Talk:Cluedo

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Contents

[edit] Missing stuff

year of first publication?
list of weapons and locations?
why Clue in N. America??

Added list of weapons, but don't have a list of rooms handy. Some speculation of why it is Clue in North America appears in the piece (I worked on Clue: Murder at Boddy Mansion PC game -- no one at Hasbro knew why it was Clue in N. America as opposed to Cluedo).

What should we do about the differences between Clue and Cluedo? It looks messy to have the differences littered throughout the article. Should we have a seperate section listing the differences? Should we have a section called "Cluedo in popular culture" and list some examples? Frecklefoot 15:16 Nov 7, 2002 (UTC)

[edit] Changes: Clue vs. Cluedo

I changed references to "Clue in United States" to "Clue in North America" since it is known as Clue in Canada as well. Similarly I changed references from "...in US version" to "...in NA version," the "NA" standing for "North American." If this doesn't feel clear, feel free to change them to "North American." -Frecklefoot

"North America" consists of the countries of Panama to Canada, inclusively. (Greenland is a territory of Denmark.) Since it is "Clue" in only the U.S. and Canada, I've changed it to that. Val42 18:36, 18 November 2005 (UTC)

Well, that's subjective. Many people consider any country south of the U.S. to be be part of "Central America". - -Frecklefoot 06:59, 19 November 2005 (UTC)

Personally, I consider Central America a subdivision of the North American continent. Since there is an ambiguity, I think that it is better that Canada and the U.S. be listed separately. Val42 21:31, 19 November 2005 (UTC)
I feel that people who exclude Mexico and Central America from the limits of North America are merely incorrect. Modern maps and atlases always show North America ending with Panama. The Wiki articles on North America and Central America reflect this as well -- though the latter mentions the contention -- but I think this article or others should just go with the "official" boundary. Kidicarus222 22:42, 15 December 2005 (UTC)
get a life.
Well with the article the way it is now, I think it's okay, unless someone can indeed find proof that the game is called Clue from Mexico south to Panama. That's irrespective of the quotation I added below, which came from Parker Brothers. :) --JohnDBuell 21:37, 16 December 2005 (UTC)
It IS known as Clue in Mexico. I have a copy of the boardgame--in Spanish--purchased in Mexico City in 2003. Elefuntboy 06:06, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Text from the booklet that came with the 50th anniversary US edition (1999): "In North America Mr. Pratt's game is called, simply, CLUE. But in its native England and elsewhere around the world, its name is CLUEDO®. That's a play on the Latin phrase 'ludo,' for 'I play.' Clues + I play = CLUEDO. Brazilians get to the heart of the matter: Their name for it in Portuguese is 'DETETIVE.'" --JohnDBuell 02:38, 15 December 2005 (UTC)


[edit] Tunnels

I remember there was a tunnel from one corner of the board to the one diagonally opposite, but I can't recall which two corners were linked. If it comes to me I'll add it to the map. Jlang 12:53, 8 Oct 2004 (UTC)

There are "secret passages" that lead from the corner rooms to the diagonally opposite room on the board. These rooms are the Lounge->Conservatory and the Study->Kitchen. I don't know how you'd represent that on the map. Does it seem strange to anyone else that there are no bathrooms in the mansion? — Frecklefoot | Talk 16:39, Oct 8, 2004 (UTC)
Yes, but then again, it'd suck to be murdered in a bathroom.
There is no bedroom either, this is just the groundfloor!

