ePawn

[Tiitha]

ePawn at E3 2011 - E3 2011 Gaming Hardware and Accessories on GameSpot

My current D&D group has been talking about how we would like to have something like a big touch pad to have a digital dungeon map on, and then we could put monster tokens/miniatures on it. Well, this device is exactly what we've been looking for! I'm delighted that they've already thought of something like this.

I'm not sure if Wizards has planned on integrating their D&D merchandise into this device, but I figure it's very likely that they have or will do so.

 

[TarionzCousin]

ePawn at E3 2011 - E3 2011 Gaming Hardware and Accessories on GameSpot

ePawn Arena
- Available early 2012 for approximately $400

The ePawn Arena is one of the more curious devices at E3 2011. The Arena is a 23-inch touchscreen that responds to pieces (like chess pieces or miniatures) with electronics embedded on the underside. Each piece can be treated as a different unit, in the event you’re playing chess or a tabletop game, it will be able to differentiate a plane from a tank, and a king from a queen.

Games programmed for it will be able to tell which direction unit are pointing and even how far apart they are. If we take a tabletop war game as an example, a well programmed game will be able to determine whether a unit is in range to fire, and whether rendered obstacles are in the way. It can also generate graphical effects like smoke or blood if a unit is hit.

ePawn will likely come with embeddable electronic pieces, so you can use your own existing pieces, in the event you have your own well-painted miniatures.

$400 seems a bit steep to me. I would imagine an app for an iPad would cost less and have most of the same functionality.

 

[Mark CMG]

Cool!

 

[Dannager]

Very cool. Surfacescapes last year, ePawn this year. Lots of great new innovations in the digital tabletop field.

I wonder if the same team is planning on doing anything with Surface 2.0. That hardware is practically designed to be used for precisely this purpose.

 

[jbear]

I'd like something like this if it was intergrated with 4e rules for example. But the screen is too small. 32 inches would be the minimum I would want/need for it, and even then it would be just big enough.

 

[Morrus]

$400 seems a bit steep to me. I would imagine an app for an iPad would cost less and have most of the same functionality.

An iPad would be far too xmall. What if two characters wanted to move more than a few squares apart?

 

[Mark CMG]

An iPad would be far too xmall. What if two characters wanted to move more than a few squares apart?

Multiple iPads as iTactiles.

 

[Aeolius]

Multiple iPads as iTactiles.

Absolutely. Just use Game Center to have everyone join the same grid and viola! The more iPads you use, the bigger the grid.

 

[Morrus]

Absolutely. Just use Game Center to have everyone join the same grid and viola! The more iPads you use, the bigger the grid.

That'll come to a bit more than the above $400!

 

[Mark CMG]

Buy in bulk for the discount.


"I'll take a dozen iPads, five pounds of hamburger, and a carton of Luckys, please!"