Posted on 08/18/2008 2:59:53 PM PDT by mojito
American toy and game giant Hasbro has given Clue an overhaul, murdering Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, and the rest of the 60-year-old board game's famous cast of characters.
As reported by The BBC in Britain and National Public Radio in the States, designers have updated the classic murder mystery game for a "modern audience." In other words, it's no longer classic.
Clue now takes place in a mansion with a spa and a home theater where the rich and famous have gathered for some sort of in-crowd shindig. Military man Colonel Mustard is now Jack Mustard, a former footballer. The studious Professor Victor Plum is now a video game designer and dot.com millionaire. And the cook, Mrs. White, has departed in favor of child star Diana White.
Plus, the lead pipe has disappeared, replaced by a trophy and a dumbbell. And the revolver is now a pistol.
Created by a Birmingham, England solicitor's clerk and part-time clown named Anthony Pratt, Cluedo made its UK debut in 1949. The name played off the traditional British board game Ludo, and since Ludo means nothing to Americans, Cluedo was re-dubbed Clue when it hit the States.
The game was originally released by the Leeds-based Waddingtons, which was bought by Hasbro in 1984.
What does Hasbro have to say for itself? "We wanted something that the mom or dad who's bringing home for the family [could say], 'This is what I remember, and this is what I want to play with my kids,'" game designer Rob Daviau tells NPR. "At the same time, we wanted something the kids would feel like it belonged to them. And this is something that's very appealing to them. So we tried to blend those two worlds. It plays like Clue, it feels like Clue, but it just feels like Clue that would have been created in the 21st century."
Military man Colonel Mustard is now Jack Mustard, a former footballer.
Well of course, you had to get rid of Colonel Mustard. The military is offensive to the politically correct crowd.
I’m surprised they didn’t do away with the premise that someone was murdered. You don’t want to give impressionable young people the idea of hitting someone over the head with a candlestick.
Parker Brothers announcing changes to "Risk!" that state that North America is now worthy only 4 armies unless one first stops in at the UN to try and resolve the conflict through diplomacy?
No, the crime is now far more grievous. You have to figure out which of the assembled guests is actually a **gasp** Neocon. Jack Mustard ... in the Living Room ... with the Weekly Standard.
Great title. Can’t believe they “did in” the old game, though. I wonder what Miss Scarlet turned into.
And the pistol comes with a trigger lock.
Armies? Get real. You can only bomb Irktusk from 15,000 feet.
A veritable tigress when the lights are out.
So I've heard.
Yeah, except in this version, she's in the sack with Diana White instead of Colonel Mustard.
Don’t you mean “cougar”?
Nope - Colonel Mustard - in the den - with the laptop logged into FreeRepublic.com.
Oh, and Miss Scarlet? She's a $2K/hour hooker with the Spitzer office...
Well, everyone knows that the Weekly Standard is the neocon’s favorite weapon. Unless it's Commentary in the conservatory.
Hasbro is clueless.
Glad I still have my old one!
LOL. Maybe the crime is Global Warming instead of murder. You have to figure out which character owns the BMW. You buy carbon credits along the way, or go directly to jail.
We wouldn’t want the children to have to imagine a different time setting or values. We wouldnt want then to have to stretch their imaginations to include a different era of western civ.
If they were really just modernizing it, then they would have replaced the lead pipe with a piece of schedule 40 PVC.
Anyway... bring back the REVOLVER.
They have a new one coming out called Clueless. You have to figure out who the next one under the bus will be, like... Edwards under the bus with a bimbo or Jessie J under the bus with BO’s scrotum.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.