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The future of boardgames?
Hi there, here´s an interesting link of OLEDs meeting boardgames. Link: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10441005-1.html Though I like boardgames so much because they are so tactile, this technique could enhance or just simplify boardgames. I am thinking here especially of CoSims and other more complex games. Playing via the internet using this kind of "interface" could be something gerat. Greets oxymoron
I think this would be pretty sweet! I think even better is that it would make some games more accessible to a wider audience.
I know what you're thinking "But Will, something like that will be expensive! Being cost phohibitive won't make a game more accessible!"
1) People that play war games such as Warhammer 40k don't give a F*** diddle about cost. Figures, Scenes, Paint, Terrain and scenarios etc all cost money. If you're big into that game it costs a LOT.
2) once you have "programmable" tiles it would be pretty simple to buy new software to change what those tiles do.
3) people like me, those with TERRIBLE minor motor skills, could finally truly enjoy war games. I'd play warhammer 40k but I don't want to have ANYTHING to do with cutting sprues, gluing things together or painting. Nor do I want to but somebody elses army on eBay...but with software I could probably do things like choose the color schemes of my army and maybe buy extra "costumes"
People turned off by using a yard stick to move pieces etc will have no more worries as the computer part of the system takes care of that...and these games become less, but not entirely without...fiddly bits. It looks to me like there's enough tactile fun to be had...without the tedium of moved 17 minuatures exactly 3 inches left...oi.
This is not a diss towards war games or war gamers... I have a lot of friends that play 40k and other games like it, they're just not for me in their current iterations.
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We actually discuss this very item in the next Goober segment. There have been several news items in the last few weeks showing how the world of games and high tech are converging.
As Will says, I can see how miniatures wargames would open up to a wider range of players since the hobby aspect of painting and scenics doesn't appeal to everyone. Then again, the cost for the "hardware" (the electronic game tiles or screens) might be a barrier to entry that will also keep people away.
Well, of course this will be a very expensive way to play boardgames. But as far as I can see, the video shows more or less a kind of prototype. It will take some years to get this to the market, but cost will decrease then. Think of the first DVD players, computers or MP3 Players. Technical progress will make things cheaper. On the other hand, you will play for the hardware, but the games themselves will get cheaper, because they are "just" progrmme code then. So material is abiut nothing, distribution is very cheap (maybe just a download) and small press publishings will maybe less risky for the publisher. And of course, games like ASL will maybe played by a wider audience. The backflip could be, that people play games (like onlime rpgs), but won´t have a greater understanding for game mechanisms and way to achieve points or whatever. In the end ames could be played less strategic.