After watching the Ex Illis game demo and the release of the iPad, I have concluded that like it or not, the merging of our hobby games and the computerized world is inevitable. While I may not be on board with this idea totally (considering how much of a gadget geek I am, this is shocking) I think someone integrating the two mediums correctly is only a matter of time. Hell, I am already sort of doing it with iBodger on my iPhone. With that app, I can create and store WARMACHINE/HORDES army lists, access and the Battle College entry for any unit, and reference any rules errata/clarifications on the PP forums. D&D has their tool, D&Di, as a gaming aid for players to either play their rpg online or use their laptops at the gaming table. And who hasn't used Army Builder or Tabletop Commander? And there is a huge fan base of Vasal players playing all sorts of games. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg of what I am referring to.
The iPad
I have seen several game apps for the iPad and they look awesome. The developers really took advantage of the hardware inside this device. But, those are games for the iPad itself. How would the iPad impact our hobby games?
Just think back to this past weekend. I had a backpack full of dice, books, laptop, pens, paper, character sheets and other gaming gear. Now imagine if we all had iPads. All of the D&D books would ( well, potentially could) be viewable on the iPad. No need to lug all that weight around! And not just the books I brought with me, I can have my entire D&D library at my fingertips. Pencils? Character Sheets? No need. Just input on the iPad or have the character gen app do it for you. Laptop to access online material? No need there either. iPad can access the same content. No need for dice, either. There is an app for that! I have one on my iPhone, actually. Anyways, you get the picture. I know this may sound like an iPad sales pitch, it is not. I'm not sure you can even get the D&D books for the iPad yet. The potential is there, though. I'm just trying to illustrate my point about the two mediums integrating.
One Step Further
I think that as long as there are tech geeks who game (not that there are many of those :-) people will continue to invent ways of combing the virtual world with the real world. I am sure even now that some MIT geek is working on the Star Wars holographic chess game that you had better let the Wookie win. Look at the Nintendo Wii. I think that is the closest we will get to the Matrix before we have to implant VR ports into the backs of our necks! In researching this, I came across many examples of man and machine, but not until recently did I find any directly related to hobby gaming. Here are a few links to illustrate what I mean:
The first is close to home for us, as it is D&D on the Microsoft Surface platform.
And to be fair, here is a link to the Ex Illis game demo (Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)
Eye of Judgement, a PS3 game utilizing the PS3 Eye. Think Yu Gi Oh or Pokemon!
Eye of Judgement
Here is the Avatar game version along the same lines as Eye of Judgement. Yeah, warjacks!
Avatar
Lastly, this example is the closest I think to best integrating what we play. It is called "augmented reality". If you don't check out any of the others, please look at this one. Imagine playing a game of WARMACHINE like this!
SCOPE
So you see the potential is there, just that the technology is just not refined enough yet to make it affordable, graceful, and fun. I am certain in time someone will be the first to really nail this technology as a game system and create a new market for hobby gaming.
As for me, I'll stick to old skool. Computers have taken over so many aspects of our lives, the table top battlefield is one where I prefer they remain blissfully absent.
Wickedstormy
The way I am looking at computers in the table top and board game genre is as support. The support is getting better and better. And yes, there have been leaps and bounds in the merging of software and hardware with computers and virtual reality and enhanced gaming and whatnot. Ex Illis seems to be the closest to an actual computer table top game, but it really seems like 2 games that are exactly the same with a computer version and a table top version and sort of mashed together.
ReplyDeleteThe key word, as has always been the case with gamers, is flavor. Ex illis doesn't have the flavor. Eye of Judgment and the Avatar examples above seem to get really close to the flavor. Interesting that they use the word "enhanced," for that is what they truly are. Not changing the CCG genre, but enhancing what is already there. E.g. I summon my black smoke monster of death and place his card on the table. Enhanced - I can see the BSMoD conjured and appear in front of me.
I think these games will do very well in the different card and collectible markets, but haven't quite seen how this will infiltrate Table Top, other than to provide enhancements, like tokens, measuring, line of sight, and other things that Vassal does.
One thing I did not like about the D&D was the lack of real rolling of dice. One thing I will never like about any computer or enhanced or anything of the like is if it takes the dice out of my hand and puts it as a button or some other such nonsense.
They may take my life, but they will never take, MY DICE!!!