Xbox Live Aracade to get Settlers of Catan & other Euro board games
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Aug 23rd 2006 at 3:55PM }
Microsoft has announced plans to port European tabletop favorites like The Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne and Alhambra to Xbox Live Arcade. Price details and release dates have not been revealed, but the Catan port is likely to appear first as MSN Games has been hosting an online version of the German board game for nearly two years.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
RiemannMeetLebesgue @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:01PM
Now THAT is cool. It almost makes a Nintendo fanboy like me want to buy a 360. (Of course, I'll still buy a Wii as my main console.)
Kendrick @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:02PM
The article doesn't say, so I'll ask. Is this a port of the version Capcom developed for PS2 and N-gage, or is this an all new version? If it shares any code with the N-gage version, I'd be interested to see other co-op games from that platform show up on the Live service.
A 47 Danger @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:04PM
Who wants to bet that there will be "micro-payments" for all of the Carcassonne expansion packs?
Agent MOO @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:07PM
Where's our Pop-O-Matic trouble?
CrossFireXT17 @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:12PM
YES!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS BOARD GAME SO MUCH! This is the best news I've ever heard for 360 :-) Thank you microsoft
LordMinogue @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:16PM
I'll give you my wood for two sheep...
Can't wait for this game!
Deadpool @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:17PM
2: I honestly doubt it's going to be a port of either. MS has been working on a version of SoC for a few years now. there's a version that's available on MS Zone, and more than likely it'll be a more polished version of that.
In any event, prepare for the new most addicting game on XBL.
Animus @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:17PM
Stratego FTW!!!
Big.Daddy @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:17PM
Yes! I love Catan, can't wait for it to come out.
White Rose Duelist @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:20PM
I wonder how violent a game where you can make roads out of sheep would register as on Ms. Thompson's scale.
/has wood for JRW's sheep
Stig @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:25PM
@Kendrick : I doubt this will be a port of the Capcom version.
I for one am thrilled with this news. It's a shame large amounts of people still aren't aware of the great boardgames that are out there. These so called "euro"-games often don't show up on the shelves of big retailers, but they are easily 100 times more engaging and fun than anything Hasbro/MB/Parker throwed on the market -ever-. I hope this will be a gateway to bring more people to the hobby.
For people even remotely interested in boardgames I strongly advise a visit to http://www.boardgamegeek.com
Rick @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:25PM
For those of you who don't know about Brettspielwelt, it's an online community where you can play all these (plus like 50 other German games).
http://www.brettspielwelt.de/
Monster @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:27PM
I hope it has improved graphics. Would be nice if it was based more on the 3D collector's edition than the normal game. This is great news in any case, especially if you can have more than one person online per console.
Gimbal @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:39PM
Sweet! Now if we can get Zombies, Arkham Horror, or better yet, Risk 2210 AD! I'd love to be able to play these with the friends that have moved too far away. Probably just wishful thinking though.
I always hear how good The Settlers of Catan is but never actually picked it up to try it.
pixelator @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:44PM
Schweet. I'm a huge boardgame collector/fan, so this is quite nice. Glad I re-purchased a 360 last week!
Also very cool to see the two genres merging to some extent. Let's see PIRATE'S COVE in there!
Jim @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:47PM
Cool! It is rare that I can find the 3 required people to get in a good game of catan in dead-tree format here as most either want to play DS or go out somewhere. If Xbox live is supported and multiplayer catan is possible in HD on my big TV, then an Xbox 360 just got a lot more attractive.
Brian @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:48PM
Man, the 360 keeps looking better and better, and I keep having fewer and fewer excuses for avoiding it ;)
When it comes to Catan, I'm such a glutton for mutton.
32_footsteps @ Aug 23rd 2006 4:49PM
Personally, I always liked compressing sheep into bricks, myself. Okay, that, and two people already beat me out for giving some wood for some sheep.
I do wonder if micropayments can get you Cities & Knights of Catan and Seafarers of Catan. Those are fun if you just can't giggle about processed sheep anymore.
Also, I'd love to see Arkham Horror too. The only problem with the game I've found is that it takes forever to actually play. Great fun once you get going, though (but it needs harsher insanity penalties).
