Cell phones to become 'joysticks' of the future
Researchers in New Zealand have demonstrated how two Nokia Series 60 cell phones can be used to play a virtual tennis game. Like current mobile games, the action takes place on the phone's display. Only in AR* Tennis, players primarily use physical motions to control the flow of the game.
To begin the game, players sit at a table across from each other, and a piece of paper is placed between them, representing the boundaries of the tennis court. Players serve the ball by pressing a number on the keypad. Serves are returned with a simple swing of the phone. Players know they've made contact when the phones vibrate and project a sound.
The similarities between this format and Wii are obvious and could be signaling the beginnings of the next big trend in gaming. But, as associate professor in interactive and intelligent computing at Georgia Tech Blair MacIntyre points out, "The big question is whether folks can design compelling games using [this technology]."
*Augmented Reality.
