EA Casual Announces For Dummies Series For PC, DS

Electronic Arts’ Casual Entertainment label announced a series of For Dummies games based on Wiley Publishing’s For Dummies brand and developed by Beanbag Studios. The titles are planned for the PC in the U.S., Canada, and the UK, while a Nintendo DS game, Travel Games For Dummies, will follow in the fall in North America and select European countries. Each of the For Dummies releases is aimed at teaching players skills in games like Poker, Solitaire and Sudoku, and activities like brain training. A tutorial mode introduces players to rules and vocabulary, says EA, before a "practice mode" in which a coach offers tips and advice to help players get ready to take on the games on their own. The first For Dummies title, Poker For Dummies, which features tutorials and games for Texas Hold'Em, Omaha, and Seven-Card Stud, has already launched on gaming portal Pogo. Future downloadable For Dummies titles include Solitaire For Dummies in September, Brain Training For Dummies in October, Sudoku For Dummies in November, and more into 2009. Both Poker For Dummies and Brain Training For Dummies will also be available for PC in October 2008. In November 2008, EA Casual will release Travel Games For Dummies for the Nintendo DS, which will feature tutorials and games for Solitaire, Sudoku, and crossword puzzles. Says EA Casual Studios vice president Robert Nashak: "For Dummies offers an entirely fresh take on the world's most popular games. By teaming up with the most recognized name in the area of self-improvement, we can provide not only fun games, but also everything it takes to learn and master them."