iPod photo update delivers the goods: Tetris!

Not sure exactly when this will hit other than "sometime this month" (by which we must assume they mean June…), but AppleInsider reports the next software update for the iPod photo will deliver a color version of that venerable classic: Tetris. The click-wheel will move the pieces side to side with the click-button performing rotational duties. This is so that if you squint really hard, and have had enough drinks, you can almost sorta imagine the iPod as a gaming platform. The key word being almost.

[Thanks, RobberBaaron and Brian Breth]

[VVV @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

If they don't go all the way releasing a video i-pod by september I'll give up and buy that toshiba gigabeat f41

[Peters cool @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Why in the wold cant they give the people that have regular 20gig and 40gig ipods different games too..They really suck after awile.

[Martey @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Peters (#2), this is because as the post mentioned, the iPod's primary purpose is not for gaming, but for music. Therefore, Apple gets more utility from extending the music playback experience than from adding more games. Seriously, what would be more likely to make you buy an iPod: support for even more music formats, or additional games? There is a reason that the games reside under the "Extras" menu.

[Grandpa @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Nobody beats Apple for innovation!

[Kesey @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

too bad the scroll wheel doesnt rotate the pieces.

[ken52787 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

That guy sucks at Tetris. Also, if you are using an older iPod and want Tetris, take a gander at iPod linux (google it)

[John Opager @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

I wouldn't complain. For free, it's nice. I like having games on my iPod for when I have a few minutes to waste, waiting in line or the like. I guess I'll have to get the Tetris soundtrack now, listen to it while playing...

[Raffi @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

#4 - Hahahahahahahahahaahhahahahahahahah... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhahahahahahahha.

Thank you for a good laugh....

Apple, innovation... in the same sentance? Maybe in other areas, but thats just a joke in terms of ipods.

[lgc90 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

why not for regular ipods too?

[lgc90 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

linien, leben, & punkte? oh; lines, live, score. Thanks dashboard translator!

[culture.detox @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

ptthhh... apple needs to spend more of their time on adding gapless playback. wont buy another iPod until they do.

[Marcus F @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Looking at those pictures of tetris has me thinking this is a fake. I was playing Tetris on a gameboy pocket (yeah, not super old school, but still black and white) this weekend and even after some line removals I think a few of those block combinations are impossible. Maybe some super tetris player can confirm or deny this, the lines just look fishy.





Have a gander.

[mike @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Apple, innovation... in the same sentance? Maybe in other areas, but thats just a joke in terms of ipods.

--

I know.. iTunes syncing is such a ripoff of... er..

I mean.. the scroll wheels been in.. er.. laptops forever..

Damn Intellectual Property..

[camster @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

@ #12, yeah, i have tetris on my phone, and the pieces there don't match up. like at the bottom right where there are 2 purple blocks next to eachother, that cant happen. thats not one of the pieces. unless they are multi-colored blocks, but that wouldn't make much sense.

[Dean Shan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Would be cool if this rumor turns about to be true. No big deal if it isn't though I still have my phone for Tetris.

[lgc90 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

dont forget that pretty much any combination is possible when a whole horizontal line is formed and then dissapears, thus leaving behind left over parts of other blocks.

[lgc90 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

although i did just notice that the screen shows that the ipod is plugged into a power source, while the dock and cable are clearly behind it on the desk. They might just have a seperate power adapter though. I am really upset at Apple for not including those with the ipods anymore.

[DealGuy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

I am a comment spammer: [e-mail]

[Russell Christensen @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Finally! Now maybe they can something like Lumines on there....

[chris @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

also it does say there are 3 completed lines on the ipod screen, and seeing the game in progress i can easily say there are indeed 3 lines completed in that game. OH I HOPE THIS IS FOR REAL!

more screens for those of you who didnt go to the source:
http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1101

[AFD @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Ughh, time to get rid of the "linking blogs". F'ing spamming wanker!

