Ubisoft apologizes for 'lesbo' use in Scrabble DS
Ubisoft has apparently apologized to customers after the word "lesbo" was discovered as a proper word to use in Scrabble 2007 for the Nintendo DS. Although the Belfast Telegraph got all uppity about the issue and Ubisoft apologized, the simple fact of the matter is that "lesbo" is an official word in the Chambers Official Scrabble Dictionary. In the game there is a "junior" version that omits offensive words, but lesbo is not considered an offensive word in the Scrabble dictionary. Ubisoft merely apologized if offense was caused, they are not pulling the game.
Ubisoft just seems to be running into language issues lately. Back in June they pulled Mind Quiz over the use of the word "spastic." In case you're wondering, many, many derogatory words are official Scrabble words and therefore make perfect sense as allowable in the game. That's the funny thing about a game based on language, they aren't all going to be happy-shiny fun nice words.
Update: Faux pas, you can't use Lesbos because it's a proper noun. Fine, then just say it's a plural of the derogatory word, that way it's still kosher, but then you become that pluralizer Scrabble player.
[Via EuroGamer]











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
coryellkelsey @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:16AM
Yeah but Lesbos is a proper noun, so I don't think you can use it in scrabble
ck @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:16AM
And not just an island in the Aegean sea, but a ladies-only bar - Les Bos.
"This isn't crazy, this is LESBOS!"
FOXHOUND @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:20AM
"Maybe if you scissor or something..."
AlternateVerifier @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:47PM
Yarrr, scissor me timbers!
Nick Dunn @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:21AM
"Besides, a skillful player would wait until they received the extra "S" for "Lesbos," an island in the Aegean sea."
Except that a skillful player would know that in Scrabble you cannot use proper nouns. So that would only be a viable word if you can pluralize lesbo with an s at the end.
Lyrebird @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:26AM
I know I won't be the last to point it out--maybe I've already been beat to the punch--but proper nouns, such as "Lesbos", aren't acceptable in Scrabble.
Alex @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:34AM
If you are offended then F you :)
It's YOUR problem that YOU are offended, not everyone elses!
Negativecool @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:43AM
Well that was brilliant...
Negativecool @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:44AM
Seriously what else do they have in their Scrabble game??!! I wasn't even aware of their scrabble game until now. Now I want to see if I can fill the board with dirty words! Brilliant marketing Ubisoft!
Charron @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:45AM
"...but then you become that pluralizer Scrabble player."
Which is almost as bad as being the guy who bids a dollar more than the highest bid on The Price Is Right.
Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:54AM
I always hated that guy.
Donald @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:56AM
Their editors must work overtime editing out all the times the other contestant yells "FUCK YOU" when that happens (cf; Family Guy)
Charron @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:22AM
Every now and then you see small fights over it. I know I've seen someone shove that guy before. Sure it would have gotten rougher if it weren't nationally televised.
baby sea tuna @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:46AM
"In case you're wondering, many, many derogatory words are official Scrabble words and therefore make perfect sense as allowable in the game."
I'm still guessing that "wolfbagging" hasn't made it into the official scrabble lexicon.
Cal @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:54AM
i saw someone use the N word in yahoo literati once and it worked!
jpn @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:58AM
I thought it was Mario Party 8 that got pulled in Europe b/c of "spastic"? Maybe both...
BPM (FDF - Hypno-Toad) @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:34AM
Yep, it was both.
32_Footsteps @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:01AM
If you really want to be that guy, try pluralizing one word while getting a Bingo (aka, use all 7 letters) on another word. Like playing "singing" and using the S to also pluralize "lesbo", thereby getting a bonus 50 points in addition to making The Indigo Girls.
Donald @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:07AM
I should never read this site while working, I just about burst out laughing in the middle of a phone call.
Sean @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:55AM
Most excellent.
cybereality @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:26AM
Thats pretty lame considering I got banned from Kotaku for using that L-word. But if Ubisoft does it, its E for Everyone.
blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:27AM
well kotaku is fucking gay
Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:43PM
Kotaku is gay. They seem to get some great enjoyment from banning people by always putting up reminder "Don't forget to nominate your friend that you're pissed at for a banning".
Maybe if they did their fucking jobs moderating their own comments, they wouldn't have to ban so much. Also, if they weren't such tightwads.
Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:55PM
For some reason you can get banned more easily in Kotaku than Gamespot.I have 2 accounts banned from Kotaku and 1 running the thing is that I don't visit Kotaku anymore since well is effing g*y and Kotaku editors are Furf*gs but the true reason is that they rarely have something important to say most of the time their news are about dog crap that looks like Mario, some hentai game or some crazy Japanese crap and if the have anything related to gaming it was on Joystiq a day ago hell even Destructoid and QJ.net are faster than them not to mention their Rumor control sucks ash (yes ASH).
Trenchalicious @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:50AM
I hate people who complain and get offended over crap like this. Don't you have anything better to do?
-JACK THOMPSON.
Sean @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:53AM
kwijybo should be an official word.
dsub @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:34PM
Seriously? Why would you apologize for this?
Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:55PM
The world's most famous Lesbian (capital L, person from Lesbos) is a man. He was in the Olympics. So famous I forgot his name though.
Booxatron @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:07PM
Is 'heterosexual' an 'accetable' word in Scrabble? 'Cause if it is, I'm offended.
dogbomb @ Oct 3rd 2007 9:27AM
"accetable" isn't an acceptable word in scrabble.
Booxatron @ Oct 3rd 2007 10:26AM
Touche, good sir.
fnc @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:20AM
So who really cares about this, apart from the lowercase l lesbos?
Vegan @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:49PM
Forget the fact that the average age of a "gamer" is now 30... what's the average age of Scrabble players?
DrXym @ Oct 2nd 2007 5:27PM
This is stupid. Are games now meant to censor legitimate slang words just in case a scrabble player happens to use them?
Saria the Cat @ Oct 2nd 2007 6:11PM
I once got 48 points for "MOULDY," which wouldn't have happened without the U thrown in there. Booya. And they challenged it!