Marty @ Aug 23rd 2006 5:03PM
Nice title. I love Aracade games!
fagaymer @ Aug 23rd 2006 5:15PM
Just what I always needed..A 400 dollar console to play old board games..I'm board/bored.
Alkaiser @ Aug 23rd 2006 5:28PM
Can't wait to take on the world in all of these.
Of course, as is the case with anything else announced on Xbox Live, all we know now is that it'll exist...at some point in time.
So, basically, not a whole lot to get worked up about, yet, lest you want to have it become another case of SF II.
Hopefully Puerto Rico, Zombies, Arkham Horror, Twilight Imperium, and maybe the Spycraft CCG will show up on a "play the world" type set up sometime soon.
Jake @ Aug 23rd 2006 5:30PM
These games are cool and all, but they need to stop charging $5+ for them. It simply isn't worth it unless you are a mega-fan of the particular game.
I am very good at backgammon, and love the game. I play it on Yahoo and tear it up. I also like simple pool games, like the one on Yahoo. The 360 pool trial sucked. I just bought backgammon just so I can play it on my couch online.
It was $5. It is free on the computer! Why can't they charge $1-2 instead? And when I go to play it, it takes forever to find an opponent that is not good anyways.
I guess they can charge it for fools like me. But, I have learned my lesson and won't get fooled again. If it was even $1.50 instead of $5, I would buy them up left and right. I also like Hearts, but surely won't be getting that!
Wilson @ Aug 23rd 2006 5:39PM
If they get Ticket to Ride I'm sold.
laserboyjc @ Aug 23rd 2006 5:43PM
@fagaymer, go troll somewhere else...all your comments are negative and have no backup, because you can't provide it. Saying the 360 is "a $400 console to play old board games" is like saying a new car is a $15,000 cheap cd player. This is not the main point of the product, just an additional bonus. Some people like board games and playing them online with friends far away is a neat idea, which will likely cost less than buying the actual board game. Sony and Nintendo will also be letting you play old school/casual games, but that doesn't mean you are paying $600/$250 just for that. Next time do us a favor and go study the issues before you speak your mind about them.
Beesmum @ Aug 23rd 2006 5:50PM
Screw Catan, any boardgamer worth their salt knows that Puerto Rico is far, far superior in every way. Who wants to ask for stone the 50th time in a row when you can be screwing people over with the captain phase, shipping off coffee and indigo and laughing at your mates. Wake me up when they get some decent German board games up on Live.
Marty @ Aug 23rd 2006 5:52PM
His comment was true though, it's hardly next-gen to play old board games...
spoo @ Aug 23rd 2006 5:53PM
@Gimbal,
Maybe it is time for Avalon Hill to make a comeback in the way of Live Arcade... *wakes up* Yea that would be to good to be true :(
32_footsteps @ Aug 23rd 2006 5:56PM
"His comment was true though, it's hardly next-gen to play old board games..."
Last I checked, the point of a video game system isn't to be next-gen. It's to be fun. Catan is definitely fun. Thus, this is good news (and another temptation for me to pick up a 360... a couple more games that pique my interest, and I'll finally bite).
GSI @ Aug 23rd 2006 6:09PM
Wow... I _NEVER_ would have expected a game like this to show up on XBLA.
We played this in a game design class for research and it was quite fun once you got the hang of it.
Tim Sonderman @ Aug 23rd 2006 6:25PM
how about some diplomacy looovvve
But, i am super excited for settlers.
*will trade anything for paper*
the punisher @ Aug 23rd 2006 6:43PM
fagaymer finally got the negative stars he's been deserving for a very, very long time.
DannyOB@360insight @ Aug 23rd 2006 6:43PM
I personally don't know of any of those 3 games, but seeing the responses from people its obvious to see microsoft has made a good decision, and when it comes to XBLA, i think they have made a LOT of the right decision, such as having talks with major casual game developers/distributers (real was it?), keep at it microsoft.
Marcelo Vega @ Aug 23rd 2006 6:49PM
Maybe ARACADE is how the japanese say Arcade...:-)
Cody S. @ Aug 23rd 2006 6:50PM
How about some Monopoly for the american audience :).
