Wired’s Dud Trend Spot : Su Doku

"For out-of-the-loop yanks," Monique Cuvelier in Wired* reports, "Su Doku (Japanese for "solitary number") is a puzzle that looks like Minesweeper mated with a crossword." The article even suggests, "
Never heard of it? Then you’re obviously not from across the pond."

According to the report Su Doku has been "splashed in all the national newspapers, come
across it on any Google.co.uk search and hear about it from tens of
thousands of hard-core Su Doku fiends."

Well, excuse our English, Monique ma cherie, but what a load of cobblers.

There is no crazy Su Doku fad getting the Brits hot under the collar. Yes, maybe a Mike Harvey who works at The UK Times likes it but does that really mean it’s a big craze? (and we couldn’t confirm he was the features editor at The Times either)

We asked our British team to check it out and this is the response we got:

"It’s bollocks matey – I have heard of it because it was featured on
Richard and Judy with Carol Vauderman ‘bigging-it-up’ and saying it was
the fastest growing craze around…no-one I know does it." DK

"They’ve been pushing it in the national press. I have no idea why. Never heard of it before let alone want to play it. My guess is there is someone trying to manufacture a buzz about it to bump up a deal. It’s bollocks." Oliver

There you go: Richard & Judy and Carol Vauderman! Maybe Monique Cuvelier hasn’t heard of these trendy guys – but to us, it just goes to prove that the Wired News report is dud.

Update: Earlier we reported that the article was from Wired. It has been pointed out that the article is on Wired News – which confusingly isn’t exactly part of Wired. Or something like that (see comment below). Therefore Wired Magazine takes no ownership of the Wired News article.

Wired News Article
Various Articles Via Google To Help A Wired Journo Write Such An Article