From all the reaction It has got, it would seem that the Reality Distortion Field does have a downside. Though in hindsight the difference between the Hype that It had and the actual device that was on Show, seems to resulted in neither satisfying the hard core Fan Boys or the Haters. For me, it comes down to a frequent experience I’ve had while using my ipod touch, which after 2 years of use is now primarily an email reading and gaming device. Uh, make that a gaming and an email reading device. From a music side, it only plays a single playlist of those 3 songs, that we use around the house to quiet down the 9 month old.
While playing this rather addictive top down ibomber, which uses the accelerometer, one of the things you notice about the visuals is the amount of detail they have added to this game. Frequently, I would notice myself squinting a few inches away from the screen trying to find that AA gun which would be about 4 x 4 pixels. Thinking I wish the screen were bigger. And I’ve had that same thought repeatedly while playing other great games on the ipod touch.
That is it. A bigger screen would improve the gaming experience I would have manifold. Add in multi-touch, and with the games exploiting the available real estate, you are looking at an incredible gaming platform of much promise. Imagine playing a game of roulette on this with your friends. The kicker for me is that the increased size of the screen enables 2 to 4 players to sit around it, and possibly play together and that alone is a great game-play opportunity. Though, something in the size of Microsoft Surface would be perfect for something like Texas Hold’em or Subbuteo, but there is a substantial size and real estate available for game designers with the iPad to create experiences that takes the device straight into group games territory.
One Comment
Completely agree on the gaming front for the iPad. But as a productivity tool, it comes right into a very grey area. As for gaming, my interests are a little different, and best achieved on a ‘big’ screen. As for the iPod, mine is permanently fixed to the USB port in the car, and gets updated whenever any new music is added.
For a group experience, see this idea here (based on dual screen or single screen tablets). http://timeline-studios.com/blogs/2010/02/concept-grid-with-tablets/