EA released an updated Tetris for iDevices today, along with a subscription service.
In Soviet Russia, Tetris plays you with finger! Possibly the most successful game created in the 20th Century, the Alexey Pajitnov opus has mesmerized players with its simple yet challenging gameplay on almost every gaming platform ever created. Electronic Arts has adapted those simple rules for the built-in casual games audience of Apple’s iDevice with a new touch interface designed specifically for them. The new Tetris ($.99 on iTunes) lets you play with just one finger, and offers more than just run of the mill falling Tetraminos (what those blocks are technically called). You can even pay a monthly fee of $2.99 or $29.99/year to join T-Club for “access to exclusive discounts and content, premium challenges, and a booster to progress their Tetris Rank.”
“The Tetris App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch was specifically designed to let players experience a re-imagined Tetris universe including the traditional Tetris gameplay they know and love,” said EA. “The innovative new features are sure to bring hours of frenzied fun for both newcomers and seasoned Tetris fans.”
While I loved the basic gameplay of Tetris, EA was probably going to have to offer something else for me to be interested in shelling out money for a game I played to death in 1989. The Marathon mode seems to be that something, and the Galaxy mode which features leveling and power-ups for a fast-paced game sounds interesting.
But the unfortunately named T-Club (seriously sounds like a sex fetish establishment) seems like a bit of a stretch. If I’m already spending money an app, why would I want to pay a subscription? I guess I assume most gamers are as stingy as I am, but EA executives probably knows that even if 1 in a thousand Tetris App-purchasers also pay a monthly fee, then it will still make them money.
They are smart, those executives.
Source: iTunes
