS feed
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Flickr
Game nights
Meetup+play online
seriously

about Destructoid
advertising
terms of use
privacy policy
jobs at MM
buy our crap
our network

Tomopop
Japanator
Despingation?




Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
living the dream since March 16, 2006