Catan
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Settlers of Catan expanding empire, coming to DS
Fans of bloodthirsty trade practices and ceaseless expansionism will be glad to know that the classic board game-turned-XBLA hit, Settlers of Catan, is on its way to the Nintendo DS. The game will be a port of the upcoming mobile title Catan: The First Island (with appropriately upgraded graphics and audio, we hope), a trailer for which we've embedded after the break. No details have yet to surface about the title's release date, though we imagine adapting a thirteen-year-old board game for a handheld doesn't take a remarkable amount of time.
It just makes sense: Settlers of Catan lands on the DS at last
video from the mobile version Listen, we're appreciative of all versions of Settlers of Catan (except the card game, mostly), but this is the version we've been waiting for: the DS-bound Catan: The First Island. Really, it could have been called Catan: A Crappy Version and we'd still be chest-bumping and high-fiving; on this one, we're easy to please. Got numbers? Resources? We can make jokes about sheep? Done.There are no details available right now beyond the fact that there will be a DS version of the mobile Catan: The First Island released sometime, and it'll be similar to the game in the video above, but this is definitely one to keep an eye on.
Joystiq hands-on: Plunder (XBLA/PSN/PC)
Certain Affinity is close to finishing Plunder, a downloadable real-time strategy, multiplayer pirate game. The Capcom-published title will be released in late Spring or early Summer for XBLA, PSN, and PCs. Pricing has yet to be announced. With inspiration from Settlers of Catan, Certain Affinity decided to create a hex-based game but with a real-time twist. Each player -- up to four on one system and eight online -- uses a pointer to guide their own ship. Teams win by capturing a certain number of towns or holding the majority when time runs out. I played a few test games on an Xbox setup, tapping the A button to issue movement orders. Much of the rest of the game is automated, with ships attacking towns and enemy pirates when within range. Neutral and enemy towns pelted my boat with canon balls until I pummeled them into submission. If I held the defeated town for a moment, I'd claim it, causing it to attack only opposing boats. %Gallery-18253%
Getting a new Gamertag? Get Catan for free
Microsoft has a new promotion for those gamers who are just getting into the the Xbox Live scene. Those gamers who have just created a Gamertag can register via a .NET site to receive a download code for the XBLA version of the classic tabletop game Settlers of Catan. The article is formally for recommending friends, but any user who has created a Gamertag since the twenty-fifth of this month can sign up. The offer ends exactly one month from inception, and so you new Live users have until the twenty-fifth of March to get in on the action. A word to the wise though, the site decrees that (even though the whole thing involves not a single sheet of paper) it will take between six and eight weeks for your "gift" to arrive. Jeez Microsoft, speed it up bit would ya?[Thanks, Chris Freiburg]
THQ acquires Rise of Nations developer Big Huge Games
Despite the unbridled enormity implied by its name, Rise of Nations and Catan developer Big Huge Games will fit snugly within the confines of publisher THQ, right next to the cupboard where all the film licenses are kept. Gamasutra reports that while the studio will maintain its autonomy and current management, it is to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of THQ for an undisclosed, possibly large massive amount.THQ's executive VP of worldwide studios, Jack Sorenson, used a run-on sentence to describe the acquisition as "a poster child for the way we like to approach things, which is that clearly we have a strategy of being in big genres on big, original IP, but we also have a very carefully constructed philosophy in how we look at internal developments, so working with a developer for an amount of time so we can get to know each other is a big prerequisite on internal versus external, so Big Huge Games hits all our strategy points." In other words, he thought it was a pretty good idea, as did Big Huge Games COO, Tim Train. "It's rare to find a publisher who understands games on the level and depth that [THQ] do, and they share our position for quality in a great environment," said Train.The quality expected to escape from said great environment includes a mysterious new IP from Big Huge Games (it's what "sealed the deal," said Sorenson) and the previously announced, Ken Rolston-led RPG slated for release in 2009.
Best of the Rest: Alexander's Picks of 2007
Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (PC) Please, make the addiction stop! Civilization IV: Warlords, the first expansion for Civ IV, made my "Best of the Rest" last year and Beyond the Sword tops this year's list. The funny thing is I'm not a Civ fanboy, nor am I even that great of a player (Full Disclosure: I still play on Noble level), but Civ IV is a game I can come back to over and over again. Beyond the Sword added much-needed mechanics for culture-prone and passive-aggressive players, with enhancements in espionage and other concepts "beyond the sword." Oh, and just to keep last year's tradition going: Firaxis (2K, Take-Two), please get the rights to Alpha Centauri back from EA and give us a sequel!
Best of the Rest: Scott's Picks of 2007
Odin Sphere (PS2) Vanillaware's side-scrolling action RPG caught me completely off guard when it came out, but I fell instantly in love with the game's style. Practically everything about Odin Sphere is unique: the circular levels; the gigantic, beautifully-drawn sprites; the bizarre food-crafting mechanics. Toss in a healthy amount of Norse mythology, and you've got one damn fine, under-appreciated game. Here's hoping Vanillaware's upcoming Wii title is up to snuff.
