Nothing makes people want something more than telling them they can’t have it! My guess is they will start charging even more for it and make you sign a contract for access in the near future. The genius PR continues!
Very likely part of their bots output. The ultimate goal isn’t to make useful things, but to “teach” others how to do it and convince them how successful they can become.
Is there a problem if you don’t use the trademarked name Scrabble or any of their art? It’s my understanding that you can’t protect a game mechanic. Is that inaccurate?
I also played a lot of Goldeneye multiplayer as a kid. My memories of it are far fonder than more recent plays on emulators! That said, I learned through a comment a couple years ago on HN that Goldeneye's multiplayer mode was a total afterthought, not really supported by the publisher and more or less done by one guy (or at least a very small team) in a month or two. Pretty incredible, considering its kind of the grandfather of local multiplayer first person shooters. I don't think its fair to hold it up against many other games that jumped off its shoulders.
If you haven't, I recommend checking out the story on Goldeneye!