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Wordle bought by The New York Times

Move over, morning crossword

Updated: Feb 3, 2022 10:52 pm
Wordle bought by The New York Times

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Everyone’s new favourite morning routine is due for a shake-up. It has been announced that Wordle has been purchased by the New York Times for an undisclosed seven-figure sum.

Worldwide Wordle

Appearing seemingly out of the blue, Wordle has skyrocketed to popularity in recent months. The ingenious spoiler-free share feature no doubt helped, turning Wordle into a rare water-cooler topic of conversation. The previously-independent game was developed by Josh Wardle, without any intent of crafting a hugely successful game. In fact, it was “It was fashioned for an audience of one: his partner, Palak Shah, because she likes word games.” Something about the no-frills presentation and lack of active monetisation struck a cord with players. They were able to focus on a little slice of pure brain-teasing gameplay every day. And it’s a habit that most have little intention of breaking.

The New York Times aims to use Wordle to boost its online subscription numbers. And it just might work out for them, as Wordle is a genuine smash-hit. And it wouldn’t even appear too out of place in The New York Times, as the game bridges the gap between modern mobile games and a more old-school, ‘morning crossword’ approach to gaming, with which The New York Times is well acquainted.

Pay to play?

This is shortly following reports that developer Josh Wardle was not intending to monetize the game. And while Wardle’s intentions with the game may have been fairly altruistic, it remains to be seen if those plans will be scrapped. The New York Times claims that Wordle will remain ‘initially free to play’. This is similar wording to other recent big-budget game acquisitions It sounds like a promise to assuage fans’ worries, while also leaving wiggle room to pivot to monetisation further down the line.

Ideally wordle will remain free indefinitely, and not locked behind a New York Times paywall. Otherwise, the game may lose a significant aspect of its charm. And a not-inconsiderable slice of its audience to boot.


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