Behold the $30,000 high-tech Scrabble board
This RFID-equipped Scrabble board costs 10 times more than a good hit on a triple-word score.
Prepare to witness one of the most expensive board games ever made.
When the Prague Mind Sports Festival kicks off December 1, gamers can play on a high-tech Scrabble setup unlike any other. The festival -- which hosts tournaments for the popular word game plus bridge, backgammon, poker, League of Legends, and Counter Strike: Global Offensive -- introduced to the world this week a carbon fiber Scrabble system with LED lighting that cost more than 20,000 pounds ($31,732) to create.
For those wondering exactly why this special version of the retro board game costs so much, the Mind Sports organization notes that it utilizes "custom-built RFID technology in order to read the entire Scrabble board almost instantaneously (974 milliseconds), transmitting the information via unique software to viewers online." Observers can watch the Scrabble gameplay -- complete with HD video of the players in action -- live on the Mind Sports Web site as the tournaments unfold.
As for specifics, the powerful Scrabble setup contains 9 RFID circuit boards and 225 RFID antennae that can read tiles placed upon any Scrabble square. Additionally, each Scrabble tile contains a RFID tag within to ensure complete accuracy during the broadcast.