Finally! A Price Break On Some Great Games!

[Brad Adrian]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.handmark.com/products/detail.php?id=116' target='_blank'>http://www.handmark.com/products/detail.php?id=116</a><br /><br /></div>Remember back when I wrote that fabulous review of that old favorite game, <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4380">Handmark's Monopoly</a>? And, remember back when I wrote that enthralling review of another old favorite, <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3547">Handmark's Scrabble</a>? And, remember when we all just about <i><b>hurled </b></i>when we saw that each game cost $29.99?<br /><br />Well, my friends, hurl no more!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/adrian/monopoly_scrabble.jpg" /><br /><br />Handmark has discounted the price of both of these great games by 33%, down to only $19.99 each. I've always considered these two games absolutely madatory installs to my Games folder (mostly because I lack the eye-hand coordination to play anything but "strategy" games) and I can recommend each one highly. Their dedication to the original board versions is impeccable.<br /><br />You can grab a trial version and full license of <a href="http://www.handango.com/brainstore/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=43204">Scrabble</a> and/or <a href="http://www.handango.com/brainstore/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=44820">Monopoly</a> from the Handango site. I don't know if this is a limited time offer, but if you're considering buying these games, you can bet they won't ever be cheaper than this!

[Phoenix]

Still too expensive. Much better, but still too much, IMO.

If they offered these two together for $20 or $25, that would be great, but $20 each or $40 for both is too much.

I'm sure they might have licensing fees and so on which may affect the price, but otherwise they should take some hints from PDAMill, which produces great games and charges under $10 a piece for them.

The Monopoly and Scrabble games do look great, however. I wonder how good the AI is?

[shawnc]

I agree with Phoenix, $20-25 for both sounds reasonable. $20 each is still to much to pay for a PPC game (IMO).

[seeker]

These games from Handmark are extremely well constructed and very exciting to play.

These games are authentic and accurate as compared to the "original" games. The Scrabble game has a very good scrabble dictionary included which I use when my family plays another family in the board game.

I have purchased them both and enjoy them greatly.

I only wish that I had waited until now to make my purchase.

:(

[zzzmarcus]

call me cheap but... 20 bucks for a game that is just a recreation of an exisiting board game is still pretty durn steep. I agree with the above posts - 20 dollars for both is much more reasonable.

[PR.]

I liked Monopoly for my Psion it had custom rules and most importantly a timed game mode, where after the time passed the player with the most assets would win.

This doesn't appear to have those options :(

[Brad Adrian]

This doesn't appear to have those options :(
There are some rules that can be configured, though. I'm not sure what they all mean, but they include:

short game
once around before
infinite buildings
double bonus landing
pass instead of auction
even build rule
pay rent when mortgaged
free parking bonus

[gorkon280]

What makes this unique from the actual board games? Does it allow you to compete over the internet? Does it allow you and a friend who have PPC's or Palms play each other over BT? Does it allow you to play the computer?? If all it does is let you play the computer, no thanks....I will dig out my game board and play it with a bunch of friends and family. If I look hard enough, I should be able to find these games for less then 20 for both...if I look hard enough! :D

[The Yaz]

I have Scrabble and you can play up to four people on the one pda (when your turn is done, hand it to the next person-tap the screen to reveal your tiles and play). It also allows play between pdas via infared.

I originally bought it on Handango with the PPCT subscriber discount. I usually will not spend so much on a game, but if you like scrabble, its worth it (especially if you have a 30+ minute ride on a train or bus since it takes roughly that long if you are playing against the computer).

Steve 8)

[SoAlive]

I know that it takes money to develop good games, but even at $20, I think most of us would sooner do without. It just doesn't seem worth it for portable entertainment, especially since other games can be bought for half that price. I'm sure I sound cheap to the few who do pay that much, but I think most PPCers feel the same.

[Phoenix]

To me, NO application should cost more than $10-$15, unless you're talking about something really high end like CAD on a handheld or something of that nature.

The sweet spot, IMO is $10.

I don't think games, PIM's, productivity software or anything else should ever go over $10-$15 a piece. Anything more than that and it's just too much and very quickly loses value.

[bjornkeizers]

Expensive, yes. But: THEY'RE WORTH IT! Monopoly is a fantastic game, one you should not be without. If you like monopoly, you simply *have* to get this.

[christak]

call me cheap but... 20 bucks for a game that is just a recreation of an exisiting board game is still pretty durn steep. I agree with the above posts - 20 dollars for both is much more reasonable.

