Let’s say welcome to this first generation of mobile-connected games. It seems that players are ready to incorporate their smartphone or tablet into the gaming experience.
Among the most discussed industry trends at this summer E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles was the increasing focus towards second screen gaming apps. Major game publishers seem keen to embrace the movement, developing sophisticated second screen apps for auxiliary devices.
Second screen apps designed to augment the gameplay experience
_
Ubisoft Entertainment_ is among the primary enthusiasts as many of their new titles – Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, The Division, Watch Dogs and The Crew – have a second-screen mobile app, connecting to the main console game in a meaningful way and designed to augment the core console gameplay experience.
Here’s what Ubisoft chief executive officer Yves Guillemot said in an interview with GamesIndustry International about the French company’s second screen growing interest:
What I like in second-screen play is its accessibility, which means different types of people can play. So that’s the first good element. (…) The second one is it gives you an opportunity to play from outside the home with your friends who are playing from their homes. So I’m in an airport, and I can play with my friends using my iPad if I have a good connection. We think this is going to open lots of new possibilities to the industry, and to the type of gameplay that can occur.
Ubisoft even established a single studio to do all work related to its next-generation second-screen experiment: Ubisoft Quebec.
The Ubisoft managing director Nicolas Rioux added: The way we see it, it really gives the players the choice and opportunity to have a great experience when you want, where you want, at the time you want, on the device you want. For us it’s a great feature, it’s a must-have for the new generation of consoles.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – launching this fall, will come with a companion app that allows gamers to interact with a detailed world map, set waypoints, and view collected items such as treasure maps.
The second screen app for The Crew allows players to access their livery, choose and customize their cars, and select where in the world they would like to begin racing.
The Division’s companion app will give players the opportunity to jump directly into the action anytime and from anywhere they have an internet connection.
There’s a second screen app for Watch Dogs too. It will enable users to keep tabs on people and objects they’ve hacked, and also monitor and affect elements in other players’ game worlds.
And Ubisoft is not the only game developer widely embracing second screen possibilities. Game publishers like Capcom, DICE, Infinity Ward and Bungie all have upcoming games that offer companion apps designed to offer players a game experience when and where they want, at the time they want and on the device they prefer.
What do gamers want from second screen gaming?
IGN Entertainment recently conducted a small survey among its readers, revealing that the most valuable and interesting second-screen gaming experience has to do with looking at inventory and maps. Those two options won the majority of answers across all consoles, according to their users.
The least appealing second screen gaming option? It’s the asynchronous multiplayer. However, we have to take into consideration that gamers who play different platforms want different things from a secondary gaming screen.
Xbox 360 players showed much more interest in asymmetrical multiplayer than other features, with 40% of them expressing a desire for the feature. According to this IGN survey, PlayStation gamers showed the most resistance to second-screen experiences, while Wii U players proved to be the most receptive to second-screen gaming, with just 22% stating they weren’t interested.
However, we’re talking about the beginning of this digital gaming trend, whether or not players will totally embrace these second screen apps is still an open question. What’s for sure is that the biggest game publishers think second screen is the future so they act accordingly, which is both intriguing and encouraging.
