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Microsoft sends out secret invites to 1 vs. 100-style 'Full House Poker' game
Joystiq reader Rob kindly forwarded us an email from Microsoft Game Studios about a private beta for a game called Full House Poker, described as a way to "bet your way to fame as you compete against your friends and thousands of other players around the world in live Texas Heat poker game shows." The concept sounds extremely like 1 vs. 100 with a coating of poker paint, allowing players to pick up XP and other rewards (including "unique tells and avatar accessories") by playing poker in "regularly scheduled episodes." Sounds fun! The email also stresses that the beta is "highly confidential" (whoops), and that it requires an Xbox Live Gold subscription in the US, Canada, or Mexico. Note that those restrictions are only on the beta, and might not be on the full game. But the email says the game will be rated T for teen, thanks to "simulated gambling." 1 vs. 100 is unfortunately gone forever, but it looks like Full House Poker might be Microsoft's second foray into episode-based massively multiplayer gaming.
Poker Night at the Inventory adds to your Team Fortress 2 inventory
People don't just play poker for fun -- they play it to accrue piles of wealth. Telltale is providing similar, if small-scale, motivation to buy and play its crossover poker game, Poker Night at the Inventory, in the form of Team Fortress 2 items. You'll get one, the Heavy's poker visor, for pre-ordering from the Telltale Store, and you'll be able to get more from special Item Rounds within the game. The items you'll be able to win from the game's other characters include Max's Lugermorph handgun for the Scout and Engineer, and a Freelance Badge that everyone can wear; an Enthusiast timepiece (Penny Arcade's infamous watch) for the Spy from Tycho; Strong Bad's Dangeresque shades, usable when the Demoman is gonna have to jump!; and from the Heavy, an Iron Curtain gun, for ... the Heavy. Not much of a loss on his part, then? Check out a new trailer after the break. We'll warn you -- you're going to hear Tycho's voice (not the real Tycho, but a voice actor for the character), and it's going to be weird. Like seeing a radio DJ's face for the first time after hearing him, but in reverse.%Gallery-106735%
EVE Evolved: The EVE Online that could be
Each of us has a different idea of the perfect game, whether it's an existing game with a few tweaks or something completely new. Game designers work tirelessly to make their own vision of the perfect game a reality, but there's no telling what players will think of a feature until it's finished. In the process of transforming a feature from a gleam in the game designer's eye to a finished product, something is unfortunately often lost in translation. Limitations in the technology being used or the manpower available can render the ideal implementation infeasible. As players, we don't really see that full development process. That doesn't stop us from painting our perfect vision of an upcoming or potential feature and how awesome it could be. In the coming years, the EVE Online developers will be going through the process of making some of their most incredible visions a reality. Ideas like walking in stations and integrating the upcoming MMOFPS Dust 514 with EVE's planetary interaction feature will be put through a potentially brutal development process. We can only hope that as little as possible of those visions we've heard from EVE's developers gets lost in translation. In this speculative opinion piece, I look at a few areas in which EVE is sure to be expanded in the coming years and discuss what I'd consider to be the ideal way they could be implemented or handled.
It's Poker Night at the Inventory for Max, Tycho, Strong Bad, and the Heavy
That mysterious Telltale mashup game teased last week? Telltale laid its cards on the table, revealing ... Poker Night at the Inventory, the second "pilot" game from the adventure publisher, which brings Team Fortress 2's Heavy, Penny Arcade's Tycho, Homestar Runner's Strong Bad, and Sam & Max's Max together for a little good-natured gambling. Now, we know what you're thinking. How can Strong Bad play cards with boxing gloves on? Poker Night at The Inventory features fully voiced characters utilizing Telltale's dynamic dialog system," according to the announcement. "All the characters will talk trash, give unique tells, and react to the game dynamically as it is being played, providing a unique experience with each round played." It also features Steamworks integration, a first for the publisher. Oh, and pre-orders from Telltale for the fall release ($4.95!) come with coupons for 25% off your order. If we knew the first thing about poker, we'd totally relate that to a hand of cards you'd be confident about holding. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
OFLC rating outs Microsoft's 'Avatar Superstars Poker'
A recent rating from Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification reveals Microsoft Game Studios' upcoming take on table gaming, titled Avatar Superstars Poker. It sounds like an XBLA poker title with Avatar support -- a feature that was unable to be added to TikGames' 2006 XBLA title Texas Hold'Em, which led the studio to create an Xbox Live Indie poker title specifically to include playable Avatars. We've contacted Microsoft to find out more about the title, and what will set it apart from the other poker games already on the platform. For now, we're going to go update our Avatar to look exactly like John Malkovich wearing a track suit. Pardon us.
