Yahtzee History
The History of Yahtzee
Yahtzee (n.) dice game, 1957, proprietary (E.S. Lowe Co., N.Y.), apparently based on yacht. The original Yahtzee game was invented by a Canadian couple who's name has disappeared. The created it in 1954 to play with friends on their yacht, which resulted in it being called The Yacht Game.
Yahtzee is a dice game invented by Milton Bradley but now owned by Hasbro. Initially it was marketed as Yatzie by the National Association Service of Toledo in the 1940s.Yatzie was part of a game set known as LUCK-15 Grand Dice Games. It was marketed under the current name. Playing Rules Take empty score card repeat Roll all dice Keep any⁄ dice, reroll other dice Keep any⁄ dice, reroll other dice Score roll in any⁄ empty primary category until all primary categories scored Calculate GRAND TOTAL for flnal score Aim: Maximize flnal score.) Player is free to choose among options °c 19992000, Tom Verhoefi (TUE) Yahtzee3 Scoring Rules.
Yahtzee History
'The Yacht Game' was invented by a wealthy Canadian couple in the 1954. It became popular amongst their friends when they started playing aboard their yacht.
Their friends enjoyed the game so much that two years later, the couple approached Edwin S. Lowe to see if he could produce sets that they could give to their friends. Lowe had previously made his fortune by selling Bingo sets in the 1920's and he immediately saw the potential of the game. Lowe acquired the rights to the game and renamed it 'Yahtzee' in exchange for the price of the first 1,000 games sold.
Given the complicated nature of Yahtzee, it didn't immediately sell well. However, this began to change when Yahtzee parties were invented and the popularity of the game increased due to word of mouth.
The E. S Lowe company and the rights to Yahtzee were eventually sold to The Milton Bradley Company (MB Games) in 1973. Subsequently, Hasbro Inc acquired MB in September 1984. They retain the rights to the game today and are one of the biggest toy makers in the world.
Today, 50 million Yahtzee games are sold annually and Hasbro estimates 100 million people play the game on a regular basis.
Early ads for Yahtzee promoted the game’s educational attributes and “fun for the entire family.”
Released in 1956 by the E.S. Lowe company, the ‘shake and score’ dice game of luck and probability has a quirky story of origin. Historical accounts give credit for the game’s invention to an anonymous (and wealthy) Canadian couple who created it as a form of entertainment while at sea on their yacht. Loosely based on other historical dice games, the ‘Yacht Game’ became a hit with their friends, leading the couple to contact New York-based toymaker Edwin Lowe to produce copies of the game that they could give as gifts.
Lowe’s company had previously introduced the game of Bingo to U.S. public. Seeing potential in the Yacht Game, he offered to buy the rights to it from the couple. They readily agreed with the sole stipulation that he give 1,000 units to them. The name of the couple has never been revealed and, despite the success of the game, no one has ever come forward to take credit for its invention.
History On Yahtzee
Lowe changed the name of the Yacht Game to Yahtzee and began marketing it. Initial advertising campaigns resulted in lackluster sales, leading the entrepreneurial Lowe to try something different. To capture the inherent fun in playing the game, he began organizing Yahtzee parties where people could learn and play the game. His grassroots efforts eventually paid off, and through word-of-mouth, demand for the game begin to skyrocket through the 1960s and early 1970s.
GAMEPLAY
The object of Yahtzee is to score as many points as possible. Players score points by rolling five dice, up to three times per turn, and making various combinations. The game’s scorecard consists of 13 categories spread across upper and lower sections. The upper section contains six boxes, labeled 1-6, while the lower section contains five poker-influenced options (three of a kind, four of a kind, full house, small straight, and large straight), a Chance box, and a five of a kind (or Yahtzee) box.
Deciding which category to fill in each turn is the core of the game strategy. Each category has individual scoring rules. Bonus points are also possible, depending on the roll of the dice. Once every player has taken 13 turns, the one with the highest score wins the game.
VARIANTS ON A THEME
History Of Yahtzee Game
The E.S. Lowe Company was acquired by Milton Bradley in 1973 and the rights to Yahtzee went along with it. Milton Bradley became a subsidiary of Hasbro in 1984. Despite these changes, Yahtzee remains an evergreen product for the company, with total sales eclipsing 50 million worldwide.
This sales success has spawned a slew of variants of the game, including Word Yahtzee, Challenge Yahtzee, Triple Yahtzee, Yahtzee Texas Hold’em, and Casino Yahtzee. Electronic and online versions of the game have also come to market. Hasbro has thrown its own licensed brands into the Yahtzee mix, releasing versions including Hello Kitty, Pokémon, Super Mario, Pac-Man, and even one celebrating the 40th anniversary of the movie Jaws.
Who Makes Yahtzee
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