Gay slur in Scrabble DS

[Shrygue]

via Eurogamer


Ubisoft has apologised to its customers after one of them found the word "lesbo" used in an anagram bit of Junior Scrabble 2007 on the DS.

The incident was breathlessly reported by the Belfast Telegraph, complete with a rebuttal from a Gay Rights Association spokesman who claimed "the young men who design these games are not taught by schools that these words can be used as a form of homophobic bullying".

However, Ubisoft argued its corner by pointing out that the game used a word list based on Chambers Official Scrabble Dictionary. "'Lesbo' is not considered as offensive by the official dictionary and therefore is playable in both [adult and junior editions of Scrabble DS]," the publisher explained.

Nevertheless, it said it was "sorry" for any "concern" caused by the word's inclusion, having had no intention of upsetting anybody.

It's not the first time this year that Ubisoft has come under fire in this manner, having already had to recall DS title Mind Quiz in June when it emerged that players' failures were sometimes derided using a term that is offensive to people with disabilities.

At the time the French publisher said it had not spotted the offending word, put in place by the Japanese development team, during routine quality assurance.

[Elmarco]

How childish..... Oh well, lets humour them.

[sethsez]

Eh. As a gay man I think anybody offended by this is REALLY overacting. The game promises an accurate recreation of Scrabble on the DS, and it provides that, right down to using the official Scrabble dictionary. If easily offended people want to get up in arms over it then they should take it up with Hasbro.

Oh, and "lez" also works. I know because I used it and got a relatively decent score for using a Z on a high multiplier.

[mastersho]

lesbo...oh what a slur...yeah who ever complained to Ubisoft about that is a tard.

[jedimaster12]

wow

[stevo11185]

are they gonna report it again because you can use *** or gay?

even $#@! :O

[Smothermunchie]

I've imported the Gameboy Color Scrabble game from the U.k. a total of four times now, it's by far my favorite game to play on a daily basis over the past 6 years.

Some of the words I've used in that game and it actually accepts are:

Lesbos
Dildos
Jizzing
$#@!
Pubes
F*cking
Sh*tting
Shat and Sh*t
Gooks
Tup
Gayer

Oh geez, I could go on...

It's a great game, especially Conundrum mode (I don't care too much for the board game Scrabble).

Anyway, my friends and I have only thought of it as a non-family game, something you really don't want to play with the kids, especially if you have to give them the meanings for some of the words that appear on the screen.

I have a few friends that have alternate lifestyles, not many, but they are all comfortable with who there are and something like a Scrabble game could never offend them.

[TeenDev]

lol, damn that person is trippin

[lightningquickguy14]

I'd never play Scrabble on the DS anyway, so who cares?

[BirdFLU]

On my Scrabble 2007, I've used lez, f a g, jap, wog, and yid. It uses the Official Collins Dictionary, so I wouldn't blame the developers, it's those damn heartless dictionary editors. Don't they know Jews, Japanese, Gays,Lesbians and little blakc dolls dressed in primary colors are crushed emotionally everytime they see a Scrabble board? George Bush hates black people so maybe he's behind this too.