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Would we game more comfortably in a dual touch-screen world?
Posted by niero gonzalez in Gamer PC | Mar. 09, 2009 11:00 AM
Oh. My. God. Asus is building what looks to me like a giant computerized Nintendo DS.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you should probably check out CeBit press. The Asus dual-screen touch-sensitive system could completely change the way we play video games on notebooks … if publishers and developers wrap their big software arms around it. I believe casual game companies will be the first to exploit the technology. For example: Most PopCap games like Peggle, Bejeweled, and Zuma involve sliding, popping, or pushing a single sprite around the screen – all which can easily be done with a fingertip.
This all bodes well for the advancement of gaming. However, this is where gaming on devices like the DS and iPhone are stuck. They’re selling very, very well but they’re also trapped in the “cute” gear. I’d like to think that we can anticipate more from this system than playing a mean game of touch-screen Solitare. What about a golf game that uses both screens to display the field but allows you to swing the club with your finger tip, or a port of one of those insane Japanese musical games where the bottom screen lets you tap virtual bongos? Don’t worry, we can slow that down so you don’t crush your new notebook with your fists.
Might Blizzard want pull off World of Warcraft: Touch Edition?
Casual games aside, what about the massive hardcore gamer market? (me me me!) It’s no secret that World of Warcraft has a gaming population and economy more vast than that of developing countries. Developing a successful dual-touch interface for this game would be a challenge, but perhaps possibly make the game more pleasant to navigate and even give dual-touch screen players a competitive advantage. Let’s break it down, shall we?
Crusing around Azeroth
An obvious and tempting solution could be to hide the keyboard completely and allow a player to drag the character on the lower screen while the upper screen reveals a long-view of the sky and horizon. This would look beautiful for casual players, but hardcore WOW players need serious heads-up displays (HUD’s) with attack macros and multiple chat window boxes. Sharing the lower screen with a virtual keyboard that can zip-up when not in use would allow the player to organize their macro icons like a clickable chip on the board. Perhaps an even more ambitious UI might involve gesture actions: point down on an on-screen compass and spin it forwards to walk?
How might other games work on a touch-screen notebook?
Let’s have a contest, shall we? Think up of your favorite PC title and imagine what the touch interface might be like for it. How would you do a First Person Shooter like Unreal Tournament, for example? It’s no easy task. Most games will require some kind of quasi on-screen keyboard … but think about how many buttons you don’t actually use when gaming and what handy macros might appear there instead. The technology could have legs … not to mention opening the door to creating cool skins and themes for the lower screen UI.
Sound of your ideas in the comments below!
YES! I have played World of Warcraft for a good bit of time and i think that would be a big help. Other games i don't know. Guild of Wars maybe. If one of these comes out I'm a buyer.
It depends on the game, really. If it's a fast paced game that requires a lot of quick key strokes and constant eye contact on the screen, touch screen would be a bad option. I find it easier to make quick motions accurately when I'm using a conventional keyboard. The key's positions are set and you can feel them better, instead of having to use your eyes to find them on a smooth surface.
But if it's a slow paced game in which eye contact isn't required constantly, then a touch would be better. It would allow more diversity, instead of having to fit the controls to the standard keyboard.
Well, if something like this were to work, the screens would have to be multi touch, and they'd have to be very, very sturdy.
The touchscreen would be extremely hard to deal with if you were attempting to type, because of the lack of haptic feedback. However, if the game incorporated it, the touchscreen would be an amazing feature. Perhaps even a must.
The dual touch screen would most likely be difficult for me to type with, but games would be much better with it (depending on how the game incorporates it).
The concept sounds cool as shit but will we actually be able to operate it like we do with the Nintendo DS? time will tell.
It would be awsome but the question is the price and how long would the product be working before breaking ... But this is a kick ASS. only thing it's missing is a more developped software to be able to access to everything and control everything
Any idea on when this thing is going into production? I'm itching to try its loins on every game possible.
BTW, mabuhay ang mga Pinoy! I can see some out there.
Jezzball would totally kick ass on that.
I can see this working for some games, but i also see a few really serious (potentially showstopper) problems.
1) Ergonomics. I tried simulating moving around in a game by reaching out and touching the screen, and my arm was aching within under a minute. I thus think that the upper screen will be of limited use, because human arms will get tired too fast
2) Accuracy/reliability - are the touch-screens of current time better than the ones i've used? I sure hope they are! No serious gamer would put up with a touchscreen "key" not being pressed when they tried to press it because they didnt press it right. Things may be better now, but every experience i've had with trying to drag+drop with a touchscreen has been very frustrating.
3) there's no tactile feedback. How do you know your hand is on the right key? It would be easy for your hands to drift. And if/when that happened, unlike on a physical keyboard, where you feel that your slipped and you're like "damn, i screwed up", it would feel the same, and so you'd be like "damn, this touch-keyboard sucks"
4) smudges, grease, abrasion.: you're looking at the screen through the same thing you've got your fingers all over. Many gamers eat at their computer (particularly mmo gamers), so their screens would get smudges with grease. Abrasion would be a problem as well - i've worn the lettering off of keys on a keyboard - it doesnt matter on a keyboard, but if i had to look through this scratched up worn-thin mess, that'd be a problem.
Overall this idea strikes me something that's really cool in principle, but would fall apart in practice, at least when used by non-casual gamers.
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