Vectorform Game Studio was showing off their version of The Settlers of Catan on Microsoft Surface. Surface, is a computer table that allows users to move actual objects on the table as well as being a huge touch screen.
From the developer’s web site:
Now Vectorform Game Studio brings you The Settlers of Catan as presented by Mayfair for the Microsoft Surface. This multi-touch, multi-player experience captures the authentic experience provided by the popular board game. Featuring 3 or 4 player modes, a beautifully animated and interactive board, and a free-form interface which keeps play flowing as smoothly as possible, this experience is sure to be a defining element in the legacy of Catan.
Features:
• Full multi-touch from the Microsoft Surface allows all players to interact with their elements of the board at once.
• A digital playing surface breathes new life into the Catan experience through graphics and animations.
• “State-free-trade” allow players to swap cards without entering modes or pressing buttons, keeping the experience as pure as possible.
• Customized art unifies the multi-touch interface with Mayfair’s 4th Edition release of The Settlers of Catan to create a seamless play experience.
• Integration with real-world objects to maintain the original Catan board game feel.
Thanks to Boardgame News for the link.
The Settlers of Catan™ are coming to America
Fans of the award-winning, multi-million selling The Settlers of Catan™ will have new lands to settle soon. To celebrate the 234th anniversary of the United States and the 15th anniversary of The Settlers of Catan™, Mayfair Games is proud to announce that Catan Histories: Settlers of America, Trails to Rails™ is set to be released in the United States on Thursday, July 15 at hobby and game stores around the country. Designed by Klaus Teuber, this new Catan adventure uses a map of the United States, along with the familiar Catan hex-tile grid.
The game focuses on 19th Century Americans as they head west. Wagon trains are formed up and sent out to settle new lands and build new cities. The new cities need railroad lines to bring in necessary goods. Players link these cities with rails of steel and operate their railroads to supply the townsfolk with goods. To do the players will need to gather and trade their resources wisely.
Settlers of America, Trails to Rails™ debuted at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH (June 24-27, 2010); it will be available for sale at hobby and game shops on July 15, 2010. For those who have played The Settlers of Catan™, this game is as accessible and fun as the original. There are trades to be made and cities to be built; are you ready to leave the island of Catan and head towards America?
Mayfair Games, founded in 1981, is an independent publisher of high quality games designed for gamers and family play.