Off the Grid: Long-distance gaming
Every other week Scott Jon Siegel contributes Off the Grid, a column about card games, board games, and everything else non-digital."Non-digital games are awesome" is the line I usually insist upon in this column. But even awesome analog games have their faults: namely, if you don't have anyone to play with, you can't really play.So, as an end-of-year treat, let's look back at the last year+ of games reviewed, and find some ways to play those suckers against some internet folk:Settlers of CatanI still haven't gotten around to reviewing Settlers, but I did chat with Brian Reynolds about the Xbox Live Arcade version of the game, which is probably the best bet for consistent, high-volume net play.For those who don't have an Xbox 360 (like, well, me), Aso Brain Games hosts an unofficial, Java-based version of the game called Xplorers. After a free registration, the site allows users to player ranked and un-ranked versions against other users and bots, and features a number of expansion and additions to the base rules, which can be toggled on or off. Don't let the low-fi look of the site dissuade you; Xplorers is a well-put-together Settlers clone, with a solid interface and a consistent number of users online at any time.
Wii Warm Up: Board games
With the recent news and media from Wii Chess, we can't help but cast our eyes toward board games lately. While we certainly aren't against playing board games on a console, Wii Ware seems like the logical choice for release, not regular retail titles (though we're in favor of the budget price) ... you know, sort of in the spirit of XBLA releases. Then again, we've seen full-fledged retail versions of XBLA titles before, and they worked just fine, so we can only assume that current-gen board games can fly as well. Our question today is: what would you actually like to see in a retail board game (as opposed to a downloadable title)? Which games with what features? Perhaps a version of Settlers of Catan with options for all the expansions, or games we've enjoyed on consoles before, like Risk, that are nice in electronic form because you don't have to bother with all the pieces. But will any board game really be enough to take us away from all the other Wii games that are already so much fun to play in live groups?
New Catan content settles on Xbox Live
While it may not be as exciting as, say, a downloadable expansion, there is new Catan content available on Xbox Live Arcade. It's not particularly exciting though, as it won't significantly alter your game at all. First, there is a picture pack available that will set you back 100 MS Points. Somewhat more interesting, you can download the Mayfair skin, which will give your gameboard the appearance of the original Mayfair Games version. The Mayfair skin will set you back 100 points as well.Anyone planning on downloading this content, or will you save your money for an expansion?
DS Daily: Variety - is it really the spice of life?
We're curious ... when you're not playing the DS, what are you playing instead? Are you filling your non-handheld time with the Wii, or even -- gasp -- another system? That's where this blogger tends to fall of late; between the Halo 3 Beta and the recent release of Catan on the Xbox Live Marketplace (we love the boardgame), there's a little variety in the gaming schedule of late. After all, for those of us who aren't Poké-fiends, the last few weeks have been a little more on the mediocre side of things ... which, considering our continuing obsession with Puzzle Quest, is probably a good thing for the ol' wallet.But we do wonder what other games take your fancy. Perhaps World of Warcraft or another MMO? Are you one of the seven people who've bought a PS3? Next week, we figure Mario Party 8 will suck up tons of free time, so we're getting that non-Nintendo gaming in now. How about you? Are you sticking with your beloved DS, or do you sometimes branch out a little?
Carcassonne finishes building before June release
If you're one of people who's been enjoying what Catan brought to XBLA, then get ready for Carcassonne, another European board game powerhouse landing next month. Carcassonne is more about tile and villager placement than Catan's resource management and diplomacy. The game, which premieres in June, had some more details released onto the villagers before the big unveil.IGN reports that the visual style is very similar to Catan, however players will not by able to rotate the playing field, only zoom in and out and pan. Games are under 20 minutes in two-player and under 10 for five-player and includes Vision camera support. The XBLA version of Carcassonne also includes the "River I & II" expansion packs that were apparently released later for the board game. Players lay the river to begin the match in this version instead of starting with the basic castle/road starter tile of the original game. Sierra says other add-ons to the board game like Inns & Cathedral and The Tower will be released through Xbox Live. We hope the transaction ends up being truly micro. Carcassonne is expected to cost 800 MS points ($10 USD). We can only hope the Carcassonne gamers are as civilized as the Catan crew.
Podcast Rodeo for May 13: Mutinear
Hey, it's time for the Podcast Rodeo once more. This is the very special episode where we learn a little something about ourselves. Hopefully, you'll come with us on this very emotional journey.1UP Show: The show returns for the summer with a hot new theme song, Odin Sphere video, a preview of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings and tons of stuff on Team Fortress 2, which still looks incredible. Gamers With Jobs Conference Call: The old, old men of GWJ celebrate their 30th episode with special guest star Big Huge Games' Brian Reynolds talking about the making of Catan. Also, there's some interesting discussion of the debacle, if you've not yet grown tired of the topic.
