The Next-gen Situation discussion *spawn

Sure, but there's a big difference between device synergy across a product range and a console with a packed in smart controller. A PPC based tablet will presumably eat batteries and so not be workable (I don't know of any mobile PPC devices). An MS gaming tablet would have to be designed first and foremost as a tablet, and then run software via a compatibility layer. Which is MS Surface. I'd expect a gaming tablet to be a Win8 7" tablet using SmartGlass and being an optional extra for devs to target on XB3. I don't believe for one moment XB3 will feature a tablet based control as standard.

I fully expect the xbox 720 will have an improved 360 style gamepad as the standard contoller. Kidney bean buttons and fixed d-pad or something like that.

A Xbox branded Wii U style tablet with the right tech (perceptive pixel & autostereoscopic) and Halo5 support would have a great shot at selling in the tens of millions.
 
With Smartglass Microsoft needs no custom tablet - but that doesn't mean they couldn't release one. Although I don't see any reason why they would want to deviate from Surface RT or whatsitsname. Maybe release one with the Nextbox case design?

A tablet for gaming is useless though, IMHO. The touch interface is just too limiting and wouldn't allow for a large enough game catalogue. Just look at iOS games, the system's there but the software is not enough to support an economy or the media content to augment it.

Tablets are luxury items anyway - most people need a full featured computer (either desktop or mobile) and for everyday tasks they should get a smartphone. The tablet sits between the two, so it's hard to justify its cost for most people; at least that's my own reasoning for not buying one, now that I have an iPhone and a PC and a console. It'd be just a waste of money so I bought a 50" plasma instead - okay it costs about 2x as much as an iPad but if I spent half of its budget on the tablet, I could not have afforded the TV.
There's also the option of buying a dumb phone and a tablet but it's less convenient to keep the tablet on you all the time and 3G costs extra and needs another SIM and such...
 
If I were MS (or Sony), I'd consider designing a tablet/mobile with a dual-stick container to convert it to a gamepad. You'd invite controller synergy as an option, promoting your tablet/phone to console owners over rivals and offering a higher-tier gamer options for those willing to spend...$600+ on a console+tablet controller option. Also sell a bundle. For MS, the tablet would run Windows games (whatever their store/apps are called these days) and SmartGlass. For Sony, it'd be an Android device running PSM with connection protocols, meaning owners of existing compatible tablets can be attracted to cross-device compatibility between console and tablet with the incentive to upgrade to a Sony device later for a more ergonomic interface.
 
If I were MS (or Sony), I'd consider designing a tablet/mobile with a dual-stick container to convert it to a gamepad. You'd invite controller synergy as an option, promoting your tablet/phone to console owners over rivals and offering a higher-tier gamer options for those willing to spend...$600+ on a console+tablet controller option. Also sell a bundle. For MS, the tablet would run Windows games (whatever their store/apps are called these days) and SmartGlass. For Sony, it'd be an Android device running PSM with connection protocols, meaning owners of existing compatible tablets can be attracted to cross-device compatibility between console and tablet with the incentive to upgrade to a Sony device later for a more ergonomic interface.

Tablet business is a risk, what with inventory management and such.

I don't know about putting physical controls on a tablet-sized form factor. On smart phones yes (unless it's one of the ridiculous large phones) because you can have something similar in footprint to console controllers.

But rather than build a whole device around physical controls, just make physical controls which would pair with the popular devices now. For phones, make a shell that you can drop your phone into and then use that to control the console.

Of course, MS and Sony both want to sell mobile devices on their own. So they will probably try to make game-oriented devices but that's a niche market.

I don't think the problem with traditional shrink wrap games and mobile devices is the limited touch controls. The bigger problem is that mobile device owners don't want to pay $40, 50 or $60 for games.

The number of people who are willing is in danger of shrinking to a niche.

So the economics don't support high-production costs games. While core gamers will say mobile games are shallow, aren't as immersive, etc., a lot of people who game on mobile devices will say, that's fine, I only have time to play for a few minutes at a time.

Increasingly, there's migration from the former to the latter.
 
With Smartglass Microsoft needs no custom tablet - but that doesn't mean they couldn't release one. Although I don't see any reason why they would want to deviate from Surface RT or whatsitsname. Maybe release one with the Nextbox case design?

A tablet for gaming is useless though, IMHO. The touch interface is just too limiting and wouldn't allow for a large enough game catalogue. Just look at iOS games, the system's there but the software is not enough to support an economy or the media content to augment it.

Tablets are luxury items anyway - most people need a full featured computer (either desktop or mobile) and for everyday tasks they should get a smartphone. The tablet sits between the two, so it's hard to justify its cost for most people; at least that's my own reasoning for not buying one, now that I have an iPhone and a PC and a console. It'd be just a waste of money so I bought a 50" plasma instead - okay it costs about 2x as much as an iPad but if I spent half of its budget on the tablet, I could not have afforded the TV.
There's also the option of buying a dumb phone and a tablet but it's less convenient to keep the tablet on you all the time and 3G costs extra and needs another SIM and such...

Have to disagree with you on touch controls. The Vita has some great examples of games taking advantage of touch controls. Baseball and Madden Football spring to mind. Microsoft already brought out a touch mouse that can detect differnt finger swipes. I think Vita style behind the controller touch will be standard on both Xbox 720 and Playstation 4 gamepads.
 
