I just returned from the Microsoft campus (well, I stopped for a panini), where students from Carnegie Mellon University are showing off their awesome project, a version of D&D that runs on the Surface. Now, before you start rolling your eyes, just recognize that this isn’t just a holy grail for tabletop gaming nerds. I mean, it’s that too, but really it’s a proof of concept that shows how fun and intuitive something like this can be, and how accessible a team can make it. I honestly think that if they had these things scattered around like Golden Tee cabinets, they’d get a huge following.
The build we played with was last semester’s (it’s a student project, not a professional development), and since then there’s been a lot of bug-squashing and feature-adding, but the newest build isn’t playable. So they’ve got a short little scenario where we went from a zoomable map screen to a town where we… spotted some orcs! Roll for initiative!
They’ve really taken advantage of the Surface’s ability to recognize the little tags, and your “control” token lets you place your inventory, actions, and so on wherever is convenient. The game keeps track of your guy even if, say, you spill a drink and have to move him and clean up. There’s actually a whole dungeon-master backend on a separate screen that can be manipulated in real time, adding or subtracting monsters, guiding the characters, and so on.
Combat was straightforward, and they noted that a lot of that is being beefed up in the new version. Lots more moves, better dice, and so on. Of course there’s work to be done, but it seems really promising, and remember this is a project put together by a handful of students. They have some stated goals, but with some of the students graduating, the future of the project is uncertain (but not dire). I’m guessing Wizards of the Coast is going to pay through the nose for it — I’m sure they see what it could be with a budget and an extra couple devs working on it.
Now the take-away point here isn’t really “wow, you can play D&D on a touchscreen!” No — that’s very cool, but the point is that this kind of collaborative, intuitive gaming is something I can easily see in bars, lounges, and even schools all over the place. It doesn’t have to be D&D, though the game does lend itself to the medium well. The Surface lends itself to social activities around a table, and you could even connect multiple Surfaces over the net. This game is really just one of the first robust apps to take advantage of this in a cool, nerdy way, and I’m really looking forward to seeing more stuff like this.
Unfortunately, the cost (and bulk) of Surface units kind of limits the places to which they can be deployed. We know they’re going to have a cheaper, flatter version at some point, and it might be hard for something like this to hit critical mass before that happens.
The CMU Surface D&D will be at GDC and PAX East, if you’re dying to check it out.
My first thought on the surface was to include little screens and play poker or pinochle.
Sounds great, but how about using mobile phones instead of little screens, game detects mobile phones connects it and uses them for gameplay.
I can hear it now, “They’ve got an app for that.”
Do want.
Why the heck would anyone roll their eyes at D&D???
That’s what happens with speech recognition – of course, you’re supposed to roll your *dice* ;)
I am waiting for Apple to sue Microsoft saying that the pinch and zoom and multi-touch concepts of the surface computer is their design and that MS copied them…
But then what compition does apple have??, and if apple does decide to sue they would have to sue several companies which would be a never ending war
If people want to they can sue each other over and over again. Apple invented the mouse concept, Microsoft the “windows” All these intellectual property patents are just plain nonsense.
Weren’t the mouse and windowing invented at Xerox PARC?
@Beetle, yes the mouse and windowing were invented by Xerox.
“Apple invented the mouse concept, Microsoft the ‘windows’ ”
whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
It was Hakan Lans (swede) that invented the first mouse.
Doug Engelbart invented the mouse.
Mice are the descendants of trackballs, which have been around since Centipede in the 80′s, and even before in Japanese video games.
I used to have a pet mouse once. Then it died. End of story. Stop bickering. Go outside.
Doug Engelbart invented the mouse in 1963, predating Centiped.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Engelbart
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_mouse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centipede_%28video_game%29
@Adam, sorry to hear about your pet.
So far Apple hasn’t been aggressive with their multi-touch patents, which is why the new Android enabled pinch-to-zoom, and Palm has had it for awhile I think. There’s a bit of a Mutually Assured Destruction situation with a lot of patents at big companies.
That’s funny because Apple might be getting sued by a chinese company for copying them. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/02/chinese-ipad-maker-threatens-to-sue-apple-for-plagiarism/
Apple and Microsoft have a pre-existing agreement to license each other’s intellectual property to each other. So the issue is already taken care of.
Multi-touch was not Apple’s idea. It was patented years before Apple even conceived the idea.
The gestures aren’t Apple’s at all! I don’t remember quite who but I think it was Sun Microsystems (could be wrong) that developed the gestures. So It wouldn’t be Apple to sue Microsoft.
@Jim Z: No pinch and zoom/multitouch isn’t not Apples’ invention, Perceptive Pixels had that many years ago: http://cs.nyu.edu/~jhan/ftirtouch/
I think it belongs to Andromeda and Kevin Sorbo
Students? Most of them look like they’re in their late 30′s. Or is male-patterned baldness trending younger?
