Relax, Scrabble fans: Basic rules aren't changing

 NEW YORK — Scrabble purists can relax. News of a new version of the classic word game that Mattel plans to sell in the U.K. allowing proper nouns set off waves of dismay across the Internet. But the basic game isn't changing.

Scrabble Trickster, due out in July in the U.K. only, not the U.S., will allow proper names such as city or celebrity names. It will not replace the original Scrabble in the U.K. or U.S.

And the rules aren't officially changing, said John D. Williams Jr., executive director of National Scrabble Association, authorized by Hasbro to speak about Scrabble.

"This is just one new variation," he said.

Hasbro owns rights to the game in the U.S., and Mattel owns it in other countries.

The controversy started when U.K. media outlets reported about the new version. In the U.S., where Scrabble is popular not only as a board game but also as an electronic game on Facebook and mobile phones — it's the ninth top-grossing app on the iPhone and fifth on the newly introduced iPad — the articles were widely shared online and outrage spread.

"Proper nouns allowed in new version of Scrabble?! Unbelievable..." one fan tweeted.

The game strikes a chord with people, Williams said.

"It's suc

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