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DICE+ opens pre-orders, developer kits also available
We just checked out Game Technologies' DICE+ in the opening hours of GDC 2013, which should be available today for retail pre-order and as a developer kit package. The device is an electronic die with LED displays that developers can integrate with their games. The die can be used for its obvious application as a randomized generator of numbers 1-6, but it also has a built-in accelerometer and touch-senstive sides, which Game Technologies hopes other developers will explore.Game developers can now order the $99 developer kit, which includes shipping worldwide, providing them with a die and software for incorporating the product into games (or building a game from the ground up using the device).Game Technologies' DICE+ currently supports seven games, with a few more planned by the hardware developer's recent acquisition of a game developer.From what we saw, the product is certainly still in its prototype phase and not ready for primetime. The device's anti-cheat system requires a two-second roll time which is way too long (that can be cut down). The die also is not particularly fond of soft surfaces, since it needs that initial impact to register the roll, something the team discovered last night when they were product testing in the hotel room.The retail version is also available for pre-order for $39.99. The DICE+ is expected to launch this summer, with an official launch celebration at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany in August.
DICE+ wants to team with screens and usher in an era of powered board games (hands-on)
We learned about DICE+, the digital chance cube, just before E3, and today we finally got to give it a few rolls and find out a bit more about DICE+ from the folks who made it. It's an inch-sized cube with a soft-touch rubbery finish that's packed with a Bluetooth radio and a rechargeable battery. For now, it juiced up via microUSB, but an induction charging version is also in the works. Its power cell grants up to 20 hours of continuous rolling, or a little over a week for non-gambling degenerates. Speaking of, the cube's maker, GIC, said a major point of emphasis in the cube's design was getting the balance of the thing just right to ensure the randomness of DICE + results -- and it's even spoken with casino companies about their tolerance requirements in that area. While DICE + may find its way onto craps tables eventually, for now, its maker's focused on what it calls "powered board games."%Gallery-157624% You see, while we're all familiar with board game mechanics -- roll a die/spin a wheel and move your game piece accordingly -- they don't translate well to the digital realm. People don't trust a computer to give truly random results, and tapping a screen to "roll" dice gets boring quickly. That's the beauty of DICE+, players get all the advantages of a digital board game, like animations and greater interactivity, without the aforementioned downside because it engages them in a satisfying, familiar fashion. Join us after the break for our impressions, and a bit more info about this throwback gadget.
DICE+ digital chance cubes rolling out at E3
As far as random number generators go, the traditional die is about as low tech as it gets. Or at least, it was. Gaming startup GIC has taken it upon itself to update the old chance cube by outfitting it with LED backlights, anti-cheat roll detection and Bluetooth connectivity. DICE+, as the shakers of tomorrow are called, will sell for between $30 and $40 when they launch later this year. Although the digital dice promise compatibility with iOS, Android, Symbian, Linux and Windows, GIC has yet to announce what platforms will be available at launch. We'll have to wait for E3 for the details, but the possibilities are intriguing -- hit the break to see the cubes in action. In the meantime, we'll be dreaming of Dungeons, Dragons, a digital D20 and Microsoft Surface.
