Exciting news from the world of tables - Philips is showing off its new 'Entertaible' tabletop gaming platform at the Internationale Funkausstellung event in Berlin. I think we covered this briefly when the company started flaunting prototypes earlier this year, but it's definitely worth covering again now they've presumably built a couple of proper ones...
This brilliant, not-at-all awkwardly-named device promises to finally bring interactive entertainment to the masses. Featuring a 32-inch horizontal LCD, BaryBass™ sound technology and internet connectivity, the (one day this will just trip naturally off the tongue) 'Entertaible' is the next word in multiplayer social gaming. Here's a chunk of the press release:
"Entertaible uses proprietary digital shape recognition and multi-touch sensing (patent pending) to interpret the moves of several players simultaneously. This generates a highly interactive, intense gaming experience where speed and clever tactics are essential to win. The simultaneous tracking encourages players to make their moves in real-time by dispensing with the need to wait for their turn, and allows participants - with practice - to plan moves in advance and react immediately to the actions of the other players. The use of physical objects like pawns and bats to directly manipulate the virtual world enhances the sense of magic."
They haven't mentioned yet what sort of multiplayer games you'll be able to take part in on the device - or indeed where you'll be able to buy it and what it's likely to cost. But considering the tidal wave of enthusiasm this product is likely to provoke, these are piffling matters of little consequence.
The company is talking about delivering its technology in a number of form factors - let's hope one of them is a pub table (as the accompanying press shot would seem to suggest). As you are no doubt aware, the decline of the traditional British drinking establishment can be traced back to the point at which they stopped making tabletop versions of Space Invaders and Pac-Man.