App demo: Chinese 13 Card Poker
We looked at Smappsoft's Scales and Modes app a while ago, and they reminded me of their other app that we saw at WWDC: Chinese 13 Card Poker for the iPhone and iPad. It is a well-designed and fast poker game with just the right amount of feedback as you play. Better yet, you can use multiple devices for pass-and-play or p2p action, and there's an AI player. I'm not familiar with this particular form of poker, also known as Russian poker or Pusoy, but apparently it is quite popular among avid poker players. Take a look at our preview above, and check out the official trailer on the next page.
TUAW's Daily App: Pokerbot
We posted about another poker app back at WWDC, and the developer of Pokerbot got in touch with us to show off his app as well. Pokerbot is a little bit different than your standard hold'em poker game. It's a straight up one-on-one battle, so the game is really built for learning how to play poker well; it doesn't drag out games or rely on graphical flair. The game started out as a poker training program, and the developer of the game's AI is a real poker player who has played more than a few good hands. That said, this probably isn't the app you want to get if you just want to enjoy playing at a full table; Pokerbot is meant for poker buffs or people who want to try to get to that level. There are little game touches that might turn hardcore players off (you can cheat with a feature called "Onetime" if you want, and there's a full achievements system thanks to OpenFeint). Most of the non-traditional touches are included in order to enhance the feel of the game, though; they aren't meant to make the poker action more casual. Pokerbot is US $1.99. If you've never played poker before, it's probably a little bit much for you, and you're better off going with something like Apple's official game. However, if you know your antes, straights, and flushes, and you want a game that will present a nice challenge while teaching you to play better, Pokerbot will help.
App demo: Poker 1 on 1 with Vanessa Rousso
if(typeof AOLVP_cfg==='undefined')AOLVP_cfg=[];AOLVP_cfg.push({id:'AOLVP_us_102830972001','codever':0.1,'autoload':false,'autoplay':false,'playerid':'61371447001','videoid':'102830972001','publisherid':1612833736,'playertype':'pageload','width':480,'height':270,'videotitle':'TUAW','bgcolor':''}); Celebrity endorsements fail to impress me, and Poker 1 on 1 with Vanessa Rousso is no different. Despite being on the teevee (as we say around these parts), all I'm looking for is her expertise in creating a great poker game for the iPhone. Well Headlight Software and Vanessa have a nice, attractive and fast poker app on their hands here. Highlights include easy access to another player via Bluetooth for head-to-head action and a cool meter for newbies that'll let you know how risky your bets are. Another nice attribute of Poker 1 on 1 is the ability to move quickly through a hand. If you're an experienced poker player you don't need all the jibber jabber or fancy animations some apps provide. Poker 1 on 1 has animation, but it is only to recreate the feeling of being at the table, really playing poker and yet faster. Everything moves, just faster. Watch the video for the game in action. The AI is good, the graphics are good and there are unlockables. For a couple of bucks it's a good deal.
Andy Bloch at the World Series of Poker with TUAW and his iPad
The other day we showed you a photo of poker pro Andy Bloch with his iPad at the World Series Of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas. Little did we know that Andy was going to find and read the post. According to photographer BJ Nemeth, Bloch called him over to say it would be a bit surreal to have a photo taken reading the TUAW post about his iPad on his iPad. BJ mentioned that Andy is playing a lot of Scrabble against other professional poker players, some of whom are at the same tournament although never at the same table. Players can have both iPads and smartphones at the table, but can't use them during a hand. Once they fold their cards, players are free to use their devices. Andy's still alive at the tournament with 21 players remaining, and action resumes today at 3 PM PT to play down to the final table. Final table action takes place tomorrow and is taped by ESPN, which does not allow the use of electronics at the table. Update: Andy was knocked out in 16th place, with winnings of more than $98,000. We're not sure if posting this photo will cause a singularity to develop, threatening the existence of the multiverse, but we're going to give it a try anyway. Thanks to BJ for the photos and to both BJ and Andy for being TUAW fans.
