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Has Apple Created the Perfect Board Game Platform?
andylim writes "recombu.com is running an interesting piece about how Apple has created a 'Jumanji (board game) platform.' The 9.7-inch multi-touch screen is perfect for playing board games at home, and you could use Wi-Fi or 3G to play against other people when you're on your own. What would be really interesting is if you could pair the iPad with iPhones, 'Imagine a Scrabble iPad game that used iPhones as letter holders. You could hold up your iPhone so that no one else could see your letters and when you were ready to make a word on the Scrabble iPad board, you could slide them on to the board by flicking the word tiles off your iPhone.' Now that would be cool."
The perfect board game platform is cardboard.
Living With a Nerd
Problem is most "cardboard" games are getting nutty pricey. I have seen many new ones retailing for $100 or more.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
How is less than 10 inches perfect?
That's what she said.
"There are no facts, only interpretations." --Friedrich Nietzsche.
So for only $499 + $299/phone, you can play a $75 board game electronically!
$75?
Where the hell do you shop for board games?
Here, I'll lend you a decimal --> .
Or you could read a book. You could buy all sorts of books before you would come close to the price of the iPad + e-book purchases.
Or you could listen to a CD. You could buy all sorts of CDs before you would come close to the price of the iPad + .MP3/AAC/whatever purchases.
Or you could watch a movie. You could buy all sorts of DVDs before you would come close to the price of the iPad + digital video purchases.
Funny thing is, a large and growing number of us have small music players, e-book readers, watch movies/TV on our laptops, play assorted multi-player games, etc. - all on hardware comparable in price to the iPad.
Between a convenient play-everything device and some bulk storage to off-load under-used content, those of us realizing it's 2010 already LIKE the idea of replacing boxfulls of atoms with a few cubic inches of bits.
Always amazes me how many /.ers exhibit Luddite tendencies.
Can we get a "-1 Wrong" moderation option?
The perfect board game platform is cardboard.
And cardboard games don't come with DRM or restrictive rights where you don't actaully 'own' it, rather rent it and rebuy it when you magically lose the rights to the game. No thanks.
If it ain't broke, DON'T fix it.
So what do you do with your cardboard monopoly or chess board when you are half way through a game and the captain says to return to your seats, place the tray tables in the upright locked position and prepare for landing? I guess it's game over.
With an iPad, you could save the game, put it back in your hand luggage, then get it out and resume the game in the taxi to the hotel.
I agree with the article. I think the iPad presents a great opportunity to play board games with friends in a more convenient way.
Disclaimer: I am not questioning your opinion, nor am I discrediting it. You are completely entitled to your own thoughts.
No matter what you do, say, or show me, you will never convince me that buying a device as expensive as a full computer but with only half the functionality is a good thing. Paying more and getting less is not a good thing, even if it comes wrapped up in a pretty package.
Living With a Nerd
Most people who play board games really don't sit around and play Scrabble and Monopoly all the time.
They play games like:
Settlers of Catan
Power Grid
Runewars
Puerto Rico
Dominion
etc
All of those are not cheap at all.
The troll with karma.
> The perfect board game platform is cardboard.
No, it isn't. Not for all situations. The iPad is a bit pricey at the moment but in the future when they're cheaper (and/or used) I could see this actually being quite good for the kids to play checkers in the backseat of the car or on a flight.
1) No pieces to lose
2) Bored of checkers? It can hold a few hundred other games.
3) Related to #1: also no pencils/pens/crayons floating around/getting lost/poking people in tender places
Honestly, I'd rather have the kids in the backseat playing games instead of watching movies the whole time.
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
To be a perfect board game, it needs to have holographic pieces that project out of the screen.
I think he meant to say, dedicated board gamers. The kind of people who go to boardgamegeek.com or hang out in the Fantasy Flight forums. People who know the difference between German style boardgames and American style board games.
These are people for whom the board game is the first resort, not the last. People who will deliberately make time for board games. (Think John Locke on Lost.)
Monopoly is a dreadful board game, and I don't understand why anyone ever plays it. Scrabble seems good though.
But seriously, next time you are thinking of playing Monopoly, go out and buy a game of Cosmic Encounter. Then throw your copy of Monopoly in the garbage or the nearest compost heap.
"MIT betrayed all of its basic principles."
No dice. Less space than Monopoly. Lame.