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TUAW's Daily App: Solidarity Solitaire
Solidarity Solitaire is a pretty good version of Solitaire on the App Store, and developer Kyle Davis just recently released a free version supported by in-game ads. Just like the paid version, the free version is a no-frills affair. Solitaire is Solitaire, though, so if all you want to do is play a little solo card game, it'll do ya. The two quibbles I had with the app were that the free version doesn't offer a landscape orientation, so if you want that, you'll have to pay the 99 cents. Also, there's no auto-clearing of the board, even when you have opened up all of the cards. Update: The author of the app points out that there is an option for this. Then again, half of the point of Solitaire is just moving cards around, so maybe that's part of the game. If you play a ton of Solitaire and want a full-fledged experience, you'd probably be better served by shelling out for something like Solitaire City. It's much pricier, but with multiple modes, better graphics, and even leaderboards (wait -- leaderboards on a solo game? Solidarity offers that as well, thanks to OpenFeint integration), it might be worth the investment if you play cards on your iPhone a lot. If you just want a quick hit of pushing cards around, Solidarity (especially the free version) is worth a download.
Rumor: Microsoft's Live support coming to free Windows games; Minesweeper, Solitaire and more
Microsoft is allegedly preparing to implement Live functionality into the free suite of games that comes with all Windows-enabled PCs: Solitaire, Chess, Checkers, Spades, Hearts, Backgammon, Minesweeper, Purple Place, Spider Solitaire and Freecell. This tip comes courtesy of our trusted source (who accurately predicted Lucidity, NBA 2K10 Draft Combine and Tecmo Bowl: Throwback). Reportedly, each Windows game will not only get Achievements, but also chat and leaderboard support. While unconfirmed by our source, we'd anticipate this to be a free update. If true -- and hey, our tipster's batting a thousand (that's sports talk for reliable) -- adding Live functionality to these games would be an ideal gateway for Microsoft to usher new users into Live and the Achievements system. After registering a free Games For Windows Live account, a new user would be able to instantly start building Gamerscore cred with the free games included on Windows PCs. It's Drug Dealing 101 -- give 'em the first fix for free, and they'll be hooked!
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.)
Get Astraware Solitaire and some free fireworks
Last week, Handmark announced the release of Astraware Solitaire [App Store] for iPhone and iPod touch. Solitaire features a dozen different games, including the classics Klondike, Free Cell, Canfield, and Pyramid. As with most of Astraware's games, the 12 solitaire games are nicely animated, easy to play, and hard to master. The game is currently on sale for just US$0.99, so grab it before it goes up to the normal price of US$4.99. I personally love playing solitaire as a way to pass time on planes and while waiting for meetings to start. After installing Astraware Solitaire on my iPhone 3GS, I erased four other solitaire games that just didn't match up to the quality and variety of play. The new Trophy Deck feature will keep you playing for weeks, trying to collect all of the cards by achieving goals. Since it's Independence Day here in the U.S., you might also want to download Handmark's free fireworks app, featuring patriotic backdrops, festive fireworks, and music. From all of us here at TUAW, have a safe Fourth of July weekend!
iPhone apps stats revealed, games dominate list
With game applications taking up nearly half the list (12 of 25), the rankings for iPhone apps released this week by internet information company comScore may be aimed at advertisers, but tells us a ton about the newest gaming platform. For instance, of the 15 million iPhone users in the US, 32 percent (nearly one in every three) have installed Tap Tap Revenge, making it the most popular application by an ice cold five percent. Furthermore, of the 12 game applications listed, 75 percent of them were developed by small startup companies or, in one case, a single individual. Actually, aside from Pac-Man, Hangman, Sudoku, and a version of Solitaire, all the games are original IP, with number one title Tap Tap Revenge serving as the prime example. We're starting to understand why the iPhone dominated the IGF this year and will likely continue to do so for years to come.
Gaming to Go: The Quest Trio
You've played this game before. Probably. See, here's the thing -- The Quest Trio isn't a singular title so much as it is a collection of games, as an in-depth analysis of the title would probably suggest. For your money you'll get a variant of Bejeweled, an interesting version of Solitaire, and a pretty decent take on Mahjong, three classic games that should be fairly familiar to just about every person ever. The Quest Trio gets interesting, however, when you consider that two of the titles in the package have been previously sold as standalone products -- and for everyone's favorite handheld, no less!It might sting a wee bit to discover you already own one member of the trio. It might hurt a hell of a lot to discover you already own two of them, in which case I'd advise you sit this one out and find a warm corner to cry in. For everyone else who loves the sound of three great games bundled together for your gaming pleasure, click that big button down there and see if this week's edition of Gaming to Go covers just the sort of puzzle compilation you've been questing for. #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } NEXT >> %Gallery-40555%
The Rise of the Casual MMO
It's always a little odd to hear someone talk about gaming as 'hardcore' or 'casual' because it is, after all, still just game. When we log out of the game and turn off our computers, we've come to the same place no matter if we spent our time clearing Karazhan at record speed, or spent it in a tavern discussing the finer points of blood elf hair-styling over tankards of ale. When someone announces they are making a casual MMO, what do they mean by that? World of Warcraft was at one point described as a casual MMO, and perhaps compared to EverQuest or Dark Age of Camelot, it was. It set up a milestone for casual gaming, but gaming has moved on and now even WoW is considered too hardcore for many. How is it possible to define what a casual MMO is, when the definition keeps changing?
