New York Times acquisition of word-game craze Wordle sparks controversy

The news that The New York Times will by the hot online word game Wordle from creator Josh Wardle for a price in the “low seven figures” has sparked fears the deal will kill the low-tech, open-to-all features that helped make the game a Web sensation.

Mr. Wardle, an engineer for Reddit who lives in Brooklyn, originally created the game solely for him and his girlfriend to play, but decided to release it to the public in October. The ad-free game gives users six chances to guess a five-letter word, and can only be played once per day. Its popularity grew quickly, with celebrities like late-night talk show host Trevor Noah joining in on the fun.

“I would be lying if I said this hasn’t been a little overwhelming,” Mr. Wardle said on Twitter. “After all, I am just one person, and it is important to me that, as Wordle grows, it continues to provide a great experience to everyone.”… (Excerpts from the Washington Times)