Microsoft Surface - the possible savior of the arcade?

[diskoboy]

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/31/the-video-with-most-gaming-possibilities-microsoft-surface/

http://www.product-reviews.net/wp-content/userimages/2007/05/microsoftplaytable.jpg

Seriously - I see alot of potential with this thing. Especially in the all but dead (in North America, anyway) arcade biz. This thing looks pretty fucking sweet, either way..

EDIT - I mean really, look at that thing and tell me it doesn't look dead up like an old Bally/Midway style cocktail cabinet, but sexier?

[Clownzilla]

Of course, all the anti-microsoft flamers are going to find "faults" in this idea, but even they can't deny the fact that this will bring MANY new opprotunities to business, productivity, and gaming. This could also bring the old fashion "board game" back in style(no one has mentioned that yet). Gather some friends and beer, pull up some chairs to the table, and load up the Scrabble program.............sweet!

[Gentlegamer]

Can it be configured to play Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga????

[Lothars]

it migth be really good but I will have to see what happens with it, I don't see it doing anything special but not to say it can't but I thought it was only meant for business

Does it have the potential to play games?

[diskoboy]

Of course, all the anti-microsoft flamers are going to find "faults" in this idea, but even they can't deny the fact that this will bring MANY new opprotunities to business, productivity, and gaming. This could also bring the old fashion "board game" back in style(no one has mentioned that yet). Gather some friends and beer, pull up some chairs to the table, and load up the Scrabble program.............sweet!


Not to mention graphic and interior design.

I saw a video of this thing running that had like a koi pond running. And when you touched the screen, it rippled like a stream, and all the fish scattered away.

[Lord_Magus]

Not to mention graphic and interior design.

I saw a video of this thing running that had like a koi pond running. And when you touched the screen, it rippled like a stream, and all the fish scattered away.

Are you referring to the one at E3 2005? If so, that was actually done by Nintendo, and was part of a "recreation" of Zelda's Lost Woods or something like that... Either way, here's a link to a short youtube vid of it in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG5AXmxg6Fg

Pretty cool stuff :)

[Icarus Moonsight]

Surface looks very promising. Bringing it to market is a hurdle, cost being primary. The first use I thought of was digital music production/creation. I can imagine a keyboard that could be used as a piano in the living room or even a midi controller. Would love to see some emulated software synths like ReBirth on this thing too. Tactile responce to input without a clunky mouse playing middle-man, I am so in. :D

As far as it relates to gaming, I'd say it looks as if Microsoft has caught Nintendo's innovation bug. That or the surprising success of the DS/Wii has spurred this thing out of R&D, bringing it closer to reality.

[Push Upstairs]

I teared up because that so far the one thing that screams 21st Century!

Microsoft...Mr. Gates, please give us hoverboards, flying cars, personal rockets, robots, and trips to Mars. Thanks.


I hope this thing isn't crippled to hell like the Zune is.

[Oobgarm]

The first use I thought of was digital music production/creation.

I can't remember what it was called exactly, but I saw a video about 3 months ago utilizing this exact technology with music creation. It was incredible.

[slip81]

something like this has a ton of potential, and could definately be worth plunking down thousands for, but it also seems to have a lot of potential to be nothing more than and overpriced toy allowing ricj folk to sync up phones, look at maps, pictures etc.

It all really depends on how much controll MS gives the user, if it's like a regualr PC, great.

Though I don't use Windows based PC's, or a Zune player, so I'd imagine it's already not meant for "my kind."

[mailman187666]

that thing is fucking sweet. Putting portable devices and uploading pics into them like that. I want one if it does games.

[Clownzilla]

I teared up because that so far the one thing that screams 21st Century!

Microsoft...Mr. Gates, please give us hoverboards, flying cars, personal rockets, robots, and trips to Mars. Thanks.


I hope this thing isn't crippled to hell like the Zune is.

Lol, I was thinking the same thing! It kind of reminds me of the type of technology you see while watching those shows from the 60's with bubble cities and meals in tiny capsules. I know there has been many other more significant and innovative tech recently, but for some reason this has that special "it" factor.

[diskoboy]

Are you referring to the one at E3 2005? If so, that was actually done by Nintendo, and was part of a "recreation" of Zelda's Lost Woods or something like that... Either way, here's a link to a short youtube vid of it in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG5AXmxg6Fg

Pretty cool stuff :)


Actually, it was similar to that, but it didn't have a bridge. It looked more like an aquarium, than a river.

It was on NBC news, last night. Bill Gates "stuck his fingers in", and each one of his fingers threw out individual, realistic looking ripples. And when he moved his hand on the top, the water would splash around.

Well, here's all the ideas I've come up with, so far, this thing could possibly do..

