Casino video games
Casino gaming has been part of popular American culture ever since Bugsy Siegel first threw up the Flamingo in the mid-20th century. In truth, this recreation predates Vegas itself, finding its origins in the back rooms and smoky parlors of the Wild West. Whether the game was Texas Hold ’Em or blackjack, Americans have long found places to gather and match wits against the best of the best. Today the tradition is alive and well, thriving in new media across the digital landscape.
Poker has taken off across the country. Propelled in no small part by the rise in cable audiences and movies like Rounders, poker has graduated from a parlor game into big business. Las Vegas and Atlantic City have done their part to mainstream gambling as well, overhauling their image from crime syndicates to family chic. That means this country is finding its way into games of chance through some of the most advanced and inviting technologies in the world.
It didn’t take long for online gaming to join the party – indeed, this industry has long been one of the truly profitable parts of the Net. What is missing from such experiences, however, is the joy that comes from immersion – the lights, the sounds, the atmospherics and restless promise of fortune you find in a real casino. Although downloadable applications make desultory nods toward ambiance, it’s rare to find anything that really puts you in the pits, rubbing shoulders with fellow gamblers.
That’s where the latest console casino games come in. One of the oldest and most popular is without question World Championship Poker 2 for the PSP, a taut and tense sim that delivers big thrills and strong AI for those who want to match wits. A number of variants of the game are available here, and you can readily add your own features and innovations as well. The characters are fully realized, stocked with amusing and telling animations that offer a nice snapshot of this game’s high drama. They come with different betting styles, predilections and concerns, including plenty of surprises to remind you you’re at the table with intelligent creatures.
In contrast, the Wii’s new World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions is a bit simpler. Essentially a faithful port of the same game when it existed on PS2 and Xbox, what the updated version offers is more indulgent and tactile Wii-style play. Designed as it is around an actual event, TOC includes all the big names you have come to know and love from those ceaseless ESPN rebroadcasts. Although the strategies may be stripped down, there is plenty to love in this interactive effort.
It took a little while for Xbox to catch up with the craze, but today it offers a quick way to get online and play against other human beings – ideally, seasoned players you already know and love. The nuances and atmospherics of Texas Hold ’Em are finely wrought here, and of course there is no substitute for the seamless pleasure of using Xbox Live Arcade instead of a stand-alone PC application.