I had a roommate who was bald at the age of 24, and he wasn’t a cancer-patient or shaving it down himself.
Besides, students can be any age these days. Anyone can go back to school for some continuing education or a re-evaluation of their career path.
^
Hey, im from the same program. We are grad students doing a Master’s degree. With that said, the average age from that group is 25.
That’s my two cents.
“critical mass” – thats the point. how do they hit that with such high entry barriers?
i had that in mind for a while! That’s the way to go if they want to resurrect D&D as a comercial success (hard to mass market for now though).
So ubergeek :D
You don’t think WOTC will sue for this rather than “pay through the nose”?
Holly cow that is AWESOME!
wow amazing technology! great post
http://www.mycrickethighlights.com
thanks
nerdgasm!!!!
Will you please stop using vimeo? Slowest video player ever. Fricking pathetic.
D&D on the surface would be awesome. The board game just got flipped.
good image quality. not sure what you mean by slow, it loads fast enough to play through for me.
The technology looks amazing. However, the constant chattering and laughing made it annoying to watch and took away from the experience itself. I hope it could have been shot in a more professional manner with students explaining what is happening rather than making fun of the dead person beneath the dragon.
Agreed. Vimeo FTW ; especially for quality.
YouTube is no better for managing streaming HD over moderate (10Mbps and less) broadband connections.
Back OT; awesome demo.
I think the Surface probably has come down a lot from the initial $60K unit price (volume for industrial / milspec units IIRC) …
Probably $499 on a 3 year contract within the next 18 months. :)
Maybe, instead of complaining, you should get yourself a faster internet connection. It’s loading perfectly fine.
Nice post but not really revolutionary.
Seems like more of an evolution of ideas shown in these demos several years ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wh_ZWesWGU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtKkOhMqVhY
oh i know the itable well, but IR overlays like that don’t have quite the same capabilities as a Surface. this is designed around the tags, the social table concept, and other stuff. Those are really just showing how a touchscreen can be made to accommodate cursor-based interfaces.
Fuck an iPad. I want one of these. I dont care what price it is–why is this getting no play and all the hype is around the iPad? just because of price?
because techcrunch only think apple.. MONOPOLY! hahah
and the iPad won’t be able to have interactive games like this? Think people. Think.
Hmm, let’s see. The surface has virtually no apps, no SDK, no app store, it costs $10,000, is the size of a bathtub and is not really for sale to anyone but large corporations.
But otherwise I can’t see why the iPad is getting all the hype.
I want to go to there.
What i wasn’t to see is Catan on Microsoft Surface. That is an awesome game!!
I love D&D and RPGs in general.
It would be nice to see a really full version.
:)
Nifty tech, but you still have to live with the knowledge that you’re playing D&D.
“We know they’re going to have a cheaper, flatter version at some point”
Tell me more!!! Got a link?
You lost me the second they had to use a mouse.
And could you shake the camera a little more?
Microsoft should really go agressive into funding projects like this. I can see the Surface turning into a sort of universal gaming table. You can have a poker program, traditional boardgames, DnD or other D20 games… All I would think is that there needs to be some sort of dual functionality with a handheld device like a tablet or smartphone or palmtop so you can do things like have your hand of cards or a list of your character’s items, or the DM can have all his or her game info digital and ready to go.
does it have a mouse? and use a REAL k/b? AND run win07?! if not, I pass… ;)
It looked like it was linking to the DM’s laptop, who was running everything.
That is frikin awesome. I want :)
Please let me know when we can purchase one of these.
I am one of those geeks that plays with pencil and paper still and this would be amazing.
Sorry forgot to click the notify button on the last post.
I actually was looking at doing something similar the other day (D&D on touch surface)- plan is to use a projector and standard IR through plexiglass tech to do the touch, could add another cam for tag recognition i guess.
Very, very cool. I can see this being used for just about every tabletop RPG that ever came down the pike. The development team has done an amazing job – love to see a publisher give them some serious backing to see this through.
As a 20+ year veteran of the tabletop RPG industry, and the creator of the epic fantasy setting for the Savage Worlds system, I can honestly say that I am anxiously awaiting the day these tools are available for more expansive game play and other entertainment.
As well, I am extraordinarily proud of the role RPGs have played in computer and electronic entertainment development over the 20th and 21st Centuries.
Sean Patrick Fannon
Creator, Shaintar: Legends Unleashed
Author, The Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer’s Bible
Marketing & Communications Manager, DriveThruRPG/RPGNow
I want this, fast :-)
Even better if they could adapt it to play my favorite RPG: The Dark Eye or Shadowrun , that would be just awesome.
Cool, I wish WOTC would hurry up and apply this to MTG, It’d go great with M10 and Planechase.
and whats wrong with Zendikar and Worldwake? >_>
First WotC fucked over D&D with this 4th Edition crap. D&D lost its continuity, its form, its rules, its very soul. 4th Edition blows ass. It’s World of Warcraft-on-paper. It’s such an MMO wanna-be without being a PC game. Yet they have this DDi crap.
