MSN's Catan Preview Hits Gen Con Indy

Klytus writes "GamingReport.com has posted news that Microsoft plans a preview for all Gen Con attendees of their new online, web-based version of the popular board game "Settlers of Catan". Originally announced back in February, this will be the first look at Microsoft's version of Catan, which will 'debut this winter exclusively at MSN Games', and will offer attendees playable demos and unveiling of the CatanOnline website."

Comments

Yay

[Apreche]

While MS is doing this and it seems like a bad thing this can be looked at from another viewpoint. MS is giving recognition to Settlers! A big and real company has recognized german board games. Hopefully in the future we will see some real and high quality computer versions of Puerto Rico, Tigris and Euphrates and all the other great board games most people have never heard of.

I've thought about coding them myself in the past, but I've never found the time or will to actually go through with it. I'm also slightly worried about getting sued. I know for some games there exist computerized versions in various formats, but none of them are particularly high quality. Most of them are actually almost unplayable due to crummy interface. And of those that are playable it is often very difficult to actually get in a game with real people who stay and play to the end due to either too much or too little popularity. Java settlers would be the prime example there.

Here's the future popularity of "real" board games in the US, yar!