You can bet on it: Talkcast taking a holiday break, iPad makes the scene at WSOP
Our loyal talkcast crew is getting some well-deserved R&R this holiday weekend, so there's no show tonight -- we'll be back in force next weekend for the full WWDC preview. Speaking of four-letter events that begin with W, reader BJ Nemeth sent a heads-up about this great picture of competitor Andy Bloch at the World Series of Poker Player's Championship, published on the Wicked Chops Poker site. Andy (who gained fame as a member of the legendary MIT blackjack team profiled in the book Bringing Down The House) is apparently using his iPad to play Scrabble and indulge in other pastimes during the lag between hands. No word yet on whether he's had to have the iPad checked by tourney officials to make sure he doesn't use any illicit poker apps.
TUAW's Daily App: Sword and Poker
Note: We started up our new feature last week, titling it "App Of The Day" without recalling that our friend Jordan had already used that name for his site. So, we're renaming our "one great app, every day" feature. If you have a suggestion, share it in the comments below, and if we pick yours, we'll send you a t-shirt. Sword & Poker came out earlier this year, but if you missed it the first time, check it out now. It offers up an intriguing mix of game genres -- it's an RPG at heart, with your hero running through dungeons on a map and upgrading equipment, but the battle sequences are a mix of puzzle and poker gameplay. You lay down cards on a matrix trying to get the best poker hand you can, and then matching certain poker hands does damage to your enemy (or to you, if your enemy is able to assemble a three of a kind or even a royal flush). It's an intriguing mix of gameplay that's balanced very well -- battles have a very steady pace and even though a few different game genres are being juggled here, they all stay in the air together. The music is impressive, too, from the marching battle sequence to the RPG-style fanfare and excellent sound effects. Apparently the game also has a pass-and-play versus mode, but I never tried it -- there's more than enough depth in the singleplayer RPG. A free version is available to try out, and the full version is $3.99.
'Game Table' turns your iPad into exactly that
When you saw the iPad, did you imagine it as a virtual board game repository, able to summon checkers and such at a moment's notice? Well, if you didn't, you might now because that sounds really neat. And you can buy just such a thing! Game Table is a collection of board and card games including checkers, chess, poker, solitaire, and even a virtual deck of cards for other games. Developer Label Interactive plans to add more games to the app, like backgammon and go, through updates. We don't mind saying that this game is noteworthy almost entirely because of the iPad interface -- but we imagine that's exactly the kind of thing people with iPads are looking for right now. And no, we're not going to write a post every time someone makes a board game app -- but it's novel right now. Game Table ($.99): %Gallery-90026%
First Look: Game Table for the iPad
Here's some screenshots for another upcoming iPad app called Game Table. The app brings Checkers, Chess, and various card games onto Apple's tablet with detailed graphics and an "intuitive" interface -- the developers claim it's like carrying full board games around with you, but without all the little pieces and doodads. Unfortunately, that also means that you don't actually "play" any games on the device -- it's just a series of boards and interactive pieces for them, so it's up to you as the player to determine how you want to actually move them around. That could be either a benefit (if you have a weird variation of poker or chess that you like to play that wouldn't normally be found in a mobile game, there you go) or a hindrance, if you'd rather your board game action be a little bit more guided. But the price is right -- the Game Table is set to release for just 99 cents. Game Table will be available on the App store at launch. %Gallery-89336%
Poker Surface beautifully weds multitouch table, cellphone interaction and illicit gambling
It's the first poker table we've seen since the enviable X10 surfaced in 2008 that would fit appropriately in the new Aria (read: Vegas 2.0), and given that we just left the halls of CTIA ourselves, we couldn't be drooling any more heavily over this gorgeous creation. Designed and built by students at the University of Duisburg-Essen, the Poker Surface magically combines a multitouch surface with an interactive mobile application that enables users to see their cards when they tilt the phone upwards towards their face. Then, users can complete a play by sliding in their bet(s) and flipping their hand once they're all-in. There's no word on when (or if) this gambler's dream will be available for shipment to man caves everywhere, but you owe it to yourself to peek the video after the break, regardless.
Garriott returns to gaming with Portalarium
It should come as no surprise to anyone that Richard Garriott isn't a man content to rest on his laurels. Just after we hear that the documentary about his space trip is coming out, we now hear that he's found a new niche in the multi-player gaming industry. Only this time, he's not developing a traditional MMO as one might suspect. Instead, Garriott has revealed his involvement in a start-up called Portalarium, which is setting out to get a chunk of that browser-based social game cash floating around on Facebook and other social media networks. Currently, Portalarium isn't so much a games company as a games engine company. According to a great writeup about this new company by Dean Takahashi over on GamesBeat, their general feeling is that the current crop of Facebook games are "relatively primitive in terms of game play." The Portalarium team plans to make richer, more engaging games that will manage to give players a high-quality game while still remaining in a browser and not needing a separate download. In all, it's a fascinating article -- both in terms of technology, and in terms of what Garriott has been up to (there's a bit about Tabula Rasa in there too) -- so be sure to pop over there and give the full article a read.
