The Next Innovation in Gaming

[Celebrim]

You mean like Wacom Products ?

No, that's just a fraction of what would be necessary.

Take one of thier Cintiq combined pen/tablet displays. Now build wireless networking into it. Then put a moderate processor in it so you don't have to hook it up to something. Then get the weight down to the level of a Kindle. Then get the price down under $200.

Of course, something like that will be created for a wider market, but it would definately revolutionize how PnP games could be played.

 

[SSquirrel]

Take one of thier Cintiq combined pen/tablet displays. Now build wireless networking into it. Then put a moderate processor in it so you don't have to hook it up to something. Then get the weight down to the level of a Kindle. Then get the price down under $200.

Of course, something like that will be created for a wider market, but it would definately revolutionize how PnP games could be played.

Except for the price point, we're back at the upcoming Apple tablet again (or similar) heh. I assume they will function with finger or appropriate pen, we'll find out end of the month. Other companies have products in this market niche as well, but none of them have been done nearly so well yet.

 

[Yabanjin]

I actually think the next step for gaming will be entirely different from the perspectives in this thread so far. Tabletop gaming is currently competing with electronic entertainment for a share of our entertainment (dollars/pounds/yen/euros), and electronic entertainment is winning. Tabletop gaming won't continue on into the coming decades by evolving into another electronic entertainment form, but by offering an alternative to the flickering, glowing rectangles that rule the rest of our lives.

Tabletop gaming's next innovation will be in marketing itself to those of us who have grown tired of spending all day at a computer screen only to go home and watch another screen in our leisure time. Tabletop gaming needs to bill itself as a cure for the detachment and isolationism creeping into our recreation, and appeal to the growing number of people who have "unplugged" themselves.

Dungeons and Dragons
Stop sitting in front of a screen, and start sitting behind one.
​

 

[Janx]

I'll note that WizKids' combat dial was pretty innovative for miniatures gaming. Did it stick? Don't know, but that could be the patented part of the problem.

Apple's iTablet will likely be a netbook version of a Mac laptop, or a larger screen version of the iPod Touch/iPhone. Not a bad thing, because there are SDKs that would enable developers to make software.

A device built specifically for RPGs is unlikely, the cost to develop is to high for such a small market. A multi-purpose device that has software and add-ons to support/run RPGs is very likely, as that trend has already happened.

As somebody else said, when rules management is fully automated, the divided in gaming styles will diminish because the rules wonks won't have anything to fiddle with. At that point, it'll be about play-styles, not rules.

A trend you'll see is a rule-set designed to be automated/managed by a computer. It might mean simplifying the rules in some areas (where it's hard to program) or expanding in others (where it's really easy to deal with).

Making new combat spells or weapons is easy, it's just a bunch of stats. Making funky abilities and interesting spells requires unique code to make it happen.

I would expect to see an app that lets you run your PC from your iPhone. Right now, I see HP trackers and character builders, but nothing with a focus on RUNNING your character as in looking up your stats and abilities (and associated rules) and making attacks and taking damage and managing resources.

Part of the problem is buying a piece of software is buying an opinion on a process. That means you buy Tool X, you're stuck with D&D version Y.

one thing I don't see changing is electronic games tend to feature less role immersion. People don't tend to get in character in WoW (except for the creepy people). For some reason, it's easier to get in character and act as a character with your friends at the table.

 

[Pbartender]

I actually think the next step for gaming will be entirely different from the perspectives in this thread so far. Tabletop gaming is currently competing with electronic entertainment for a share of our entertainment (dollars/pounds/yen/euros), and electronic entertainment is winning. Tabletop gaming won't continue on into the coming decades by evolving into another electronic entertainment form, but by offering an alternative to the flickering, glowing rectangles that rule the rest of our lives.

Tabletop gaming's next innovation will be in marketing itself to those of us who have grown tired of spending all day at a computer screen only to go home and watch another screen in our leisure time. Tabletop gaming needs to bill itself as a cure for the detachment and isolationism creeping into our recreation, and appeal to the growing number of people who have "unplugged" themselves.

By the same respect, I think the next big innovation won't involve taking table top gaming to a completely virtual table top, but rather a half-way fusion of the two. For example...

Sony, and other companies, have made made some breakthroughs in recent years with prototypes for flexible flat panel displays. The obvious use is as a digital battle mat. But...