I agree -- I'd love to have them, but I wouldn't use them that often...
8)

[JonMisurda]

If you buy it from PocketGear, subscribers can get another 15% off. If $3 off makes each more appealing.

I just checked that it worked with Monopoly.


Jon

[Brad Adrian]

I'm a little curious. What is it about Pocket PC software that makes people feel they should pay so much less than for desktop PC software? There aren't many high-quality PC games out there for $10, is there?

[WindWalker]

I'm a little curious. What is it about Pocket PC software that makes people feel they should pay so much less than for desktop PC software? There aren't many high-quality PC games out there for $10, is there?

A good question.

It seems that the smaller the device, the less expensive the software should be, at least in the rational of many people. The assumption looks to be that a program that runs on a PDA cannot have the sophistication or technical demands of a full desktop program. There may be something to it, though I'm sure the developers think they have put in just as much effort as any other developer.....

[yawanag]

I'm a little curious. What is it about Pocket PC software that makes people feel they should pay so much less than for desktop PC software? There aren't many high-quality PC games out there for $10, is there?

My reason is that if I pay $500-800 for a PDA, it doesn't take long at $20 a shot to spend that much in software. I don't believe in paying that much in software knowing that I am probably going to upgrade my device in a year or two.

I have also found that some of those high price softwares don't offer a trial. I can't tell you how many times I purchased a what I thought was a "must have" and deleted it within in a week or two because I found something I like better or even found a FREE version that I liked even better.

[Kati Compton]

I'm a little curious. What is it about Pocket PC software that makes people feel they should pay so much less than for desktop PC software? There aren't many high-quality PC games out there for $10, is there?
It seems that the smaller the device, the less expensive the software should be, at least in the rational of many people. The assumption looks to be that a program that runs on a PDA cannot have the sophistication or technical demands of a full desktop program. There may be something to it, though I'm sure the developers think they have put in just as much effort as any other developer.....
For me, it's the depth of my need/want of the software coupled with what I perceive as the complexity of the software. Going by that measure, those two particular games are too expensive at that price on any platform. I'm not saying the developers don't deserve the money, and that it isn't perfectly reasonable for other people to pay it, but I won't because I just don't like those games enough.

So, I don't like to spend more than $50 on the desktop, even if it's a game I'll play a lot. Not sure why. I'm probably just cheap. But that's about what I will pay for something that will get me lots of enjoyment. As much as I like my PPC, I can't sit and use it for quite as many hours as my desktop. I can't play Diablo or Dungeon Siege, can't code up something for fun on it, and the resolution (at least on the Axim) isn't high enough for me to fiddle around with a CAD program making sketches of the house I would like to build someday. These are a few of my favorite things, and the things that I pay ~$50 for (and sometimes more).

I've purchased PI for $20, and that was worth it. I've purchased other programs at various price points in teh $5-$15 range - that's my comfort zone for PPC software (again, depends on the software's complexity and value to me). Frequently I'll look at a review of software and think "oh, but I only want that $15 worth, not $30 worth...". So I don't buy it. Other people may want it $30 worth.

I also waited to buy Gilbert Goodmate until it was $15 instead of $20, because that's the "value" I decided it would get me. Mainly because I wasn't sure how well a game like that would work on such a small screen. I stand by my $15, but think I'd pay the full $20 if there were a VGA version and I had a VGA device. ;)

It's all about relative value for software (and hardware, really... I'm not going to pay $200 for a set of computer speakers because I normally have the volume off).

[PR.]

I'll pay any reasonable amount for software/hardware that fills my requirements.

e.g. I will be 'happy' to spend up to £600 for my HP iPAQ Explorer but I can't justify to myself £670 for a HP HPC1100 Tablet PC.

[shockidelica]

I've seen Monopoly/Scrabble and Battleship/Yahtzee two-packs offered at Best Buy, Office Depot, CompUSA and Circuit City for $29.99 each. This is certainly the best and chepest way to obtain these games.

[AndyEich]

Get it from handango for $20, and use coupon code F425D4D for $5 off.

[Jason Lee]

I've seen Monopoly/Scrabble and Battleship/Yahtzee two-packs offered at Best Buy, Office Depot, CompUSA and Circuit City for $29.99 each. This is certainly the best and chepest way to obtain these games.

Yeah.. This never made sense to me. Best Buy has been selling the two packs for $29.99 all along. And you get the pocket pc _and_ palm versions... Why would anyone buy one game for one pda online when you can get two games for two platrorms for the same price?
:?