Wi-Fi games are even nerdier than regular Scrabble: We like.
EA’s iPhone and iPod touch version of Scrabble lacks Wi-Fi multiplayer competition, but the company plans to party add that feature with a free update to its $9.99 game. Targeted with a September release, the Scrabble Bonjour version identifies and connects to other gamers automatically, letting two people compete.
Scrabble Bonjour shares the name of that networking identifier, but it also shares its limitations. Bonjour is used by local devices to make automatic introductions, such as when you serve a music library from iTunes to another Mac. EA has shown us how two devices instantly play Scrabble together--neat. But Scrabble Bonjour won’t connect to other gamers online; you’ll have to be on the same, local network. Additionally, Scrabble Bonjour won’t support ad-hoc, direct competition without a Wi-Fi hotspot. And unlike the four-player board game, Scrabble Bonjour Wi-Fi will support a maximum of two players.
