Windows Vista launches with megaton title
by Jared Rea 
{ Jan 30th 2007 at 10:05AM }
Today marks the launch of Vista and the killer app that will bring it into the home of millions of gamers. No, not Reversi ... it's Klondike Solitaire!Wired has taken a look back on the history of this incredible franchise which debuted way back on the Windows 3.0 operating system in 1990. The success, however, was expected as Microsoft had the incredible foresight to capture the casual market a whole twenty years before we even realized it existed.
Microsoft is pushing the Games for Windows brand hard with Vista, taking valuable lessons from the console circuit such as proper marketing and standardization and applying it to a market in dire need of a refresher.
And if any one title can do it, it's Klondike Solitaire.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Myke @ Jan 30th 2007 10:13AM
I read a statistic somewhere recently that said that solitare on windows computers costs companies millions of dollars a year in lost productivity from it's employees.
Farseer @ Jan 30th 2007 10:24AM
Wow, that's... um... awesome. Now back to my rousing game of Trogdor!!!
ncxcstud @ Jan 30th 2007 11:08AM
I installed Vista Business on my home computer (free from Microsoft thanks to Joystiq's 'news' blog ;)) last week, and I have to say...I'm very impressed. I like it much more than XP so far. Though, I haven't tried to do anything fancy yet...but I've enjoyed what I've got. Plus, if I ever feel the need to have a media center program on my computer, Microsoft gives a great deal for upgrading to Vista Ultimate through it's Power Together campaign :).
Karl @ Jan 30th 2007 11:07AM
But what about FreeCell!??!!
Mike @ Jan 30th 2007 10:28AM
Hooray for Windows Vista OSX!
The Crowing One @ Jan 30th 2007 10:29AM
what? no new minesweeper?!
Einhanderkiller @ Jan 30th 2007 10:37AM
http://www.engadget.com/photos/windows-vista-in-pictures/146398/
Paul @ Jan 30th 2007 11:23AM
Funny thing is I DO play solitare litterally every night before bed... i play my 360 almost every day but occasionally I dont. I bet over the past 15 years my total time playing solitare for 20 minutes a night makes it by far my most played game.
Bennyishere @ Jan 30th 2007 10:44AM
Sweet, but what's the difference between Kondike and regular Solitaire?
Veras Gunn @ Jan 30th 2007 10:46AM
I'm saddened. I don't think the free copy of Windows Vista Business has any games. I've looked and looked, but found nothing. I want HD minesweeper!
White Rose Duelist @ Jan 30th 2007 10:53AM
Klondike is just the actual name for the most popular solitaire variant - the one most people just refer to as "Solitaire".
ncxcstud @ Jan 30th 2007 11:11AM
Veras Gunn -
Do this...
Go to Start - Control Panel - Programs - Program Features
ON the left sidebar of the Program Features window is an option with something similar to "Add/Remove Windows Vista Features" click that. You'll be given another window with a set of options to 'check' next to. One of those is Games. Check that box. It more than likely will ask to insert your Vista DVD (I already had mine in...so it didn't ask me) and then, voila...you'll have Games on Vista Business.
Vista Business doesn't install them by default, but they are there :).
whosmav @ Jan 30th 2007 11:13AM
I have zero interest in using vista for gaming. Anyone else feeling that?
Jake @ Jan 30th 2007 11:16AM
Anyone see Bill Gates on the Daily show last night? He was talking up Vista. It wasn't over the top, though. Actually made Vista seem like not a real big deal but the next logical step in OS. It is the first time I've seen Bill on a show or anything. He seems like a pretty nice guy. Had some cool ideas for TV. Certainly has retained his nerdiness.
Evan @ Jan 30th 2007 11:17AM
What surprises me is that Microsoft developed these games with .NET and WPF. Talk about overkill!
Zequel @ Jan 30th 2007 11:25AM
It was probably a lot easier and faster to program them in .NET than C++. In fact, its a good demo of what .NET can do. MS is pushing .NET internally as well as externally. The overhead is insignificant as well - not overkill.
jt_bombtrak @ Jan 30th 2007 5:45PM
@7: "I want HD minesweeper!"
Um...because you missed so much of the action playing it in Low-Def?
