theRepublic said:
Squilliam said:
theRepublic said:
Squilliam said:
Why not compare a tablet to a tablet? Even if one is tethered to a console and the other is free it still invites a comparison. 27% of households will own tablets by the end of this year and smartphones are over 50% pentration. The idea that one can get the same utility from an app as from a built in device shouldn't be shocking for anyone.
|
If it is not packed in the box, developers will not take advantage of the functionality. There are countless examples of under utilized peripherals. Look at the Wii Balance Board, Wii Motion Plus, Gamecube to Gameboy Advance connectivity, N64 Expansion Pak, SNES Super Scope, and NES Zapper just to name some Nintendo examples off the top of my head.
The fact that it is an app is not going to change that. There will not be enough tablets out there, and a smart phone's screen is far too small to be useful in game. The big difference with the Wii U controller is that the screen is built right in. No one is going to want to try to operate both a standard controller and separate tablet at the same time in game. When it is constantly there just inches from your fingers it is a different story completely.
|
It is more a service which is offered within pre-existing hardware and software/networking ecosystems, think the success of Netflix/Hulu etc on consoles. Adding peripherals has not been successful however given the fact that the design parameters are already built into the games, adding support for additional platforms could easily be mandated for all games which port to the Wii U as well as other systems from Sony and Microsoft. People are never far from a tablet or mobile phone and dual screening is becoming a very common phenomenom, hence the reason the Wii U screen exists in the first place.
|
But that is not the draw for the touch screen! It is the games!
Smart Glass could very well see features ported over from the Wii U. But it will only be because of the central nature of the Wii U touch screen to the Wii U console. Trying to play on two controllers at once will be much more cumbersome than one though.
|
It all depends on implementation. The fact that Nintendo are already doing it means that something which would never have had any support becomes viable as long as the developers are doing a Wii U version for their games. Good enough is all it needs to be, it doesn't need to be perfect and the implementation details are already being worked on so we will see what kind of integration happens with the various smart phones and tablets. The only thing lacking is really the standard for video transmission and the controller scheme, however I wouldn't be surprised if they either release a dedicated device with similar properties as the Wii U as an accessory whilst releasing compatible controllers which will work with a smart-phone/tablet using Blu Tooth for instance. It is far easier to give basic support for what the Wii U does than it was to copy the Wii because in most instances it'll leverage pre-existing smart-phones/tablets and these likely overlap significantly with console adoption.
