Though Windows 8 gaming has been criticized by the more serious PC gamer developers, most people who use a Windows operating system probably don’t have a clue what Steam is. Instead, the most gaming they will do is a bit of Spider Solitaire or randomly clicking at Minesweeper.
Arkadium, a game development studio, has announced that in partnership with Microsoft Studios it has redesigned some of the classic games that traditionally come with the Windows operating system. Solitaire Collection, Minesweeper, Mahjong have all been updated for the release of Windows 8. The games have been optimized for touch screens, have new game modes, and have “customized content.” A new matching game called Taptiles will also be included in Windows 8.
“These are the first games we are releasing as part of the multi-year, multi-game partnership with Microsoft Studios that we announced in January,” said Kenny Rosenblatt, co-founder and CEO of Arkadium. “We have taken strong evergreen titles and worked on transforming them into new experiences that make game play even more addictive and fun. And just as the previous classics pioneered gaming for desktops, we’re excited to launch Taptiles, a new game destined to become a classic for next generation touch devices.”
It looks as if Arkadium and Microsoft are bringing an element of the serious to these traditionally casual games. This begs the question: will Minesweeper with fireworks, avatars, leaderboards, and achievements really still be Minesweeper?