Inside Social Games

Electronic Arts is planning to release three new renditions of classic board games for the iPhone this winter: Battleship, Connect Four, and Monopoly Classic.

The three games stem from the license deal between EA and the toy maker, Hasbro. They’ll be joing other digitized board games such as Boggle, Scrabble, and The Game of Life.

Each game will play, more or less, the same as their analog counterparts, with a few digital differences.

Battleship will contain three different play modes called Classic, Salvo, and Super Weapons. Furthermore, it would seem EA is learning the social elements of gaming (not to mention board games are meant to be played with multiple people) as the app will include local multiplayer using Bluetooth and WiFi. It’s not clear whether asynchronous play online will be available. Based on screenshots, the game also looks like it will have some form of simple cinematic sequences when you finally sink that battleship.

Connect Four also utilizes Bluetooth and WiFi for local multiplayer. However, it looks like multiple people will also be able to play on the same iPhone or iPod Touch. In addition, single player will include modes by the names of Classic, Challenge, Powerchips, Max Score, and PopOut along with 25 unlockable achievements.

The last title is Monopoly Classic (not to be confused with the previously released Monopoly: Here and Now). This new title is meant to reinvigorate the classic, not to mention cut-throat and anger inducing, version of the exorbitantly long board game. Supporting up to four players locally through WiFi or on the same device (Bluetooth only supports two players), users compete for those ever coveted hotels and that colorful Monopoly cash. Making use of the technology, dice rolls are now done with iPhone shakes, you can now save games  — rather than, say, leave game pieces strewn across a table. You can also access your iPod music library.

Unfortunately, the exact release dates are still unknown, but it would make sense to get them out in time for holiday sales. It’s not clear what other social features the games might come with. The Scrabble iPhone game, for example, launched first then added Facebook Connect back in April.

[images via Slide to Play]