Game Blotter

A board game is turning out to be a significant piece of evidence in the multi-million-dollar gender-discrimination lawsuit brought by Ellen Pao against venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. One part of Pao’s claim is the nature of gifts given to her by partners of the firm. The firm, however, points to the fact that Pao gave one of the partners a gift of the $300 Abundance game.

The Supreme Court of the Philippines has decided that it shouldn’t be so difficult for lower courts to annul marriages on the basis of psychological incapacity. What prompted this decision? A case in which the court was asked to nullify a marriage because the wife was playing too much mahjong.

The U.K.’s National Measurement Office tested a sample of 15 high-risk electronic toys purchased from high-risk retailers and found that 40 percent of them failed toxin safety tests. Certainly, this is a problem. However, multiple media outlets apparently made the problem seem worse by reporting that 40 percent of all toys at retail in the country were dangerous.

Hasbro has been declared one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute.

During a night of drinking and playing Mahjong, a man parked his car somewhere in Jilin province, China. Now can’t find it. Neither has a fortune-teller been any help. If you spot a grey jeep with license plate number 吉ASB799, please let him know where it is.

In an effort to combat home-grown terrorism, the government of Australia granted the Burwood Council $138,000 to develop a board game that would instruct high school students on the “link between violent extreme behaviour and cultural intolerance.”

The mother of a Hong Kong police superintendent was arrested for being a methamphetamine courier. She claims she was forced in to the position after racking up a large gambling debt playing Mahjong.

After an arbiter at the European Individual Chess Championships stopped a player from castling with a rook he had already moved twice, the player resigned the game.

A New Jersey 10-year-old committed suicide following an argument over a game of Chess. He jumped from the window of his second-story classroom while other students watched.

A British Chess grandmaster has claimed that it is common for players at all but the highest levels to cheat by consulting computers while visiting the restroom during games.

Steve Dillard was a giving man and very active in the Kentucky Chess community. He taught Chess in schools, ran Chess tournaments, purchased Chess sets for people who couldn’t afford them, and fostered children. One of his former foster children has been charged with beating and stabbing him to death.

A politician was photographed playing Scrabble on his laptop during a local council meeting in the UK. In addition to pointing out that others were also playing games (just not caught in a photograph), he explained that he needed the distraction during another councilor’s long “boastful” speech.

Monte Cook Games was accused of cultural insensitivity for Native American-themed content in its The Strange roleplaying game. The company denied any problem but subsequently decided to replace the material anyway.

Privacy advocates are concerned that an internet-connected interactive Barbie doll will violate the privacy of children.

In a filing with the U.S. International Trade Commission, Lego has accused Lite Brix, Mega Brands, and Best Lock of infringing Lego patents tied to the Friends line.

Spin Master says the lawsuit against it in Florida over Paw Patrol is preempted by federal copyright law.

After being ousted from the CEO position of Mattel, Bryan Stockton was brought back as a consultant to the company.

5th Street Games is declaring bankruptcy and will not be fulfilling outstanding Kickstarter commitments.

A man playing Dominoes was killed in a drive-by shooting in Tampa.

Las Vegas’ 20th murder this year occurred during a dice game.

One of the founders of Ancestry.com and the owner of Kringle’s Toys & Gifts in Utah is charged with rape and other crimes allegedly committed by luring his teenage victim with card games and alcohol.

A Lakewood, New Jersey man has been indicted for murder. Police allege that he shot and killed someone for failing to pay-up on a dice game wager.

In Columbia, Missouri, a man was arrested for stealing $2,700 from someone with whom he had just finished playing dice, then after being released was again arrested for offering to pay the victim $2,700 to withdraw his statement to police.

…And not a single one an April fool’s joke.