Electronic Arts showed online multiplayer for  "Scrabble" last week at a studio showcase for press, but...I discovered players must be connected to the same Wi-Fi point to play.

My dream of playing "Scrabble" against my girlfriend while we're each at work is dashed for now.

An EA representative told me the development libraries to make more robust multiplayer features are not yet available from Apple. When they are, however, EA will see what they can do.

The multiplayer that is there works just fine, though. If all you're looking for is local Wi-Fi, the free update, coming later this fall, will suit you just fine.

You can't do that in Electronic Arts' and Hasbro's official "Scrabble" on Facebook.

There's a version for US and Canadian residents and a different one for international players. Your region determines which version you can participate in. There is no worldwide play.

That's not changing. EA told me it's a rights issue. "The rights on 'Scrabble' are split between Hasbro and Mattel," said a company representative. "There is no licensed worldwide game. We have the rights through Hasbro so our game is for US and Canada players only -- whether it's iPhone or Facebook or any platform."

"Word Scraper," a new "Scrabble"-influenced application -- with tweaked rules -- from the folks behind "Scrabulous," does not appear to have such limitations.

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The creators of "Scrabulous" for Facebook, a popular user-created take on "Scrabble" that was recently disabled under legal threat from from Electronic Arts and Hasbro, have returned with "Wordscraper."

"Wordscraper" is just like "Scrabulous" -- but different. The interface has been tweaked, the graphics modified, new rules added. In other words, the hope is that it's just different enough for the lawyers to go barking elsewhere.

Will people make the crossover? So far, none of my friends, who were very vocal when "Scrabulous" pulled a disappearing act, have commented on "Wordscraper."

In the last few days, my Facebook status updates have been flooded with users discovering that the "Scrabulous" application has finally been put to rest.

"Scrabulous" was a user-made version of the popular board game "Scrabble" that came under legal fire once Hasbro and Electronic Arts, working on their own version of Facebook "Scrabble," discovered its popularity.

I'm not sure how many users have decided to make the switch to the official version or whether they'll just drop Facebook "Scrabble" altogether, but recent status updates coming through my Facebook page aren't encouraging.

"I'm amazed at how much the scrabble interface sucks compared to Scrabulous," said another friend.

The current version of EA's "Scrabble" is available in beta and limited to players in the United States and Canada. Scrabulous allowed for worldwide play.

Are you a Facebook "Scrabble" player? Will you add the new, official application?

• Started "Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core" and had a very poor initial impression, which I will detail more tomorrow. (OK. One thing can't be held back: Is there a "Final Fantasy" that has a lead character who doesn't whine? Have they made that yet?)

• Finished "God of War: Chains Of Olympus" after experiencing...

The Official Stages Of Tough "God Of War" Boss-Battling:

1) eager first attempt

2) pathetic second, third, fourth attempt

3) doubt that I can ever get past the boss

4) anger at the developers for making it so hard to pass the finish line after all the progress I had made in the game

5) hope that like other "God of War" games it would offer me the chance to drop down in difficulty

6) disappointment/cheer that it didn't do that

7) blinding rage that the pre-boss-battle cut-scene is unskippable EVERY TIME

8 ) finally a breakthrough in recognizing the boss's pattern

9) victory.

• Got most of my goblin army burned to death in "Overlord."

• Played several EA Casual games at a press event, including the mobile versions of "Scrabble," "Merv Griffin's Crosswords," and "Boom Blox." Also played the Wii version of a multi-platform game that I can't talk about until next week. While playing the mobile "Scrabble" game I learned that "MALER" is not a word. You know, as in "more male than you" -- doesn't count. Really.

Next: I hopefully find my PS3 power cord so I can play that system again. And I will try to play "Crisis Core" and like it at the same time.