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Forums - Microsoft Discussion - Molyneux isn’t convinced by SmartGlass

kitler53 on 09 November 2012
osed125 said:
kitler53 said:
for pure gaming purposes i think he's right. i've watch a lot of wii U game trailers lately and the thing i've noticed more than anything is that the games blank out one screen to tell you to look at the other, else both screens show the exact same information. ..to which the question is, why did you need the second screen?

what excites me about the screen more than anything is the idea of dynamic buttons. instead of the the very generic "x" or "A" you can actually put up a meaningful button with meaningful artwork. i know my wife has a lot of issues getting her head around the idea that "x" means one thing at one moment and a completely different thing at another moment. if you update the screen i think she'd get it.

..but to that end, wii U, cross-play, and smart glass are all overly technical solutions.

The only games that do that are the ones where a second player uses the gamepad to help the player on the screen, like adding platforms in NSMBU or using Murphy in Rayman Legends.

OT: I do believe touch screens can help in both gaming and entertainment if they are execute correctly. The Smartglass is a very cool concept, it helps in entertainment but not in gaming since you can't play complex games in a tablet (well you technically can but it's very annoying imo). As for the Wii U, I think is does add a lot for gaming experiences, by having the normal button layout it helps for more complex games and it have a big touch screen in the middle to help for other things (just like the DS), also the Wii U have the TVii thing for entertainment but we still need to see how it will perform and if the normal consumer likes it.


i've watch those sections of gameplay and i'm still not convinced.  mario galaxy had a 2nd player co-op mode not all that dissimular in concept -- the second player isn't doing the same thing as the other players aka aschronous gameplay.  there were several games that featured "create your own platform" type gameplay on the wii too using the pointer part of the wii-mote.  i can't remember their names in particular but okami's brushwork is the basic idea. i don't think i've seen any gameplay that couldn't be 100% transferable to 1 screen and 2 wiimotes in either of those games.

and if the second player is only looking at the gamepad and not actually using both screen than it's also not doing anything online gameplay doesn't allow.  in other words what is unique about a wii U + gamepad that can't be done with 2x3DSs or 2xVitas playing either online or ad hoc?  2-players would have 2 screens no? 



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badgenome on 09 November 2012
RolStoppable said:

Kinect was for video games what the Mouse was for computers.

Kinect was for video games what the pet rock was for rocks.



SvennoJ on 09 November 2012

Just when I thought he had lost all his marbles he finally says something sensible.

I already crash horribly when I have to glance briefly at the map in the corner of the screen in Forza Horizon and NFS Most wanted. Dark souls I have to find a safe spot first before pulling up the menu since it doesn't pause.

The thing that interests me in the WiiU pad is games that allow you to keep on playing while the tv is in use by others. And for some fun gameplay tricks, augmented reality, look through to reveal things on the main screen. And as a programmable touchscreen hud which will only be really incorporated in games if every console comes with it standard.

A secondary screen with extra information is pointless.



Veknoid_Outcast on 09 November 2012

I respect Molyneux -- he's got a lot of big ideas, and his games have been very influential.

But I think he's wrong on this one, and I don't think he's really done his homework. I can only speak for the GamePad because that's the only one I've seen in action, but it's not just replicating the DS experience on a larger scale. It's functionality goes way beyond that.



NiKKoM on 09 November 2012

well I'm "playing" Curiosity.. and it's safe to say I'm convinced no one will ever find out whats inside the box... people will have died of boredom before that..



 

Face the future.. Gamecenter ID: nikkom_nl (oh no he didn't!!) 

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Slimebeast on 10 November 2012

You know SmartGlass is a niche product when one of their biggest selling points is that you can check out info about the actors when you're watching a movie.



Farsala on 10 November 2012

Peter seems to talk a lot... I am sure if SmartGlass is bad though they can update it.



Chandler on 10 November 2012

Molyneux is the most overated name in the video game industry imho. He is like...Dwyane Wade. Got lucky once or twice and thinks he is the big godfather of wisdom in his field now. Pretentious bastards.



Ongoing bet with think-man: He wins if MH4 releases in any shape or form on PSV in 2013, I win if it doesn't.