Scattered Shots: Beloved complexity
This week on Scattered Shots, David provides a break in the rushing waves of Patch 2.4 news to wax philosophical about his love of being a hunter. To be perfectly honest, he hasn't had time to even try out the new patch yet, but he's really looking forward to waxing on and off about the patch at some point as well.They say that being a hunter is WoW on easy mode, but in reality, the "easy mode" style of hunting is only the beginning of what a hunter can do. Sadly many hunters never really arise out of that stage - easy hunting can become like a rut in which one may not even realize that there is another way to do things. A player can rise out of this rut, however, either through an enterprising nature, or through acquaintance with a good hunter role-model. However one rises to it, the opportunity is there for hunters to do all kinds of things amazing things, mostly at the same time. In fact, you could say that a fundamental mechanic of the hunter class, probably the mechanic I love most in the entire game, is that of controlling multiple characters at once: the hunter and the pet. You have the most control over your hunter character, obviously, and the pet functions as something like a yo-yo which is attached to the hunter. You can point the pet in the direction of an enemy to attack, or you can recall it to wherever you are, but you can't tell it, for instance, to kite an enemy around in circles in the same way you yourself could.The limitations inherent in the abilities of the hunter and the pet, as well as the synergy between them, reminds me a bit of chess. Managing both the pet and the hunter to greatest effectiveness in different situations means you have to keep more than one thing in mind at all times. When you play most other classes, you can just pay attention to them and what they're doing, but being a good hunter requires you to be more aware of what's going on around you, just like chess requires you to keep track of the whole board, not just the little portion of it where the most action is happening.
Solitaire for when you're bored and not at the computer
Nope, in fact this is for when you're bored at your Wii. Not being big solitaire nuts (being at the computer means only blogging to us), we're not quite hip to the whole appeal of it, but that doesn't mean we'll hold back from providing you all with the kind of things you would want to know. When your enjoyment is on the line, then we're on the job.World of Solitaire is a website that allows Wii owners to immediately enjoy some piping hot solitaire action. There's plenty of different games to enjoy (over 30, to be exact) and no ads to put up with. So if you dig on solitaire's vibe, then give it a whirl and come back here to tell us what you think!
Are MMOs killing the single-player game?
Listening to the Penny Arcade podcast, Downloadable Content, as I am wont to do when playing something, the topic of discussion turned to how World of Warcraft has ruined Mike for playing single-player-only games because no matter what treasure is received, or secret unlocked, it's an offering on display only for himself; it cannot be shared, and therefore lacks the proper cachet. At least, that was my understanding; I may be mistaken. Check it out yourself.Regardless, the concept is sound. The rarity of your epic loot is rendered almost meaningless in a single-player venue. And perhaps the heady thrill of true PvP combat makes solo play less appealing. Being a Soloist myself, this is not too much of an issue to me, but what do you all think? Do single-player games have to work harder, innovate more, to deserve your dollar? Is the future of gaming, as Raph Koster seems to think, MMOs?
More Sneaky Soltrio Solitaire DLC
Those sneaky solitaire solicitors! They're at it again. Yet another batch of downloadable content (DLC to the kids) for Soltrio Solitaire on XBLA has hit Xbox Live Marketplace. In fact, it came out yesterday, and we didn't even notice. That's how sneaky it was. The pack includes an entire 10 new solitaire modes, all for a measly 150 points. According to our friends at XBLArcade (the sleuths who uncovered this info), the PC version contains dozens of modes, so more DLC for Soltrio Solitaire is a distinct possibility for the future. We're sure that somebody, somewhere, is very excited about this.
Win Soltrio Solitaire from The Xbox Domain
Ah Solitaire. Is there a better time-waster? We submit to you that there is not. Sure, Tetris is in the running, but once you get into the higher levels it can become a wee bit stressful. Not Solitaire. No, it would be difficult to ever apply the label of "stressful" to Solitaire. Actually, we can think of one reason Solitaire, specifically Soltrio Solitaire for Xbox Live Arcade, can be stressful: it costs 800 freaking Microsoft Points. Almost every computing device out there has a free version of Solitaire. Hell, you can even grab Solitaire for graphing calculators. So, we offer you this nugget of info: The Xbox Domain is giving away a free copy of Soltrio Solitaire for Xbox Live Arcade. Even better, the rules for entry are insanely simple. Head over there now for your chance to win.Oh, and don't forget that we're giving away lots of Halo 3 beta T-shirts until the end of May. We really can't stress that enough.