But rather than build a whole device around physical controls, just make physical controls which would pair with the popular devices now. For phones, make a shell that you can drop your phone into and then use that to control the console.
Yes, you have that now I believe, but for consistency and to offer a 'smart controller', you want a better designed package than a 3rd party attachment to a 3rd party phone. You keep that as an option so people aren't priced out of your console+smart controller experience, but also provide the preferred, tailor made option of your own device so you can sell the smart controller as a separate tablet/phone and use the console to help push it in a very competitive market. Product synergy helps build an ecosystem. Leaving it to third parties means letting an opportunity disappear with negligible impact on your system/service.
 
Have to disagree with you on touch controls. The Vita has some great examples of games taking advantage of touch controls. Baseball and Madden Football spring to mind. Microsoft already brought out a touch mouse that can detect differnt finger swipes. I think Vita style behind the controller touch will be standard on both Xbox 720 and Playstation 4 gamepads.

I do not think the rear touch works at all. It is really difficult to know where you are pointing....
 
I do not think the rear touch works at all. It is really difficult to know where you are pointing....

It works pretty well when the initial touchpoint isn't critical and either it's reduced to just areas of the screen, or there is some indication where the finger is and the input is relative.
Fifa uses it well on Vita.
Escape plan took some getting used to with it's uses of it.
Tearaway from MM uses it in very cool ways.
 
I do not think the rear touch works at all. It is really difficult to know where you are pointing....

Newer gamepad designs may be able to provide a better experience. Microsoft has already released on multi-touch FTIR mouse. If desired they can sense 20 fingers and the amount of pressure being applied with the technology. Combine it with haptic feedback thumbsticks perhaps.
 
Have to disagree with you on touch controls.

I've meant touch controls only, that's what's insufficient for FPS, TPS or proper racing games which make up most console releases nowadays. Okay, AC isn't a TPS in the strict sense but it still requires a similar set of controls ;)

But once you start adding analog sticks or extra buttons, it stops being a tablet so what I said doesn't apply anymore :)
 
I agree with Shifty, any serious gaming tablet needs physical controls. For core games (shooters, action adventure, fighting games etc) touch controls simply don't offer the responsiveness, precision or reliability of physical ones.

Physical controls do make for an ugly looking tablet though.
 
If Microsoft is doing a tablet I'm starting to think it won't be billed solely as a gaming tablet or have physical controls. This thing will probably be competing with Kindle Fire, Nexus 7 & iPad Mini. Remember the 'Xbox' brand name is now more than gaming. It's their entertainment brand now.

Tommy McClain
 
I agree with Shifty, any serious gaming tablet needs physical controls. For core games (shooters, action adventure, fighting games etc) touch controls simply don't offer the responsiveness, precision or reliability of physical ones.

Physical controls do make for an ugly looking tablet though.


Of course physical controls like a Wii U tablet or a Vita. But also like the Sony Vita touch controls on the back of the controller. To keep things accurate Microsoft would use Perecptive Pixels FTIR technology/method.
 
I agree with Shifty, any serious gaming tablet needs physical controls. For core games (shooters, action adventure, fighting games etc) touch controls simply don't offer the responsiveness, precision or reliability of physical ones.

Physical controls do make for an ugly looking tablet though.
Which is why I'd add the controls as an attachment dock, custom designed for a specific device so it'd look like a Vita as a controller but a smartphone when undocked and being used outside of gaming.
 
Which is why I'd add the controls as an attachment dock, custom designed for a specific device so it'd look like a Vita as a controller but a smartphone when undocked and being used outside of gaming.

Why not just do the Vita then? You will still need the attachment if you want to play.
 
Because Vita isn't a replacement for a smartphone/mini tablet. It has fixed controls and lacks phone support. The console/tablet synergy would have to have the tablet as a perfect replacement for a touch device - either a 7" iPad Mini/Nexus 7/Galaxy replacement or a 4/5 inch smartphone replacement. If Sony were to release a smartphone based on Vita with a chassis to add controls, they'd be there. ;)
 
Just saw this retweeted by digital foundry

https://twitter.com/CHSundberg/status/269005697860132864/photo/1

o7rdzq.jpg


Always good to see proof next gen exists.

Since the pic is kinda small, it appears to be a bunch of current gen dev kits. Certainly X360 ones.
 
Because Vita isn't a replacement for a smartphone/mini tablet. It has fixed controls and lacks phone support. The console/tablet synergy would have to have the tablet as a perfect replacement for a touch device - either a 7" iPad Mini/Nexus 7/Galaxy replacement or a 4/5 inch smartphone replacement. If Sony were to release a smartphone based on Vita with a chassis to add controls, they'd be there. ;)


I always thought that Sony gaming phone was a spectacular idea, just poorly executed, because that thing quickly had horribly outdated hardware and they never iterated on it. Where was the Experia Play 2 with updated specs? It never existed.

Have a sneaking suspicion now I could be wrong though. People may just not want the added complexity of buttons on their phone at all.

I think it would have been a good idea for MS to position Windows Phone as "the" gaming phone/OS. However they might have tried to do that. MS is pretty stupid though, lol.
 
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