Ubisoft bringing '20 All-Time Favorites' table game compilation to PS3
An ESRB rating has enlightened us about the existence of a Ubisoft title called 20 All-Time Favorites; a "collection of 20 card and board games that include Chinese Checkers, Backgammon, Chess, Go, Solitaire, and Mancala." According to the rating, players will also be able to "wager virtual money on their card hands" while playing Blackjack and Poker. Despite the appearance of gambling, the game retained an E rating -- provided that players do not splash ze pot. (Link NSFW, and totally awesome.)
Sega receives poorly timed online gambling license
Here's a fun little slice of coincidence to brighten up your life: A pair of Australian researchers recently published a study that tracks the correlation between heavy video game use in teens and pathological gambling tendencies. Not 24 hours before this study -- which concluded that there was some connection between the two activities -- hit the blogosphere, Sega made an unfortunately-timed announcement: The company had secured an online gambling license from the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, allowing it to run Sega-branded online casino games for real-life money. While some may weave these two stories into a tapestry of fear for our young, impressionable youths, we're honestly not that worried. After their first roughing up by professional loan shark Big the Cat, they'll likely shy away from games of chance altogether. [Thanks, Barry.]
What's in a Name: Gearbox Software [update]
If you looked at the Joystiq calendar, you would have seen a bright red circle drawn around today with something like 17 little smiley faces around it. Sure, that was in part because it's taco salad day in the cafeteria, but also because we couldn't wait to share this new What's in a Name with you. So, straight from boss Randy Pitchford, check out the totally epic story of how [Randy says] Gearbox Software got its name.Update: Valve has informed us that Randy and Gabe didn't meet until after Valve had shipped Half-Life, making Randy's story seem ... well, unlikely. We're trying to find out what happened right now.Update 2: Well, we just heard from PR and they confirmed that the story is a fabrication. Pitchford is apparently going to get in contact to explain what happened. We can't wait to find out his excuse for taking advantage of our Pollyanna-esque faith in the inherent goodness of people, and, by extension, telling tall tales to you, the people who are buying his games. "This is interesting because I've never been asked about how we got the name 'Gearbox' before, but there is a bit of a story to it. Given everything that's happened over the past 10 years or so, the story seems a little hard to believe now that I'm telling it!
Trophies: Texas Cheat 'em
This upcoming PSN game looks like quite a bit of fun. What other card game lets you have a 5 of a kind? View Trophy List | Visit Trophy Portal
MotionX: Poker Quest
One of the first apps I downloaded when I inherited my brother's old iPhone was MotionX Dice. It was brilliant in its execution: 3D dice rendered with loving detail, lots of custom dice and perfect use of the accelerometer. MotionX games are variations on a theme, however, and they've taken their MotionX Poker system, wrapped it in an Egyptian theme, and cranked up the fun. The game is simple: roll the dice to get a hand, choose which you keep and which you put back, and repeat until the hand is over.What's the big deal about a dice-based poker app? Well, for one, it's one of those games you can pick up and play within seconds. Dice poker, for whatever reason, feels less like "real" poker, and my brain tends to relax more than it would playing a "real" poker game (such as Apple's Hold 'Em game). It's mostly a casual game, but there are enough stats and surprises to keep you playing after the initial gee whiz factor wears off.To keep games fresh, designers often add unlockable content and statistics. With Poker Quest, the unlockables come in the form of additional themed dice, levels and "my treasures." The treasures are triggered when you achieve a notable event, like "Win ten career hands." The stats are plentiful including how much you've played, how much you've won, and a detailed breakdown on what hands you've had when you play. I didn't unlock any levels, but the gameplay shouldn't change, just your surroundings.Dice poker games are relatively easy to craft and they are very easy to play. It's nice to see MotionX bringing some style to the genre, however. Their trademark animated 3D dice and gorgeous textured backdrops add just enough flair to the poker dice game to make things really fun for repeat play. If you're still not sold, try the free version of MotionX Poker Quest [App Store link]. The full version costs $2.99 [App Store link], which is a fair price if you like dice, poker or quick, casual games.%Gallery-43166%
