Doug wrote about the new ‘reimaginged’ Tetris app, which includes the following:
· The fan-favorite Marathon Mode.
· A brand new level-based Galaxy Mode, where players can use game-changing power ups to dig down and shatter their scores.
· Innovative Marathon One Touch Mode, a simple and easy-to-use control scheme for Marathon mode that is specially designed for touch screen gameplay.
· New gameplay challenges delivered via the never-before-seen Tetris Log system.
· Tetris Rank functionality that tracks players’ lifetime “lines cleared” to assign an overall rank.
· Ability to subscribe to the T-Club, the only Tetris fan club to give members exclusive access to new mobile challenges and content.
These sounded pretty cool and made me want to play Tetris again (first time since about a week after the game was released), which sent me to check my updates and then to realize a few things …
Do you own the latest version of Tetris for the iPhone? Before you check your app updates and say ‘yes, I do’ … let me be the first to tell you that NO, in fact you do not. EA has released a new ‘update’ which actually forces you to buy the game again. Your current game will persist, but will not be updated.
What is in the new version? A vacuum to your wallet! Seriously – EA now has something called the ‘Elite Tetris Fan Club’. As mentioned in Doug’s post:
For a fee of $2.99 per month or $29.99 for a year, consumers who download Tetris can also subscribe to the T-Club, an elite Tetris fan club that gives members access to exclusive discounts and content, premium Tetris Log challenges, and a booster to progress their Tetris Rank faster.
Wait … to be a member, you need to buy the new game (again), and THEN subscribe for $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year! What do you get in return? A cool ‘one touch’ mode, and a bunch of other stuff that seems fairly nonsensical.
$30 a year for some vague level-up system on top of a brazen cash grab based around … Tetris. I would never have guessed. But then again, this IS EA, so I shouldn’t be surprised! What do you think? Add your comments and chime in on the poll!
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Head to the iTunes App Store and check out the ‘all new’ Tetris!