14 DAY TRIAL // The long spell of inactivity regarding iPod games was broken when Apple released iQuiz. While games for the portable media player are still scarce, things are getting better and it looks like there will be new additions to the existing titles.
During their financial results, Electronic Arts revealed that they will be publishing four new games for the iPod sometime this year. Not surprisingly, the exact list of the games was not revealed, but Sims Bowling will definitely be one of those four. The four new games will join EA's existing offering for the iPod, which number Mini Golf, Mahjong, Royal Solitaire, Tetris, and Sodoku. The new games, like the existing ones, will be available through the iTunes store.
Considering that EA makes most of the games available for the iPod, it would not be a surprise to find out that they also convinced Apple to let them make games for the upcoming iPhone; however, there has been no confirmation of this yet.
So far, pricing for the upcoming EA games has not been announced. Considering Apple's stance on the fixed pricing of songs, games could soon get the same treatment, and the new games could be priced the same as the old ones.
In the meantime, Apple has started offering a free demo version of Namco's Ms. Pac-Man via the iTunes store. Apple previously offered a free demo of Vortex for a limited time. Considering that the reaction to the free demos has been very positive, it is surprising to see that demos of every game are not offered. Gaming on the iPod is still very limited, and many people are not even aware of the games at all, so demos would be a simple way for Apple to draw more attention to them and get the ball rolling.