Speculations: Wargames for Tablets

[MPHopcroft1]

Most observers would tend to agree the tablet computers (iPad, Android tablet. etc.) are revolutionizing the way people use personal computers. Many people are starting to forgo desktops and even laptops in favor of these easily portable devices. This presents a problem for traditional game vendors, who are used to the power and storage capacity of desktops and laptops, and it presents a tremendous opportunity to those publishers who are nimble enough to take advantage of the capabilities (and navigate around the weaknesses) of the new devices.

Unfortunately the operating systems for tablets have not yet shaken out to the point that long development cycles can proceed with the certainty that by the time you are done a large portion of the tablets in use will run the software. iPads run completely different software from Android devices and neither run programs written for Windows Mobile. We have not yet reached the point in tablets as we have in PCs where one OS (Windows) has such an enormous share of the market that you can safely do everything you want in it.

But the potential for wargamers is enormous. You would be able go into a competitive setting and have a computer game you can play face-to-face the way you play a boardgame -- only with less fuss, less setup time, and an enormous variety of possible scenarios. You would be able to play an e-mail or online game wherever you happen to be.

The question is who will be able to first use these possibilities and profit from them.

[Fred98]

ORIGINAL: MPHopcroft
But the potential for wargamers is enormous. You would be able go into a competitive setting and have a computer game you can play face-to-face the way you play a boardgame --

One single OS of tablets will never dominate. Hence we wargamers need to use laptops and netbooks tosit around a tablr and play each other.

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[junk2drive]

Slitherine is working on an iPad version of Battle Academy and probably some others.

If tablets ever get below $100 they will boom but at the current prices I would rather have a notebook/netbook. IOW I think they are a fad.

[parusski]

ORIGINAL: junk2drive

Slitherine is working on an iPad version of Battle Academy and probably some others.

If tablets ever get below $100 they will boom but at the current prices I would rather have a notebook/netbook. IOW I think they are a fad.

My dad said, in 1984, that PC's were a fad...[:D]

[Perturabo]

ORIGINAL: parusski

ORIGINAL: junk2drive

Slitherine is working on an iPad version of Battle Academy and probably some others.

If tablets ever get below $100 they will boom but at the current prices I would rather have a notebook/netbook. IOW I think they are a fad.

My dad said, in 1984, that PC's were a fad...[:D]

PC prices went down a lot, though.

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: MPHopcroft

Most observers would tend to agree the tablet computers (iPad, Android tablet. etc.) are revolutionizing the way people use personal computers. Many people are starting to forgo desktops and even laptops in favor of these easily portable devices.

Who? I know several people with tablets (including the Mrs) and may well get one myself at some point, but none have 'forgone' desktops and laptops in their favour. At present there are just too many things a desktop does better or that tablets can't do at all in both liesure and business realms, and I can't see that changing anytime soon. I don't think tablets are a 'fad' by any means and fully expect them to become almost as much a 'must have' in current times as a mobile phone; the potential is huge in some areas. But they will accompany desktops and powerful laptops (the two being virtually indistinguishable in terms of capacity these days), not replace them.

I'm afraid wargames is one area in which I don't see a big future for tablets. Of what use is 'portability' when I want to play a guy 6,000 miles away, viewing the battlefield on as large a monitor as I can afford and my desk will accommodate? Same for FPS games, MMOs or whatever. I just don't see the scenario you suggest at all; if people get together they do so to play miniatures or boardgames, not computer games - that's the whole point. Where are these 'competitive' settings where people would trade in their 15mm armies for tablets; where's the market? And I can PBEM or play online from wherever I am on my netbook already.

[MPHopcroft1]

PC prices went down a lot, though.

I see no reason to believe they won't just as the prices on PCs, HDTVs and videogame consoles have all gone down.

[wodin]

No interest at all in tablets.

If browser games are you bag and apps fair enough...not for me.

Well overpriced aswell...give me a desktop over anything. Cheaper in the long run as you can upgrade it for not that much over a few years to keep it upto date.

A tablet is a big mobile phone without the phine bit.

Only thing it does that I have even the slightest interest in is as a reader, but if I was going to get one it would be kindle.

[rhondabrwn]

I pre-ordered a Kindle Fire within minutes of their announcement. One of my reasons was to be able to view PDF Game manuals in color.

Now, my purpose in posting is to encourage Matrix to consider issuing electronic manuals in native e-book formats like Kindle. I know that there are utilities to convert PDF, but my experience hasn't been all that great when I tried it. I would prefer finding a native e-book format manual for every game.

