Table games have been around for centuries, and continue to be hugely popular around the world. Yet, the 21st century has seen some massive changes in this industry, and with many more expected to come. How has technology been used to re-invent these games and open up new markets without losing the essence of the gameplay that made them popular in the first place?
Teburu Brings the Board to Life Using RFID
The Teburu Kickstarter campaign labels it as the world’s first smart board game system, calling it dynamic and immersive. Up to five players work together to battle against fearsome monsters that are controlled through artificial intelligence. It can be played with compatible games like Fight the Zodiacs and The Bad Karmas or The Curse of The Zodiac.
It works through a collection of sensors that are spread over the board, which detect the radio frequency identification (RFID) tags at the bottom of the pieces. This means that the game always knows where the pieces belonging to the players are placed on the board, triggering certain sounds or actions as the game progresses.
The boss characters are represented on an LED display that lights up when they’re activated. Players can also hook up their smartphone to follow the action and roll the dice when their turn comes along. The funding campaign for this revolutionary approach has been successful, meaning that the people who’ve pledged money for it should get their games in April next year.
Online Games Are Still Going Strong
Egypt and the surrounding region are considered the home of table games, and Senet is arguably the oldest of them. Therefore, it’s intriguing to see that we can now play a version of the ancient game of Senet online. This is part of the move toward online table games that has brought a new way of playing that makes these games more accessible, and it’s encouraged developers to re-packed older games as well as creating completely new games.
We can see by looking at online casino reviews like Rabona Casino and YYY Casino that both provide a range of casino table games that have been popular for centuries. Blackjack and roulette are among the games that have made the switch to online casinos while retaining the classic gameplay. In addition, the fact that many games are gathered on each site means different versions are available for their lobbies, with various rules and side bets adding to the variety on offer. Review sites like this will help players find the best site for their needs.
Many table games are available for mobile devices like the Vivo Y75 too, which allows players to give them a go at any time and wherever they are. India’s Gameberry Labs is one example of a success story in this industry, as they launched the popular Ludo Star in 2017 and are said to have at least a couple of new mobile board games on the way.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
There are other types of technology that have made table games more modern and interactive, with virtual reality (VR) high on the list. Oculus Quest players can try the likes of Catan and Tsuro with their headsets, getting fully immersed in the gaming world. Expect the number of VR games to grow as more headsets are sold and demand increases for games to play on them.
Augmented reality (AR) might sound similar to VR but the truth is that it produces a different kind of board game. In this case, the game board is turned into a sort of holographic presentation where every player sees the board through their AR headset. Tilt is one of the leading AR gaming systems, with games like Battle Planet – Judgement Day, The Awakening of the Mummies and Bomb Bots Arena available.
Will VR or AR prove to be the best way of playing board games? There are pros and cons to both types of technology and they may end up co-existing, giving players different types of experience when they want it.
As we can see from these examples, the latest technology has allowed us to access board games in new, interesting ways. While many of them are still recognisable as the classic games people have played for centuries, the next technology being used has breathed new life into them.
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