Once you find a way to add in the sort of touch screen functionality you see in the Microsoft Surface, and the possibilities multiply... Imagine the battle bat knowing where all the minis are, and what types of minis they are. Imagine adding a condition "tag" that automatically displays on the flat panel battle mat around the base of the mini at a touch. Imagine the battle mat displaying ranges and areas of effect for different attacks and spells, and being to move area of effects and change targets by touch.

Imagine the battle mat knowing what number you rolled on a die, so long as it stopped rolling on the mat.

 

[Celebrim]

I actually think the next step for gaming will be entirely different from the perspectives in this thread so far. Tabletop gaming is currently competing with electronic entertainment for a share of our entertainment (dollars/pounds/yen/euros), and electronic entertainment is winning. Tabletop gaming won't continue on into the coming decades by evolving into another electronic entertainment form, but by offering an alternative to the flickering, glowing rectangles that rule the rest of our lives.

I actually agree with you. Which is why I think that the attempts to create an electronic tabletop are absolutely doomed to failure, and why I've been saying that the 'killer app' for tabletop gaming will be something more akin to the pocket calculator than any sort of elaborate graphical system.

People want throw dice and hear them clatter. They want to see people face to face and communicate directly with them. They want to sit around a table together. They don't want glowing rectangles to get in the way and if the 'play aid' interferes with the experience, it won't gain acceptance.

It's also important to note that PnP gaming tends to be very low cost. Any high cost accessory just won't gain acceptance in the market.

Tabletop gaming's next innovation will be in marketing itself to those of us who have grown tired of spending all day at a computer screen...

That's not really an innovation. We've already got that. Some how 'getting the word' out strikes me as marketting, not innovation.

The problem with the statement "Stop sitting in front of a screen, and start sitting behind one.", is that I seriously doubt there are DM screens at most tables anymore. They are largely obselete technology. Other than a privacy screen, they don't serve much purpose any more because modern game systems are rarely table based. The sort of electronic aid I'm describing is the sort of gadget that replaces the static cardboard DM screen with something that has the main utility you need to run a modern system - generally time and modifier tracking - and furthermore attempts to minimize the necessity of metagame chatter by passing metagame information at a level below the personal communication layer that the actual 'role play' is going on.

 

[Celebrim]

As somebody else said, when rules management is fully automated, the divided in gaming styles will diminish because the rules wonks won't have anything to fiddle with.

Sure they will. In any reasonably robust system, they can always script in the house rules or dump them in as a dataset.

Making new combat spells or weapons is easy, it's just a bunch of stats. Making funky abilities and interesting spells requires unique code to make it happen.

Any attempt to elimenate the DM is foredoomed to failure. If you are limited to something less than the imagination, it's not PnP gaming.

People don't tend to get in character in WoW (except for the creepy people). For some reason, it's easier to get in character and act as a character with your friends at the table.

Because when you play WoW, imagination is not a natural part of the process.

 

[nedjer]

Cheap touch tablets with decent eReading, like a Kindle, occassional access to the net and portable enough to pass casually could help out tabletop play.

Games should become easier to arrange and run, and less expensive if you have a tablet already. While PDF only/ free titles get a chance to be recognised as being 'as good as'/ accessible as a hardback book.

 

[harpy]

We have to keep trudging along waiting for the development to finally pay off, but when we have electronic touch tables then we'll see some amazing tools come out.

Combining that with tablets, so that the DM and players have their own individual panels and we'll have oodles of new ways to enhance the gaming experience.

One thing I saw recently that is really interesting is a laser touchscreen projector which if it keeps getting developed could make the wait for a big 4'x6' touchscreen table that much shorter.

 

[Umbran]

People want throw dice and hear them clatter. They want to see people face to face and communicate directly with them. They want to sit around a table together. They don't want glowing rectangles to get in the way and if the 'play aid' interferes with the experience, it won't gain acceptance.

Yes, but sometimes that isn't possible. As an example - the moderating staff of these boards are spread over a couple continents. Face-to-face gaming for all of us is basically not going to happen, ever. If we want to play together, we'll need some sort of virtual system.

Is a virtual tabletop going to be the next big thing? Probably not. But you make it sound like there is no demand for it at all, which simply isn't the case. I would not be surprised if WotC (if they had proper resources to toss at the project) could make a profit off a VTT for pickup games and such.