It would be nice to see them include something a little more exciting than solitaire...even if it is PRETTY solitaire.
tckearney @ Jan 30th 2007 12:20PM
Has anyone used Vista with Filemaker yet?
geovany @ Jan 30th 2007 11:55AM
No # 12 i`am sorry, i don`t feel the same way you feel, because i`am happy that PC gamers have a new operative system that will take a big advantage with the new games that are coming soon thanks to "DIRECXT 10"
32_Footsteps @ Jan 30th 2007 11:57AM
The developers of SkiFree and Rodent's Revenge have to be completely bummed that they never caught on like Solitaire, FreeCell, and Minesweeper did.
I can understand SkiFree not doing well, but I think Rodent's Revenge got the shaft.
JodyAnthony @ Jan 30th 2007 12:06PM
SkiFree was the greatest game ever.
ncxcstud @ Jan 30th 2007 12:13PM
The other games got a substantial facelift as well, and I really like playing Mahjhong. Though, when you match two dragons together for the first time (with the sound on) prepare to 'flinch' a bit...because it's loud and different, lol.
Also, I'm happy they included a casual game for young children with Purple Place. It's a nice addition and I think kids will like it, plus it's easy as pie, lol.
OhJustSomeRandomGuy @ Jan 30th 2007 12:17PM
Is it that hard for them to put Minesweeper variants in? Triangle grids, hex grids, ocatagonal grids...
The fact that they only thing they thought to change with the game was the visuals indicates how little creativity they have in that dept.
Arno @ Jan 30th 2007 12:19PM
So anyone upload a video of Bill Gates on the Daily Show? Anyone have a link?
Barbie Fu @ Jan 30th 2007 12:31PM
great pic for the topic.
32_Footsteps @ Jan 30th 2007 12:39PM
While I like the idea of a triangle-based Minesweeper, how are you going to do a version based on anything other than triangles, squares, or hexes? Those are the only three shapes that can have a number of them meet cleanly at a vertex (6 triangles, 4 squares, or 3 hexagons).
mark @ Jan 30th 2007 1:38PM
"Hooray for Windows Vista OSX"
Every company, software or otherwise, gets most of their ideas from the competition. Sony copied Nintendo with things like the Rumble Pack and the Analog Stick, buddy games debuted and all of the sudden EA announced one and Eidos announced 2...
Microsoft would be idiots not to use some of Apple's ideas. (And vice versa)
HappyJack @ Jan 30th 2007 3:21PM
Apple stole all of its ideas from Xerox (back in the day).
James @ Jan 30th 2007 9:57PM
For all those who say "All they did is give the games a facelift?", look into what's included. My Vista Ultimate (I'm toying with it at work) included the usual Windows games (Solitaire, Minesweeper, Hearts, Freecell) plus a few new things: 3D Chess ("Chess Titans"), Mahjongg, Inkball, Purble Place (which is 3 games in itself), and maybe one other I'm forgetting.
The first two are self-explanitory.
Inkball has little marbles come out of a hole and bounce around a board filled with walls and other obstacles, and you have to guide them by drawing a line on the screen. Each time a wall you've drawn is hit, it disappears. The balls can also collide with each other -- seems like standard inelastic collision physics. It's kind of fun, though I thought it got old kind of quickly -- if you get the wrong color ball in a hole even once, you start over (from a random level). Meh.
Purble Place is clearly targetted at young kids, but on the harder levels is actually really challenging for older casual gamers, and pretty fun to boot. There's a standard card-matching game (grid of face-down cards, turn them over in pairs, remove matching pairs) with a few twists like a "chef" that, when matched, removes all of a certain type of card (a randomly chosen "cake" type card) or a "Mixer" that scrambles all the remaining cards if you match it.
There's a cake-baking game (hear me out!) that is painfully easy on the lowest level, but diabolical on the highest. You have an "order" for a type of cake, so you have to pick the right shape pan, add the right color batter, the right color icing, the right topping... and later on, they have 3-layer cakes, and you have to make multiple cakes at the same time, on a conveyor belt, with a time limit. Kind of fun.
The third mode is kind of like Mastermind. There's a blank face, and you put different colored features on it. On the hard setting, there's 5 features with 5 possible colors each, and each time you guess you are told how many match exactly, and how many are the right color in the wrong location. It's OK, but if you know how to play Mastermind it's a bit frustrating to map (PEG PEG PEG PEG PEG) to (HAT EYES NOSE MOUTH FEET) in your head.
Anyway, I haven't seen a summary of the new games, so there you go.
hoverX @ Jan 31st 2007 11:57AM
actually the Apple II shipped with breakout. A game which would later become the inspiration for Arkanoid.