Then these guys go and turn it all the more closer to an MMO. This shit is retarded, seriously. Why the fuck would anyone want to play like this? Just make D&D into an MMO already. I don’t understand how close you can be to making D&D completely digital and, yet, not make it digital. No one wants to pay for the $30 books, they’re probably paying $15/month for the bullcrap DDi compendium anyway. Enough for an MMO!!!
It’s like keeping your old turn-dial phone but then making it cordless, then making it wireless, then making it into an iPhone, but it STILL HAS A TURN-DIAL! Just go all the way already.
I am tired of seeing D&D in its death throes. Would someone deliver it some mercy, please, and hit the nail in the coffin once and for all?
You can still playing the way you want, this doesn’t affect you at all. Just use the rules you like the most.
I think that if this turns out it will be very popular -as long this won’t be very expensive-, and you can see this on the replies.
Sorry for my neanderthalish use of the language, I’m from Argentina :P
Foolish mortal!
But seriously, could you spew out a few more cuss words and insults?
Not everyone hates 4e. In fact, some of us are happy that a Barbarian is worth more than just soaking damage from enemies while the casters rake in the kills.
Some of us are happy that D&D takes more than just a bigass damage stick to win and strategy is now worthwhile.
Some of us are happy that death spells, level loss, and stat drains are gone.
Some of us are just plain happy that Wizards aren’t the only ones with endgame utility and abilities.
Just like some of us are excited to see this game up and coming.
First off, they did turn D&D into an MMO. It is called D&D Online. Go check it out. (Nowhere near as fun as the paper and pencil version though.)
Second and more importantly, the D&D police are not showing up at your door and taking away your old 1st, 2nd, and 3rd edition books. If you want new material for those old editions buy it. Paizo and Pathfinder is the outgrowth of 3rd Edition or the spiritual successor to 1st and 2nd edition is called Hackmaster.
Now if you don’t like my preferred game of 4th Edition D&D, then back off and leave me alone to game with my friends. We are having a blast playing and love the DDI subscription that allows us a GREAT character builder that shows me everything I can do with my character instead of flipping through my very large stack of 30 books. And I have that stack of 30 books because I love having material to carry around and read when I don’t have my digital access.
In the end, they make different role-playing games for different tastes. Even though I hate reality television shows I am jumping into their articles calling them all a bunch of brainwashed sheep for tuning in. Why do geeks have to feel the need to bash each other’s loves and pastimes.
P.S. I can’t wait until there is an “affordable” surface so I can bring this to my realm. I can finally get my friends back in Texas, Wisconsin, and Minnesota to play D&D again with me here in Colorado.
Bullshit, this DDI stuff SHOULD have been given to 3rd Edition! Also, we are being shoehorned into dealing with 4E because they’re getting all the new books and ideas and what is 3rd Edition getting!? Absolutely nothing.
They should continue supporting 1e, 2e, and 3e! In lower quantities, but it’s the way they should’ve done it instead of alienating and splitting the game community (which results in less money). Diablo 2 servers are still running, despite Diablo 3 coming out. People still get updates to FFXI despite the fact that FFXIV is coming out and SquareEnix even stated they’re still supporting FFXI.
It’s real simple, and a good solution to making money, 4 times a year, for each edition, they should come out with a new 1e, 2e, and 3e book. 4e can get the most, plus their DDi crap, but the other editions deserve as much support.
How dare you say that 4e is superior and that I can continue playing 3e and ignore 4e. How can anyone ignore 4e when it’s releasing tons of new material and my 3e games grow more stale each year from lack of support? Ya sound like a hypocrite already. You say let everyone enjoy their games, they’re all equal, but they’re not. Because they’re not equally supported as they should be!
niiiiiiiiiiiice – now if it can be 6×4 foot
and cost under 100 dollars and all the software is free from all eternity – gamers may use it
otherwise it will be too expensive – i’ve seen other vewions of this before – allthough cool
doesn’t really fit into a D&D/wargamer’s budget
and if you expect stores to shell out $5k for a “protfitable” (pure conjecture on cost here – remember to add money for softwares and broken code updates/army variants and game systems) gaming table that one fat guy can sit on and destroy or a few clumsy people spilling their drink on or kicking the projector below or scratching the table up with their pocket knives or goth gear from hot topic – i’m sure they’d rather just sell a few cases of magic/yugioh and call it a day
This is amazing! In regards to those that complained about the chatter in the background…this is a D&D game…this is what they sound like. I can’t wait for something like this to become available and affordable.
Quote from the article:
“Now the take-away point here isn’t really ‘wow, you can play D&D on a touchscreen!’”
Uh, yeah, the take-away point really is, “wow, you can plan D&D on a touchscreen” and it’s f*^&* awesome !
cool post. i am dying to check it out as ur last line says