Low-tech gamers remain loyal to the board
By Taryn Plumb, Globe Correspondent | November 29, 2007
With the dexterity of a master Scrabble player,
Umiaq? Wait a minute. Is that a word?
Her opponent, 61-year-old
A few seconds later, eyebrows raised, he returned to report that a search of
the Scrabble Players Dictionary revealed that Umiaq is, indeed, a word.
Gray, 56, of Portsmouth, N.H., couldn't supply its definition - it's an
Inuit Eskimo boat, if you're curious - but stressed that spelling ability is
most important in this game, anyway. "It's such a puzzle," she said of
Scrabble. "It's so interesting to find hooks and a way out."
Sitting down to a board game and strategizing for hours might seem archaic
in today's chaotic society, especially when there are updated alternatives,
such as the Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, and Webkinz.
But, in fact, round-the-table gaming remains a prominent American pastime,
and recently, board games have enjoyed a revival.
Sales have more than doubled in the past nine years, according to market
research firm NPD Group. In 1998, nationwide sales were roughly $314
million; last year, they grew to $802.2 million, an increase of 13 percent
over 2005.
Analysts and fans attribute the comeback to a "cocooning" effect in the
early 2000s, during which more people stayed home with their families.
Others credit the Internet with helping board game lovers find one another
and start groups.
Still, some say unplugged games will always face adversity - especially now,
when faced with high-tech competition.
"There have been a lot of down years," noted Sean McGowan, a longtime
analyst of the board game industry who now works for the California
investment firm Wedbush Morgan.
Most notably, he said, the industry "exploded" in the 1980s with the debut
of Trivial Pursuit, Scruples, and Pictionary, and then deflated dramatically
with ever-improving video game technology in the 1990s. "It's been on and
off," McGowan noted. "But it's still a very solid, very profitable
business."
Parker Brothers, the legendary board game company founded in 1883, operated
out of Salem for nearly 100 years. The manufacturer purchased the rights to
Monopoly in 1935, and later rolled out Clue, Trivial Pursuit, Sorry!, and
Boggle.
Today, the decades-old games released by Parker Brothers remain traditional
favorites. Monopoly continues its reign as the most popular game in history;
it's sold in 80 countries and comes in 100 specialty versions, from Elvis to
the Red Sox to SpongeBob SquarePants.
Hundreds of additions fill the industry these days. There are Bible-themed
games; strategy games such as Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne; party games
with titles such as You Must be an Idiot! and Malarky; and horror games such
as Last Night on Earth, in which players battle zombies with tiny figures
brandishing axes and chainsaws.
What will continue to keep board games successful, McGowan said, are
innovative ideas and games that integrate electronic components and tie-in
DVDs and websites.
Manufacturers have grasped that idea, modifying games to complement hectic
schedules and short attention spans. Monopoly Express, for example, uses
credit cards in lieu of cash and comes with optional speed dice that reduce
play to 20 minutes.
Even so, many players say they enjoy board games precisely for the slow,
face-to-face inundation.
"With cellphones and computers these days, it's hard to reconnect with
people," said Bryan Johnson, 36, of Salem, who runs a weekly North Shore
gaming group and owns roughly 360 games.
"Nowadays, if you say you're into games, people automatically think video
games," he said with a shrug as he played strategy games during Unity Games
XIII, an event held at the Wakefield Sheraton in August. "It's become almost
like a lost art."
He and three friends were in the midst of Taj Mahal, set in 18th-century
northwest India. The goal of the game, which incorporates auctions, card
play, and visits by the Grand Mogul, is to gain incredible power.
"You want to grab the most points," Johnson explained as he contemplated
domination of the board.
Nearby, Tery and Mark Noseworthy of Gloucester played La Citta, which is set
in medieval times and challenges players to build empires. Opponents
construct buildings, mines, and farms to provide for villagers.
Scattered across the board were small figures representing men and women, as
well as cardboard discs signifying food and money. "Did everybody feed your
people?" Tery, 39, asked her three opponents before cashing in a handful of
chips. "I'm buying a cathedral, against my better judgment."
As she scooped up the church, she explained that she and her husband
regularly plan vacations around board game conventions, and own 212 games.
The couple met, fittingly, at a gaming group.
The draw is "hanging out with friends, having a good time, and also using
your brain," she said. Competition, too, noted her husband Mark, 38, sitting
across from her at a long table. "I love the one-uppance," he said.
Scrabble player Tim Burpee can be just as cutthroat. The 37-year-old
Greenland, N.H., resident has even established a few cunning tactics.