This Wednesday: Soltrio Solitaire shuffles onto XBLA
As with the wildly popular Uno, Xbox Live Arcade is once again becoming a safe alternative for those that love card games but are utterly terrified of coming into contact with actual cards. This Wednesday, May 16th, sees Soltrio Solitaire sliding onto the service, offering "a collection of 18 compelling solitaire games" at 800 MS Points ($10).We feel particularly compelled to tell you about the game's "Voyage Adventure" mode, which has you traversing a map and playing different versions of Solitaire to unlock new card designs. Naturally, no Xbox Live Arcade game is complete without mutliplayer options, and so Soltrio Solitaire defies its lineage by providing two-player cooperative and competitive modes. Why not grab a friend and spend a quiet afternoon playing virtual cards? It's not like there'll be anything else to play.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Live Arcade to be Solitaire-y next week
Remember back in February when we broke the news that a game called Soltrio Solitaire was headed to Xbox Live Arcade? Guess what folks, it's coming next week. That's right, for the low, low price of 800 MS Points, you can revel in the thrill of solitaire. In fact, thanks to the wonder of Xbox Live, you can even play co-op or competitive matches. Competitive matches have players both playing the same deck, competing to finish first. Co-op allows players to play the same game together, trading cards when necessary. There is also a nifty mode called Voyage Adventure which lets you unlock new card elements that players can use to design their own decks.For solitaire, Soltrio Solitaire actually sounds pretty good. If anything, it should serve as a nice buffer between rounds of GOW or Command & Conquer 3. Check out the Soltrio Solitaire image gallery below (hint: it looks like solitaire).%Gallery-3080%
Iowa senator tells colleagues to stop playing games
Usually when a politician talks about video games, they're worried about the deleterious effects they have on children. At least one politician, though, is just as worried about the computer gaming problem among his fellow politicians.The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports on freshman Iowa State Senator Bill Heckroth, who chastised his fellow senators last week for playing games like Solitaire on state-issued laptops during floor debate. Heckroth, who noticed the illicit game-playing while watching proceedings from the gallery with visiting family, worried that the gaming might hurt the reputation of the senators among those watching from above. "I just got to thinking that just doesn't look real professional," he said on the senate floor last Thursday. "You hear enough bad things about being a politician."Veteran lawmakers were relatively blasé about the problem "Freshmen are always shocked by what goes on," said senate minority leader Mary Lundby. "Next year he won't even mention it. He'll probably be playing games."Related: Federal judge caught playing solitaire during a trial
Hidden games in Mac OS X
Mac OS X uses emacs as a text editor, which contains a number of hidden games including Snake, Tetris, Pong and a whole slew of others. Follow the simple steps included here, and you could be playing a boatload of games that you didn't even know were on your Mac. Granted, the games pretty much suck (the graphics make the Wii look like Super High Definition 2160iii), but if you're trying to kill 30 minutes while sitting in the library, look no further. We're still exploring these and trying to figure out what the heck some of the games are.
Burning Monkey Solitaire 4
I love the Mac as much as I do for many reasons, but great indie developers like Freeverse are certainly near the top of those reasons. Today Freeverse has unleashed (from a cage, no doubt) Burning Monkey Solitaire 4. This update to their venerable solitaire program offers a bevy of improvements, including: Support for Intel and PPC Macs Now playable in Widescreen a new OpenGL engine More monkey Burning Monkey Solitaire 4 will set you back $24.95, but it is a free upgrade for all registered owners of previous versions. You'll need at least 64MB of RAM and OS X 10.3.9 to get in on the monkey love.
Federal judge caught playing solitaire during a trial
We'll abstain from the card-related puns. On last Saturday, the New York Daily News reported that Manhattan Federal Court Judge Shira Scheindlin, was busy playing computer solitaire while overseeing the case against John "Junior" Gotti. The allegation comes from radio host Curtis Silwa, who noticed her gaming habits while testifying on the witness stand. Silwa was almost killed at a 1992 shooting that Gotti is accused of planning. Silwa said he has seen Scheindlin gaming during the last two trials, but did not speak up "until Scheindlin dumped cold water on the government's third try" to convict the mobster. Silwa is asking that Scheindlin should step down from the case. Mayor Bloomberg in February fired a low-paid office worker after spying a game of Solitaire left on the person's desktop. It'll be interesting to see how a high-paid judge with political clout is reprimanded (if at all) for her in-trial shenanigans.[Thanks, Harold]