-Games, games, and more games (Imagine being with a crowd of friends playing games like C&C3 or Starcraft 2, or being able to put XBLA style games on this thing..)
-Interior/Graphic Design (for asthetic use and the actual design process, itself)
-Bar/Pub personal Jukeboxes (like the ones they had in old 50's diners)
-compact DJ booths for nightclubs.
-full featured MIDI sequencer, triggers.
-Shopping kiosks

[FantasiaWHT]

Are you referring to the one at E3 2005? If so, that was actually done by Nintendo, and was part of a "recreation" of Zelda's Lost Woods or something like that... Either way, here's a link to a short youtube vid of it in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG5AXmxg6Fg

Pretty cool stuff :)

There was another one at E3 2005 with a Star Wars theme... Tie fighters would zoom around and you could jump on them to blow them up.

Also a month ago or so, I saw something similar at a mall with an ocean theme... didn't look too closely but it had coins and treasure chests floating around, iirc.

[rbudrick]

Sweet, but who has room for that? It's like a coffee table. If easily convertable to a standard monitor, could be very promising. It's kind of just a big tablet (table-et?) PC right now, though. Innovative use of it, though, yes.

-Rob

[Sosage]

It looks like an advanced tablet PC. Game design possibilities are obviously excited, but I'm really interested to see what you could do art wise with it. That is such a huge canvas to work on for photoshop...compared to the dinky little Wacom I have. =)

[diskoboy]

WIZE FWOM YOUR GWAVE!!!

I'm bumping this topic because Carbonated Games also saw potential in this machine, and released the video of their first "game" for surface, Firefly (NO - it has nothing to do with the old TV show).

It's basically just a tech demo, but it shows the gaming potential for MS Surface.

http://sarcasticgamer.com/wp/index.php/2008/02/firefly-the-first-game-for-microsoft-surface.html/2

[Jorpho]

Isn't someone going to link to that Youtube video of a roughly equivalent cost-effective setup created from a projector, some "infrared pens", and a Wiimote?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s5EvhHy7eQ

[Sothy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZrr7AZ9nCY

a good synopsis

[Leo_A]

I'm confused why anyone would think this could be the savior of arcades. Last I knew, people weren't going to arcades because they didn't like the exterior designs of the upright cabinets and cocktails...

[scooterb23]

I'm confused why anyone would think this could be the savior of arcades. Last I knew, people weren't going to arcades because they didn't like the exterior designs of the upright cabinets and cocktails...

Psst...this ain't about the exterior design...

We actually have something like this at work right now running a DNA matching game. You just touch the screen, and move the bits around to try and complete a DNA string.

It's quite fun, and the kids love it. I can definitely see some amazing uses for this kind of technology. And it might even play some games too.

[Iron Draggon]

they already have something similar to this playing games at some malls... it's a mat on the floor, and you play the games by touching it with your feet...

[Ed Oscuro]

Of course, all the anti-microsoft flamers are going to find "faults" in this idea, but even they can't deny the fact that this will bring MANY new opprotunities to business, productivity, and gaming.
I'm no partisan, but Microsoft has a long and storied history of pushing out product ideas as coming software so the industry analysts will tell people to "just wait for the Microsoft version" and starve the competition of sales. I'll let that one drop for the sanity of everybody here, but seriously, bringing up "anti-microsoft flamers" is tantamount to admitting there's truth to the faults people have found over the years with Microsoft. I wouldn't even bring it up.

More germane to the big story for gamers: Convenience. I've already got this thing called a DS, and while the screen is not as good, it's also portable and convenient.

Did we all forget that arcades died because people could get roughly the same (and sometimes better) experience at home (more convenient)?

It's multi-touch, so what? That's a nice improvement over previous touchscreens, but other people have had products. Microsoft's big chance is to leverage great software to use it - no Oberon Games-developed stuff, even if it's got Vista-level graphics, will sell this system. If Microsoft's really itching to fight another battle for software supremacy, well, I say go get 'em. Wouldn't mind shaking up the arcades a bit, but people are going to come back with hate in their veins if Microsoft tries to Halloween companies like Konami and Capcom.

Call me again when the screen is made of paper and the logic board is nearly as thin ;)

[Niku-Sama]

thats not eh savior of arcade games, honestly it doesent show any games and i am wondering how its getting the info off of all those things, the cards i understand theyre RFID chips but are the zune and the digital camera capable of the same thing mabe blue tooth but upgraded to be not so slow

[diskoboy]

thats not eh savior of arcade games, honestly it doesent show any games and i am wondering how its getting the info off of all those things, the cards i understand theyre RFID chips but are the zune and the digital camera capable of the same thing mabe blue tooth but upgraded to be not so slow

Actually, I bumped this topic... It's quite old.

Read my post a few up....... Carbonated Games saw potential in this thing, and made a game where you catch Firefly's, and put 'em in a jar.

Video included with the link.

It's not the greatest game, but it shows there could be a game market for these, given the right ideas...

[CosmicMonkey]

'This Table has performed an illegal operation, and will shut down/collapse/implode...'

Can't wait.