As to playing games on a tablet? Nah... not interested in small screen games due to my failng close vision. I want that big desktop monitor for my gaming!!! (and a mouse, a keyboard, maybe a joystick, and a good set of Bose speakers etc etc etc).

Actually, my only big reason for considering a tablet (or laptop) is the simple fact that with a solar powered ranch, I can't run a 2 nto 4 amp drain on the batteries all night running my computers. I finally decided I needed a battery powered device for checking the internet during low power times. The Amazon Kindle Fire appealed instantly and the price was definitely right!

[sterckxe]

ORIGINAL: Hertston
I'm afraid wargames is one area in which I don't see a big future for tablets. Of what use is 'portability' when I want to play a guy 6,000 miles away, viewing the battlefield on as large a monitor as I can afford and my desk will accommodate? Same for FPS games, MMOs or whatever. I just don't see the scenario you suggest at all; if people get together they do so to play miniatures or boardgames, not computer games - that's the whole point. Where are these 'competitive' settings where people would trade in their 15mm armies for tablets; where's the market? And I can PBEM or play online from wherever I am on my netbook already.

If you owned a tablet you'd have noticed that a netbook and a tablet are completely different beasts. A netbook is - in essence - a mini-computer, while a tablet is just made for playing boardgames on. All the hot games in the boardgame world are already, or are getting ported to the tablet (Carcassone, Ticket to Ride, Caylus, Ra, Small World, Kingsburg, Dominion, ...) This has attracted the attention of the cardboard wargame companies and the following games/boardgame conversions have been announced for the iPad : Across Five Aprils, Battle of the Bulge, Engage (demo-ed at GenCon 2011), Hornet Leader, Manoeuvre, Peloponnesian War, R.A.F., Soviet Dawn, The Caucasus Campaign, War Patrol, Washington's War and Waterloo.

If the traditional pc wargame companies don't watch out, they will be left in the dust - especially as since from a design pov boardgames are much more streamlined and playable than most of what gets released in pc wargame world. Bought more games for my iPad this year than I bought pc wargames.

Greetz,

Eddy Sterckx

[redcoat]

ORIGINAL: rhondabrwn

As to playing games on a tablet? Nah... not interested in small screen games due to my failng close vision. I want that big desktop monitor for my gaming!!! (and a mouse, a keyboard, maybe a joystick, and a good set of Bose speakers etc etc etc).

Same here. I will only play a wargame on a tablet if they make one with a 19" screen. [:D]

[Greybriar]

No iPad or Android for me. I only use my PC.

[Perturabo]

I don't even have a cell phone.

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: Perturabo
I don't even have a cell phone.

I envy you. It's only when you are forced to acquire one you realize what a blessing NOT having a cellphone is!

[Andrew Williams]

Have to argue the complete opposite.

mobile phones are a blessing... not having one is just means you miss out.

The beauty of my phone is that I can turn it off or not answer it, which many people indicate they cannot do with theirs.

I can use it to make calls, send text, send Instant messages, video calls, play games, read books, compass, bus/train time table, GPS, calendar, surf the web - hell- it does everything  while on the move.

[MPHopcroft1]

ORIGINAL: Andrew Williams

Have to argue the complete opposite.

mobile phones are a blessing... not having one is just means you miss out.

The beauty of my phone is that I can turn it off or not answer it, which many people indicate they cannot do with theirs.

I can use it to make calls, send text, send Instant messages, video calls, play games, read books, compass, bus/train time table, GPS, calendar, surf the web - hell- it does everything  while on the move.

I have a mobile phone, but it's a prepaid plan "dumb phone" with very few other capabilities besides taking calls and storing phone numbers. A smartphone with a data plan is appealing but prohibitive on my income. Most of my church group has them and uses an app to look up their scriptures.

[Anonymous]

[Deleted by Admins]

[Andrew Williams]

You can get an app. that points to Mecca too.

[Fred98]

ORIGINAL: Andrew Williams

The beauty of my phone is that I can turn it off or not answer it..............

And should you turn it off or not answer it...............................what is the monthly fee ?

I still do not have a mobile phone [:)]


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[sterckxe]

ORIGINAL: Joe 98
And should you turn it off or not answer it...............................what is the monthly fee ?

5 Euro

The cell phone itself was free as I "inherited" it from my wife who's more into techno-gadgets than I am.

5 Euro / month to text someone I'm going to be 15 minutes late for a meeting or to phone the wife from the supermarket because item #17 on the list I got is not in stock and with what do I replace it is a steal.

And given the amount of guys I see in the supermarket aisles doing the exact same thing I can almost say it's a lifesaver

Greetz,

Eddy Sterckx