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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 7, 1986)
Game combines spelling with roulette wheel Oregonian tries to market new board game By Allan Lazo (N th« I mi-mUl Rev. Martin Luther King, )r. had a dream. So dons Tony Acetl. King's dream was civil rights for blacks. Acetl’* dream? To market his new hoard game. Mingle Word-Roulette, across the nation. Someday. But the 28-year old rancher and hay hauler from Silver I-ake. near Bend, is going about fulfilling his dream in a much different fashion, although with about the same conviction. Aceti was in Kugene recently to introduce and promote his Mingle Word-Roulette game that consists of a roulette wheel labeled with various letters of the alphabet and some special spaces instead of numbers. *i truly believe the game came from 'Wheel of Fortune’ and the tumble word game.'! Aceti says of the game that has been in the making since 1974 But just where do Aceti and his conviction to his dream fit into all oJ'this?;* in 1981, Acefi’s mother. Rose, who had developed the original game, written the in structions and worked on gain ing thu copywright. died of cancer From the time of his mother's death until the release of the first game in May 1985, Aceti worked to fulfill his dream of getting the game on the market. “I've got a dream here that I’m going to fulfill," Aceti says. “The learning experience in the last year has !>ecn tremendous, and I’ve got this burning desire to accomplish this.” Aceti says he has learned a whole new career in the year since his game has been in pro duction. He says the first pro blem was finding the company that manufactured the roulette wheels he uses Then he had to find a way to get all of the letters over the numbered slots in the wheel. Although many games were sold during last Christmas season. Aceti says his company is still working on selling the first 2.000 games produced. During the holidays. Aceti says 1.000 games were sold in 10 days , in Bend and Kiamath Falls The games were assembled and packaged in Silver lake by Aceti and 20 other workers. Now. Aceti says he is work ing on the most important aspect of the business: marketing and promotions. He Photo by |im Mirki Tony Aceti, whose mother worked on the original game before she died of cancer, is hoping his Mingle Word-Roulette game will be a hit. NEW & (JSED LP’S AND TAPES CHEAP! 11AM to 6PM Mon • Sat 12 to 5PM Sunday DON’T FORGET WEDNESDAYS1 Dining Room Special! PlZZa & jj mr gm A a Pitcher “Chicago Style" Plua Calaonc and Paata 152 I. Broadway • 345-4114 Carry m* ar aaOwj has hired a Portland marketing firm to help him, but ho also spends time traveling around to promote and demonstrate his game. ‘Tve developed my (hay) business, and now, my business supports the game. It possessed me for about a month." To play the game itself, the players take turns spinning the roulette wheel, which has four steel balls rolling around it. Eventually, the balls stop in spaces that are marked with a consonant and vowel. This gives the player a total Of eight letters in each spin. Players then try to make the highest scoring word possible from the letters available. There are also "wild vowel” spaces that allow the spinner to choose any vowel, a space where the spinner loses five points and a space where the spinner wins five points. In addition to single letters, there are also spaces with blends such as SH or TH on them. In' the instructions, Aceti gives an example of a round of play: The consonants are R (worth three points). SH (seven points), T (three points), and F (five points). The vowels, all worth two points, are E, E, A. and O. The examples of words given in the instructions include FEET (12 points), SHEET (14 points), and SHAFT (17 points). Each player scores only their highest scoring word, and let ters may be used only once for every time they appear.( "The game is geared so it can he intriguing for adults. There’s more to it than just a board game — it’s dynamic,” Aceti says. "It has so many features and good elements of a good family game.” He also adds that the game can teach children to spell bet ter, and he says a representative from the educational service district in Lake County bought some games for the school districts. Aceti says a local radio sta tion may use the game for an on the-air promotion, and he says an article about the game has been in the Oregonian. Also, he says, Oiegon magazine is plan ning an article about his game. The Mingle Word-Roulette game is available at Walden bookstores statewide and in all Endgames stores for $18.95, or you can order it through the mail for $21.95. Interviews for PEACE CO May 13th & 14th. SIGN UP NOW Room 244 Hendricks Hall or Call 686-3235 Career Planning and Placement Services WEDNESDAY at TRACK TOWN PIZZA Get a medium (12”) One-Ingredient Pizza for ONLY . . . (Just ask for tit* special) Why settle for less . . . than the BEST!?! FREE DELIVERY (Limited delivery <*D ■RW-Tim 484-2799 1809 Franklin Blvd.