Kimelinor 12:53, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Copyright/Patent

It would be nice to know if this game is till under any Patent or Copyright protection. The original patent was aquired more than 50 years ago. Does that mean that anyone already can publish this game in any form like Chess or Checkers? --Aou

That's an interesting question, but I wouldn't try it. I know Disney is worried about their first landmark picture, Snow White, passing into the public domain and has been getting Congress to pass laws that allows them to keep their copyright on the film. I think "works" that belong to companies instead of individuals have special protections. The protections that apply to Disney probably also apply to Hasbro properties as well. But, this is all off the cuff, IANAL. :-S
Please sign your posts. I added your sig to the post above, but you can add your signature by typing 3 or 4 tildes (~~~ or ~~~~). The latter is usually preferred since it also adds a timestamp. :-) — Frecklefoot | Talk 14:01, Apr 22, 2005 (UTC)
Incidentally, Disney has managed to get the copyright laws extended over and over again, the Bono act or somesuch. And their worry is more over the early Mickey Mouse cartoons, which came out in the 1920's. -Fuzzy 21:07, 15 December 2005 (UTC)
Yep, Steamboat Willie would have been in the public domain before it got released onto DVD if they hadn't gotten the extensions. I think they now have until 2018 or 2028 (the 90th or 100th anniversary, I'm not sure). --JohnDBuell 21:38, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

After some googling I got an impressin that they definitly have trademark "Clue" protected. So you can't just create and publish your own "Frecklefoot's Clue". But what if you'll create the game with exactly the same rules, but different characters and name? Aou

"Ideas are not copywritable," so that's probably permissible. IIRC, though, one company was sued by Hasbro by making a Monopoly clone, Ghettopoly. If it was identicle, it probably would be a problem, but with sufficient differences—and lack of popularity and press—it'd probably be fine. If it's too similar, you might get in trouble, though. Remember, IANAL. — Frecklefoot | Talk 19:18, Apr 22, 2005 (UTC)
As a side note, if you read the Monopoly article, you'll find that Monopoly was successful in prosecuting suits until it was proven that there was substantial prior art. As long as you avoid all of their trademarks, there's nothing they can do about you creating your own Monopoly. They no longer have a monopoly on the game's concept. Sorry about the pun, couldn't resist. Anyhow, that would seem to suggest that concepts can indeed be registered in some form such that you can't just create a version with different names, although I've heard some talk that they only succeeded due to "the possibility of confusing the spin-offs with the registered trademark of Monopoly." In other words, the -opoly suffix and - the landmark case where their monopoly on Monopoly was broken due to the prior art being legally proven - Anti-Monopoly. -Fuzzy 21:07, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

The mechanics behind a games rules cannot be copyrighted (or even legally protected) How the rules are actually written can be copyrighted, but a copy of the rules rewritten using different wording would not be a violation of said copyright. The graphics of the game and the names of certain components can be trademarked, which lasts indefinitely. So you can sell your own version of Monopoly as long as you do not use the same corner squares or an …opoly name (those are Hasbro's Trademarks.) If the owner of Ghettopoly had been willing to fight in court, he probably would have won the right to keep using the Ghettopoly name as a parody, but since he did not show up in court he summarily lost, which would make the next parody harder to defend if the summary judgment was taken as precedent.
P.S. Hasbro has claimed patents for the physical aspect s of playing the Magic: The Gathering card game, but the legal validity of such a patent has not been tested. (You can get a patent for almost anything due to the limitation of oversight for the huge number of patents that are issued, leaving it up to a competitor to sue over a patent that should not have been issued. For example there was a patent issued for using a man-made stick as a dog toy.) —MJBurrage • TALK • 15:42, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Other stuff

Officially licensed US editions, like the Alfred Hitchcock edition (and probably the Scooby Doo edition too, I'd have to check) have been produced by USAopoly, which also produces MANY licensed Monopoly sets. There's also Clue: the Card Game, published by Winning Moves, for 3-5 players, though the bottom of the box says 2-4 :P It's subtitled "Mystery Beyond the Mansion" - it uses the same characters but you have to determine where they're escaping to, and how the character is traveling. --JohnDBuell 02:35, 15 December 2005 (UTC) I found an unofficial version on the web and it is quite similar to the original heres a link: http://www.evacommentary.org/omake/clue.html

[edit] Clue characters

Does anybody have a full list of all the Clue/Cluedo characters, all inclusive of all versions?

