Sure, the so-called Queen of Cake made this tribute to Settlers of Catan (cleverly dubbed Settlers of CaKEtan, here) way back in November 2005, but with the board game's recent release on Xbox Live, we couldn't think of a better time to relive pastry goodness. We're done with gaming cuisine for now, check out the highlights for today:

Joystiquery
In the Flash: Four Second Firestorm
The Political Game: Dangerous times for gamers
Today's typing impaired video: Pac-Man instant messenger
Unraveling the Indie - Loonyland 2: Winter Woods
X3F's video tour of GoW's Hidden Fronts map pack

News
Microsoft Game Studios to open European branch
Iranian government making strategy games ... finally!
Iwata lays the smack down on Nintendo of America
Greenwalt: Forza 2 may make you a better driver
Next Kingdom Hearts to be portable spin-off, not KHIII
Microsoft tightening territory controls on Xbox Live
Xbox 360 Guitar Hero II supply issues in Canada and UK
BusinessWeek: MS most innovative, then Sony and Nintendo
GameFly game availability made clearer
MS's Robbie Bach: Xbox 360 to be profitable next year
Resident Wii-vil 4 officially priced at $29.99
DS Phat browser not available in stores
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga for Wii

Rumors & Speculation
Rumor: Double Dragon on XBLA next week
Rumor: Nintendo of America moving; SF and NYC are options

Culture & Community
Mario clock version 1-1
Behold the Laser Dance Matrix (it ain't no "pad")
Seropian: E3 'was really a big strokefest'
Man tries to steal PS3, gets Xbox 360 instead
Guitar Hero: Save the Seattle kittens edition
Okami dressup: A dog in wolf's clothing
PS3 murders Xbox 360 with hot air
Aussie Halo 3 Xbox 360 Make-A-Wish auction
Wanna Wii-a, for free-a, don't you wanna?
Broken Pixels versus Night Trap and Snow Job
CGI night elf causes screaming in uncanny valley
Intimate controllers remind us that touching is good

THE CATAN GAZETTE -- 30 APRIL 2007

Six Corners City, Island of Catan. The astonishing rate at which the settlers of Catan have transformed the previously uninhabited and decidedly unimpressive island into something civilized is set to slow down this week, when primary construction on the Xbox Live Arcade comes to a close on Wednesday, May 2nd, at 9AM GMT (2AM PST). Mayor Taus Kleuber, whose city will host the entertainment complex, noted that, "I encourage all our settlers to visit the arcade and forget about their jobs for a few hours."

It seems that customers are already doing just that, lining up outside the arcade with the required 800 MS Points entry fee already in hand. "It seems like a reasonable price," said one excited teenager. "Then again, our currency never made any sense to me." Another woman expressed dismay at the growing excitement. "This new-fangled tomfoolery disgusts me. Why, my little girl's school was attacked by bears the other day because the guy who was making the fence went to check out this arcade. If I were a witch or something, I'd put this thing on a hex for sure!"


The most important part of establishing a successful arcade is filling it with quality games. So says self-proclaimed "gamer," Thaddeus McMac. "It's all about the games. When the Xbox Live Arcade opens this week, they're putting up some Centipede and Millipede machines." McMac notes that this "retro" package deal, which lumps together the two similar titles, costs 400 MS points and is perfect for those that enjoyed it before they moved to Catan. "Personally, I think I'll just wait for Catan to get some sunglass stores. I'll need a rose-colored pair before I tangle with those bugs again!"

Turn to Page 2 for our riveting poll: How do you pronounce Catan? (Hint: It doesn't rhyme with Satan!)

Some sharp eyes over at Gamingtalkhq.com noticed that Catan has been given the month of May for release on Xbox Live. For board game junkies looking to play with their friends scattered across our little blue planet this news is met with great excitement, and is in good company with the release of Carcassonne on Xbox Live this June.

A description of the game, key features and unlockable achievements can all be found at CatanLive.com. We hope this board game trend continues on Xbox Live and brings a different type of XBLA experience beyond the arcade and puzzle games. We now lobby for the fantastic Café International (with its politically incorrect characters intact) and the chase game Scotland Yard. It really is tragic how many great board games American culture missed out on. If you're tired of picking up Monopoly for the umpteenth time for a family member check out Spiel des Jahres for some ideas. Hopefully enough people will vote with their wallets that Catan and Carcassonne are great additions to XBLA.

See also:
Off the Grid: Industry favorites
Off the Grid: Carcassonne review

Although it's taken almost a year to arrive, Xbox Live Arcade players and board game lovers can rejoice: Carcassonne will finally be coming to XBLA in June.

It's no secret that we're fans of the original board game, so the announcement of a date comes as a welcome relief, and a cruel form of torture knowing we'll have to wait more than a month to get it. To whet your appetite even more, check out a slew of Carcassonne screenshots here.

Power to the Meeple.

[Via GameStooge]

It looks like board game lovers are going to be getting even more Euro gaming goodness. At least, that's what the signs are pointing to. We already know that Xbox Live Arcade will be getting games like Settlers of Catan, Alhambra, and our personal favorite Carcassonne, but according to some rumors at GameStooge it looks like another Rio Grande Games classic will be coming down the pipeline ... Puerto Rico.

Apparently in the threads over at BoardGameGeek.com (which is a fantastic site for board games and such, along with the equally as fantastic FunAgain.com) the German gaming site BrettSpielWelt has taken down their online version of Puerto Rico, and replaced it with a message that another company has purchased the rights for "online exploitation." And c'mon, no one is better at exploiting things than Microsoft, right?

Puerto Rico is a fun game that takes about an hour to play, and is all about shipping goods and building cities. It's been critically hailed as one of the best games of the past twenty years, already has a PC version out, and it's continually voted the number one game at board game sites, and it sure would be nice to see it on XBLA.

Joystiq readers have long asked for Settlers of Catan to be brought to Xbox Live Arcade. When Microsoft confirmed that they're working on the game, some readers rejoiced:

• "Now THAT is cool. It almost makes a Nintendo fanboy like me want to buy a 360." -- RiemannMeetLebesgue
• "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." -- Ray Kasten
• "prepare for the new most addicting game on XBL" -- Deadpool
• "YES!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS BOARD GAME SO MUCH! This is the best news I've ever heard for 360 :-)" -- CrossFireXT17

(You get the picture.)

But some Joystiqers (self included) never really understood what all the fuss was about. Well, count another convert, as of last night. Here's a (brief) tale of how I became a Settlers of Catan addict.

The invitation to the New Year's Eve get-together encouraged partygoers to bring their favorite board or card games. Being provincial, I brought over a couple DSs with Tetris DS, intending to share my love of head-to-head Tetris with attendees. When I arrived, however, a game of Settlers of Catan had just been laid out on the dining room table. Curious to see what the fuss was about, I put away the DSs. They were not touched all evening.

We had trouble tearing ourselves away from the game board for the New Year's countdown, we were so into the game. After the ball dropped over the slack-jawed revelers in Times Square, we returned to the den and played for a couple more hours. Settlers of Catan plays like a multiplayer version of Civilization, with four players taking turns to build roads, settlements, and cities in an attempt to control scarce natural resources. It's simple, it's fun, and it's -- huzzah! -- coming to XBLA, eventually. Waiting's hard, though -- I've already filled and abandoned two shopping carts full of Settlers merch, but will wait to see if the XBLA version satisfies the jones.

[Image credit: Shifting Lands.com's homebew 3d Settlers of Catan set.]

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.