But, to actually stay on topic, that's pretty decent of Apple to toss in some extras in the next firmware. Some companies seem to have a difficult time delivering on their advertised features, let alone adding to them.

[RH @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Original large scale photo's without watermarks can be found here.

http://terra1.deaggi.net/index.php?p=show_gallery.php&gallery=120

[jordan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

#12, #13, i was having the exact same thoughts. its either photoshopped or just a photo, methinks

[jordan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

ugh, so much comment spam

[Bweetza @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

"18. Posted May 31, 2005, 10:04 PM ET by DealGuy

I am a comment spammer: [e-mail]"

Owned by engadget. Spammers suck. May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your crotch 'DealGuy'.

[Michael Borohovski @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

As someone mentioned earlier, iPod Linux has been around for quite some time and had tetris, among other things.

Program your own for iPod Linux :p

[Max @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Seriously, what would be more likely to make you buy an iPod: support for even more music formats, or additional games?

Repeat after me: Nobody. Cares. About. Ogg. Vorbis.

[dcyer @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Now I might buy a ipod photo.
As for #6 and the rest of the linux fanboys leave my ipod alone.
Move along, nothing to see

[Kapila Wimalaratne @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

There's no point in iPod gaming until they can communicate with each other wirelessly. Who cares about playing against a computer anymore?

It'd be nice to be able to play Chess, or Bridge against a random person an interstate train trip.

Kap

[Dave @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

OH MY GOD IS THERE ANYTHING IT CAN'T DO?

[Dom @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

when am I going to get tetris on my shuffle?

[Nate MC @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Dom, as soon as you buy a game boy :)

[Nathan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Man, I love my Zen Micro, but there's no hacks for it. I want linux on my Zen. :-(

[Geoffrey Sperl @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Max (#28): Actually, rumor has it that iTunes 4.9, and the related firmware upgrades for the iPod, will care about Ogg Vorbis. And WMA. And podcasts. I'm sure there are MP3+ fanatics out there who will then pick up the banner of "Apple doesn't listen to us!"

My only thought is: If they're pushing that much stuff into iTunes 4.9, what the hell are they going to do with iTunes 5.0?

[Walter @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Possibly fake. iPod linux has had color tetris (when installed on an iPod photo atleast) for a while now (see an early version in the second half of this video here http://booc.coob.org/ipodphoto/04-othello-tetris.avi )

BTW I think the fact that iPod linux runs on 4g and iPod photos is the most underreported iPod story-- most people think its only available on 3g iPods, but in truth its available for almost all iPods... the only problem is that music doesn't play on every iPod with linux :P Then again if you need music just reboot your iPod back into the apple os.

Here's the 4g installer and instructions: http://ipodlinux.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1653

Enjoy!

[The Jeremy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

I want Apple to port Atari's Tempest and Centauri's Gyruss to the iPod Photo. Both would do well with the click wheel. As for upgrading codec compatibility with iTunes 4.9, I hope Apple adds OGG and FLAC, but spites Microsoft's WMA. There should be an option though that if you want to add such compatibility, that you buy it through iTunes. I don't want to see Apple having to pay Microsoft royalties on something most iPod users won't use. I also have my fingers crossed that the rumor Kevin Rose spilled the beans on a week ago concerning the PS3 and iTunes turns out to be true. Hopefully it'll carry over to the PSP as well.

[Dell deals @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

I am a spammer: [e-mail]

Here's my IP address: 65.173.251.21

[jonathan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

#33
zen micro rox!!!yeah baby
way beter than ipod mini

[christine @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

#11, gapless playback. that would be VERY nice. yes, i would rather have that (or a plethora of other extras) rather than stupid tetris. i have my gameboy for that ;-

[jcharney @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

The Jeremy, Tempest would KICK ASS! It's like it's MADE for an iPod...

But it's about the music.

[Lyte @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

How dissappointing.... no tetris on the update! GRRRR

[Maniac @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

iPod is for music.Period.