At least in the United States version, these are the characters, in turn order: Miss Scarlet, Col. Mustard, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Miss Peacock and Prof. Plum. This is the spelling from the 1949 board, but I also verified that these are the characters on a 1960 and 1972 board. (I just verified on all three boards.) Val42 21:33, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Trivia modification

In the trivia section recent modification in *Expressions such as "Colonel Mustard, in the Library, with the Wrench," (from Clue) have entered popular culture, in much the same way as "Hotel on Boardwalk (Mayfair in the British edition)" from Monopoly. from Jumanji to Clue. *shrug* My impression reading it initially was that the writer intended to say the reference was made in Jumanji. I've never seen all of Jumanji, so I don't really know the truth of the matter, but it seems reasonable. -Fuzzy 15:00, 13 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Criticisms of the game

I've just removed two points from this section as they just seemed very ambigious and obvious. Also the whole of this section used the word "her" so i've edited it to be a bit more gender neutral.

Well, they weren't criticisms at all, but strategies. I moved them to the new "Strategies" section and made them completely gender neutral. — Frecklefoot | Talk 15:26, 31 May 2006 (UTC)
I'm try to dispute the argument that it's merely a "Mastermind-like game". Yes, they are strategies, so it makes sense to open a new section as well, I can accept that. But the 2 points removed are to show that luck and psychological elements plays a part in the game, and it's not just Mastermind-like. How is "ambigious and obvious" related to the argument? AbelCheung 19:24, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Clue

The reason is clearly that you are searching for clues not some obscure referance (or lack of) to parcheesi. Jamhaw 18:20, 8 June 2006 (UTC)jamhaw

[edit] Cluedo???

Shouldn't this article be called Clue (game) as it is called in North America instead of its European name? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.133.193.225 (talk)

What makes the North American version more notable than the European version? Wikipedia is an international encyclopedia, so both names are correct. Besides, Clue redirects here, so it isn't a big deal. — Frecklefoot | Talk 16:51, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
Given the game originated in the United Kingdom, I believe the article should have the name the product was known by in its' country of origin, especially as it is still known by that name outside North America. (I accept the principle may be different in the case of products that started off with a different name but have now subsequently dropped the old name, eg Opal Fruits.) Therefore, "Cluedo" as the main title is correct. - 82.152.178.86 01:54, 1 March 2007 (UTC)
Agreed with the above. The game should be on a page titled after it's name in the country of origin. Krupkaa2
Agreed, BUT, there is a picture labeled "first edition" and it is called "Clue" not "Cluedo"... I know most book articles are named after their first appearance/printing, so why not games. If this picture is not the "first edition" then it should not be labeled as such or it should be replaced with a real "first edition". Antmusic (talk) 01:02, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
I can only assume that it is the first North American edition. The caption can be changed to reflect that. — Frecklefσσt | Talk 15:09, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
...which I did. — Frecklefσσt | Talk 15:12, 7 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Removal of references to requiring at least three players

I have removed the following two statements from the article:

The game is unusual in that it requires at least three players, as opposed to a minimum of two for most board games.
The game cannot be played with two people, because the process of elimination diffuses the same information to both players. Such a game tends to pass quickly.

As currently stated, these are opinions. They should not be represented as fact. --Tony Sidaway 07:18, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

Uh, that is not opinion, they are stated in the rules, and even the game box for crying out loud. My sister and I played it with two players when we were kids, but it is meant for 3 or more players.
If you disagree, state why here. As it is published, it is intended for 3 or more players. — Frecklefoot | Talk 13:24, 5 April 2007 (UTC)
My copy of Cluedo is for two-to-six players, and the rules clearly state this. It is perfectly playable with two players under the rules as stated in the accompanying leaflet. This is the Waddingtons version, UK, 1995. I will alter the article to remove the incorrect statement that the game is impossible to play with two, and to state that the Waddingtons version is for two-to-six players. --Tony Sidaway 15:01, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Pronounciation question

