The Gadgets Page

There are lots of games available for the iPhone, but one that I’ve downloaded and really enjoyed is Electronic Arts’ Sudoku. You can see it here:

• Electronic Arts: Sudoku – iTunes Link

At only $4.99, it’s a reasonably priced application for the iPhone and it beats all of the free versions out there. It’s easier to use than any other version and I rarely press the wrong number with their user interface.

My only problem with this game is the splash screen. I can turn off the music and sound effects in the game, but EVERY time I load the game, it plays a LOUD flute tune while loading. I don’t mind the fact that it takes a while to load. I don’t mind the hubris and vanity of Electronic Arts and the visual graphics while the game loads, but the music is SO LOUD that I can’t just pull out my iPhone and play a little Sudoku in public places.

Just imagine being in church. You’re bored out of your mind because Sister Christiansen is bearing her testimony AGAIN about the way genealogy work has brought her closer to Jesus. You KNOW she’s going to be talking for at least fifteen minutes before they will be able to wrestle the microphone out of her hands. Time to check out with a little Sudoku, right? NO! Don’t do it! The second the splash screen plays that flute music on FULL volume, the entire congregation is going to turn around and look at YOU! You can’t even disable the noise by turning off the ringer on your iPhone. NOTHING STOPS IT!

It’s not like the game hasn’t had multiple updates, but each one has failed to give me the option to TURN OFF the audio on the splash screen. I can turn off the audio while the game is playing, but I can’t load up the game without EVERYONE getting an earful of Asian flutes.

Until EA realizes that we need to be able to discreetly load up their games on our iPhones and play them when no one is noticing, they are going to FAIL in the casual gaming market.