Video: An inside look at Settlers of Catan on the Microsoft Surface |
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Video: An inside look at Settlers of Catan on the Microsoft Surface
As some of you may know, I am a big fan of the German board game Settlers of Catan. So, when I received an invitation to test drive an upcoming version of the game for Microsoft Surface, I naturally jumped at the opportunity to trade some brick, wheat, iron ore, wood and sheep.
I've been playing Catan for about 10 years, most recently via a nifty iPhone app developed by Exozet Games. The only problem with the iPhone version is that the screen size limits the ability to clearly see what's going on. So, with that in mind, I was pretty excited to get a tour from the folks at Microsoft and game maker Vectorform to see what the classic strategy game would look like on the Surface's 30-inch touchscreen.
I am a bit old school when it comes to board games, so I was suspect about how the game play would work on the touchscreen device. But in many ways Catan was better on the Surface.
The set-up was easier. Managing the "bank" and cards was faster, speeding up game play. (One of the biggest complaints I get about the game is that it takes too long).
The game creators at Vectorform also didn't forget the charm of the original game, incorporating the classic animations and design. It also is developing an innovative physical die set that game players can toss on the Surface. (You can also choose to shut off the physical dice mode, switching to a virtual die set).
The only drawback that I see with Catan on Surface is that it won't be coming to my living room anytime soon. That's because of the $12,500 price tag. Still, one could imagine hotels, restaurants, cruise ships or casinos adding the device -- and the upcoming Catan game -- to their lobbies.
Vectorform has been showing off Catan on the Surface at gaming events this summer, with a full release expected later this year. It plans to give a demonstration at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle from September 3 to September 5.
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