Game Artist @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:06PM
Awesome. Now I can own people online. Managed to make it to the semi-finals at gencon this year in settlers.
Rob Cannon @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:17PM
Monopoly? Ugh! Check out http://www.boardgamegeek.com to see what makes a good game.
Alhambra has been a great lunch-time game at work. I hope some of our favorites will show up on XBLA like Transamerica, San Juan and Ingenious. I'll buy them all!
GSI @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:37PM
If you knew the history of Monopoly, then you'd know that it wasn't designed the same way that games like Cattan were. Monopoly was designed during the Great Depression (if I remember correctly.)
While I personally have no problem with Monopoly, the video game versions of it suck pretty bad. It's a game more enjoyable with real people face-to-face.
Tim Sonderman @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:49PM
How about riskopoly! def playin some of that tonight
32_footsteps @ Aug 23rd 2006 8:01PM
I think the big problem with video game Monopoly is that there aren't nearly enough ways to customize it. I mean, if you want to play strictly by the original rules, you can do that on a general level on the NES. But start throwing in house rules (Free Parking money is the most popular one, followed closely by doing away with property auctions) or creative trades (my favorite is to trade two railroads and three "free passes" on an opponent's properties to complete the orange or red monopolies) and the video game versions completely fall flat.
You could do an awesome version of Monopoly on something like Xbox Live, but you'd need to put in alot of work to make sure it would work as well as playing the board game.
Ray Kasten @ Aug 23rd 2006 8:18PM
A dream come true. All current online versions of Settlers of Catan are missing the main aspect of the game... voice communication. I cannot wait for this game.
What could be next?
- Ticket to Ride
- Puerto Rico
- Lost Cities
So many games to choose from. Also, check out http://www.funagain.com to see what many board gamers are currently playing.
Anonymouse Rep @ Aug 23rd 2006 8:42PM
@fagaymer -> 20. Just what I always needed..A 400 dollar console to play old board games..I'm board/bored.
And your point is??? I currently use my $900 PC to play board games - I'm an old time Avalon Hill gamer (Terrible Swift Sword, Diplomacy, etc.) and it's very hard to get players together for the hours needed. That's the main reason I've been using Cyberboard - it's a great way to PBEM (play by e-mail, for those of you who don't know the acronym) - for all these games. I'm not that big of a fan of Vassal, which is what's used for live gaming on the PC. (Of course, I also play PC games as well - Oblivion, Trainz, Civilization, etc - it's just that board games are fun as well.)
So bringing my friends together in our own living rooms for an evening of gaming - especially when my old college buddies that I still correspond with live in (a) Georgia (b) California (c) Texas (d) Germany (e) Ireland (f) Okinawa - via Xbox live is EXACTLY what the point of Live is all about. Being able to use Live - at $50 per year - to get all of this long distance communication, especially when the camera comes up - is going to make Live worth even more to someone trying to keep in touch with friends.
Wilda @ Aug 23rd 2006 9:14PM
@22&38 -> I too would love to see Ticket to Ride. If they do release it let's hope that it includes the different varients like the PC/Mac version did.
GSI @ Aug 23rd 2006 9:58PM
I've never heard of the game "Puerto Rico" but if it did come out on XBLA, I would buy it...mainly b/c I am half Puerto Rican. ^__^
icantdrawanime @ Aug 24th 2006 10:42AM
I need an xbox 360 now... DAMN YOU MICROSOFT!
I always have too much wood...
icantdrawanime @ Aug 24th 2006 10:48AM
I cant believe no one has tagged Axis and Allies to Avalon Hill yet... Best Game Ever (and longest)
Robert @ Aug 27th 2006 12:43PM
I wouldn't expect to see either Ticket to Ride or Pirates Cove in Multiplayer Format. The problem is it would compete with the Days of Wonder official site. I think Carcasonne, SoC and Alhambra are good choices to start. Carcasonne and SoC are two of the most popular series. What I want to know is if they will support the expansions or just the base games.
dude163 @ Oct 14th 2006 5:10PM
Im waiting for Squad leader :)
I second the recommendation for www.boardgamegeek.com
a great game that would work on XBLA is Yinsh