Catan makes for civility on Xbox Live?
Connectivity, friends, fun, racial epithets: unfortunately, all of these things are trademarks of Xbox Live. You can also throw in the screeching voices of the prepubescent and those who think their personal soundtrack should also be heard through everyone else's headset. And of course, there are even a few wretched souls who insist on singing.But not in Catan apparently. Joystiq's Alexander Sliwinski reports that Catan is a veritable bastion of civility and grace in the sophomoric minefield of Xbox Live. It seems he has been able to play game after game without one player-related issue. Not one. He even played a round with our own David Dreger (who must have held himself in check). As Sliwinski notes, Catan presents a different kind of experience on Xbox Live and it presumably attracts a different kind of player. If this is the kind of precedent set by board games on XBLA, Microsoft may just be in for an unexpected jump in sales.800 points for some peaceful, enjoyable gaming doesn't sound bad at all, now does it?
Is Catan changing Xbox Live?
In what could truly be considered a statistical improbability for Xbox Live, we've made it through more than our fair share of rounds in Catan without any player-related issues. Everyone we've met who makes it through a full game gets a good approval rating and nobody (and we actually mean nobody) has deserved a complaint or negative review. No pre-pubescent screams, no racist/sexist/homophobic statements ... sure, there's expletive dropping -- but it's all in proper context. Is civility actually possible on Xbox Live?People will instantly argue that Catan brings a different crowd to Xbox Live and given our experience that is absolutely true. And we love it! Catan, combined with Uno (although there are caveats with Uno), shows that there is a different demographic out there in Xbox Live land. Now does this stop the calls for an adults only section for Xbox Live? Not a chance. It would still be nice to play Halo without the ... let's just call it "noise." All we know is if this Catan community is the same that'll be into Carcassonne, then that's money well spent for a nice couple hours of gaming.
Big Huge Games to make RPG with THQ
Remember how back in February we told you about Ken Rolston, lead designer for both Morrowind and Oblivion, joining the ranks of Big Huge Games (of recent Catan fame) to work on an RPG project? Well, last week there was an official announcement from THQ that they are working on that very same RPG project alongside BHG (with Ken in tow) and it will be hitting Xbox 360s, Windows Vista PCs and PS3s in 2009. Tim Train, President and COO of BHG displayed his enthusiasm towards the project's direction in the RPG genre. Make the jump to take the dive for more PR fluff to sift through. Still, THQ & BHG RPG FTMFingW?
Gabe plays Catan ... at least, we think it's Gabe
Friday's Penny Arcade pertained to last week's XBLA release Catan, starting off with the revelation of Gabe, of all people, sitting down to play a round. Obviously, that's slightly out of character, although it is revealed in the accompanying podcast that Mike actually has played the real life counterpart, and much to everyone's surprise, hated the game. Today's strip is a continuation of the storyline, but no longer relates to Catan anymore, for obvious reasons. We spent the better part of our weekend trading wool for ore, what about you? Expect a full X3F review on Catan to come later this week.
Catan now available on XBLA ... with no demo
[Update: The good Major says that everything's hunky-dory, so demo to your heart's content.]Xbox 360 owners are finally able to get a taste of the phenomenon that's been sweeping basements across the globe: Catan, based on the much more inconveniently titled board game Settlers of Catan, has rolled onto Xbox Live. Unfortunately, if you're interested in the XBLA download, you're going to have to take the guys in the basements' word on it, as Catan has arrived without a free trial.Major Nelson is already on the case, saying that an "issue" was discovered and the trial had to be removed from the service. To answer your questions: Yes, they have their top scientists working on the problem and no, they don't know how long it will take to fix. But hey, it's $10 (800 MS points), live a little! Thousands of guys in basements can't be wrong, and they had to drop $30 for the thing.
Win Catan from Uncle Gamer
Angry that you can't download the trial version of Catan? Too frightened to pony up 800 Microsoft Points for a game you haven't played? If so, why not get Catan for free? Our friends at Uncle Gamer scored a copy and they're giving it away to one lucky winner. What do you have to do? Simple, just answer one little question: what's your favorite board game? If you'd like your shot at a free copy of Catan, head over to Uncle Gamer and give it a go.Keep in mind, leaving a comment here will win you absolutely nothing (except love and affection from us, of course).
Catan trial issues surface, fix inbound
As many of our commenters pointed out, the trial version of Catan has disappeared from Xbox Live Arcade. Major Nelson informs us that the trial version was pulled because of a "technical" issue. The Live team is currently working on a fix for the trial version and will put it back on Live as soon as possible. If you've already managed to download the trial version it should work fine (in other words, you don't have to delete it).Of course, if you like taking risks, the full version is still available for 800 points.