I live in North America and have always known the game as Clue. Since I've only seen "Cluedo" in print and not heard it in conversation, I have no idea as to its pronounciation. Others in my situation may have the same problem, so an IPA chart might add to this article. Is the second syllable more closely sounded as dew or as doe? Thanks in advance! MToolen 13:42, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

As in "doe", due to its derivation from "ludo". Chris Cunningham 13:55, 5 April 2007 (UTC)
In most european countries which do not know the term clue, it is pronounced as Clu-e-do, with the stress on the 2nd syllable; clu as in clue and than e as in nay(as in the voting) and -do (from do, a deer, a female deer)

Perhaps useless on this site, yet a big mistery to me as a kid; I had no idea where the funny name came from, took me years to figure the clue bit out. Kimelinor 12:48, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

I second the idea for an IPA pronunciation chart for the various international titles. I actually came to the page to find the pronunciation of "Cluedo"-- if I hadn't come into the talk page to potentially ask myself, I'd have not run across this "-doe" tidbit. Student Driver 10:08, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

I third(?) this, for exactly the same reason: I wasn't sure if the last syllable rhymed with "to" or "go." At the least, there should be an IPA treatment of "Cluedo" at the top of the page, though maybe not for each international title. Jay (Histrion) (talk • contribs) 17:26, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
When we wrote the video game version, the Hasbro rep from England pronounced it Clue- (just like it looks) -doe (as in deer). So I'm going with that. — Frecklefσσt | Talk 19:09, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] French film

I've tentatively removed a reference to a 1993 French film called Cluedo because it was uncited and I can find no sign of such a film on the imdb. --Tony Sidaway 15:33, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Why the change from Dr. Black to Mr Boddy?

This doesn't seem to be explained anywhere in the article. I can't see a reason for it. Anyone? Loganberry (Talk) 13:55, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I believe it was changed for the usual PC reasons- having a man named Black being murdered repeatedly might be seen as racist. I have nothing to back this up though, so can't add it to the article. Similarly, Mr. Green was originally Reverend Green, but because there was a common joke among players that he turned out to be the murderer a disproportionate amount of the time, it seemed offensive to the church to have a priest as a serial killer. Again, no reference though, just memories from years ago. BlackMageJ 18:54, 6 October 2007 (UTC)

Also it makes more sense that he not have a colour name due to being the victim, not one of the suspects. But maybe that's just the OCD pedant in me :p --86.135.216.24 13:29, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Revolver/Pistol

Does anyone know if the firearm was refered to as the revolver or the pistol in the original game? 67.169.186.228 02:38, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Hi 67.169.186.228.
If you look at http://www.theartofmurder.com/cluedo_games.html you will see that the 1949 UK Cluedo Game had a card with a picture of a semi-automatic pistol, but the word 'revolver'. So both your proposals are valid ;-)
On the detective's notepad there is 'Revolver' as a probable murder weapon, and in the box there is a semi-automatic pistol-style brass miniature weapon. Necessary Evil 13:20, 13 September 2007 (UTC)
Iasked my mom because i have never played Clue as the board game ive only played it on the computer.My mom said yes when i asked her the question.Go to the above site and check it out.thecluemastermind 19:40, 21 January 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.82.154.130 (talk)
I'm sorry, 68.82.154.130, but "your mom" is not a reliable source, or, at least, not a verifiable one. I'm not sure that it is very important, whether it is a revolver or a pistol. The only important fact is that it is a firearm of some sort, the only firearm in the game. We could point out Hasbro's internal inconsistency on the matter in the article. — Frecklefσσt | Talk 13:15, 22 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Number of dice?

Hi. Should there be some sort of mention about the number of dice used? In older versions, only one die was used, but in modern versions it's two! I found some discussion on it in this TheArtofMurder.com forum thread: [1]. It just seems to be an interesting difference. -Jess @ 71.33.194.92 (talk) 21:29, 27 April 2008 (UTC)