Can you imagine playing KSP on this?

[Awaras]

Drool...

David Brown | NUIverse | 2012

[E. F. Kranz]

Why yes. Yes, I can.

[samstarman5]

And people can only think of Surface for D&D....

That would be a fun tool for the VAB.

Also, that is an awesome program.

[Tiberion]

Its the computer from Minority Report.

Its always fun when Science Fact passes Science Fiction

[sgtblazing]

I\'m sorry, I couldn\'t type as my eardrums just blew out from the sound of how awesome that is. Also, for mission control and vab, sexy, but i want a cockpit for flight operations

[eran100]

[samstarman5]

You may want to find co-investors. From http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2011/jan11/01-06mssurfacesamsungpr.mspx :

Pricing and Availability

The manufacturer’s suggested price for Samsung SUR40 starts at $8,400 (U.S.). Outside of the U.S., pricing will vary based on country-specific duties, taxes and fees. For a detailed quote, businesses should visit www.samsunglfd.com/solution/sur40.do to find the Samsung representative in their region. Samsung SUR40 will be available later in 2011 in 23 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

I would imagine the software for NUIverse would probably run about $500 at the least.

It\'s so nice we get to see the visions of the gods from our little places on the ground.

[Zephram Kerman]

This is the sort of thing that used to (like, just ten years ago) take CGI programmers months to do a static video to simulate the concept, and even those didn\'t look as cool as this. Oh jeez I love living in the future.

[Max Grant]

Why yes. I can imagine $8,000 falling out of my . . . pocket.

But, in order for me to run out and buy one of those I think it would have to be at a time when I am completely at peace in my life and want for nothing!

The really cool thing is I expect those to become as commonplace as flat-screen televisions are now, one day. That looks like a great toy to put school kids in front of . . . the possibilities are immense.

[CobraA1]

Awesome .

[Mojavi-Viper]

I would like to point out that tablets running windows 8 with an AMD or Intel chip should be able to play this game. It might take a little bit of time for the graphics to mature to the point they are now in desktops to tablets. But AMD\'s APU\'s might do the trick.

[Thiel]

I would like to point out that tablets running windows 8 with an AMD or Intel chip should be able to play this game. It might take a little bit of time for the graphics to mature to the point they are now in desktops to tablets. But AMD\'s APU\'s might do the trick.

The problem isn\'t graphics or even computing power, it\'s power, heat and control layout. Once you\'ve added all the buttons you need there won\'t be any space left on the screen for your ship.

[Mojavi-Viper]

The problem isn\'t graphics or even computing power, it\'s power, heat and control layout. Once you\'ve added all the buttons you need there won\'t be any space left on the screen for your ship.

You can argue this for about the first 3 moths of release, but there will be something that will come out to bind keys and custom key layouts. If you have android you can go to the marketplace and see. It will only be a matter of time.

[Thiel]

You can argue this for about the first 3 moths of release, but there will be something that will come out to bind keys and custom key layouts. If you have android you can go to the marketplace and see. It will only be a matter of time.

Err, no. That\'s a basic limitation of all touch screen based systems. Your monitor and keybord is one and the same thing, and in a game that require specific keys for specific actions those will have to be shown as such. Right now the core game require just shy of thirty individual keys. (Esc, Caps Lock, Left Shift, Left Ctrl, Q, A, W, S, E, D, C, R, F, T, G, H, N, J, M, I, K, ',', '.', Up, Down, Left, Right and Space. 28 total) This is only going to increase as the game grows in complexity, and that\'s not even considering mods. So between the keys, the nav ball, staging list and other miscellanea there won\'t be much space left to show the main view. And then there\'s the problem of making the controls intuitive without tactile feedback. (A problem for most tablet and smart phone games) Oh yeah, and since this is a handheld system you\'re limited to one hand and maybe the thumb on the other since the off hand will be occupied holding the tablet. (Not much point in making a tablet game if you can\'t play it without placing it on a table)

And while we\'re on the subject of portability, this game is going to require a massive amount of power since the processor is going to be running full-tilt constantly which leads to short a battery life and lots of time spent hooked up to an electrical outlet which again kinda defeats the purpose of porting it to a tablet in the first place. And that leads us to another problem. Tablets and smartphones have notoriously bad cooling capacities so they\'re liable to heat up dramatically, which can result in them getting too hot to handle comfortably. Not to mention that it isn\'t exactly great for the hardware either. This is already a problem on a number of smart phones.

So no, key binding, no matter how fanciful, isn\'t going to solve the basic limitations of the format.

Tablets and smartphones were never intended for this kind of thing and their design reflects that. (Shocking, I know)

[Mojavi-Viper]

Err, no. That\'s a basic limitation of all touch screen based systems. Your monitor and keybord is one and the same thing, and in a game that require specific keys for specific actions those will have to be shown as such. Right now the core game require just shy of thirty individual keys. (Esc, Caps Lock, Left Shift, Left Ctrl, Q, A, W, S, E, D, C, R, F, T, G, H, N, J, M, I, K, ',', '.', Up, Down, Left, Right and Space. 28 total) This is only going to increase as the game grows in complexity, and that\'s not even considering mods. So between the keys, the nav ball, staging list and other miscellanea there won\'t be much space left to show the main view. And then there\'s the problem of making the controls intuitive without tactile feedback. (A problem for most tablet and smart phone games) Oh yeah, and since this is a handheld system you\'re limited to one hand and maybe the thumb on the other since the off hand will be occupied holding the tablet. (Not much point in making a tablet game if you can\'t play it without placing it on a table)

And while we\'re on the subject of portability, this game is going to require a massive amount of power since the processor is going to be running full-tilt constantly which leads to short a battery life and lots of time spent hooked up to an electrical outlet which again kinda defeats the purpose of porting it to a tablet in the first place. And that leads us to another problem. Tablets and smartphones have notoriously bad cooling capacities so they\'re liable to heat up dramatically, which can result in them getting too hot to handle comfortably. Not to mention that it isn\'t exactly great for the hardware either. This is already a problem on a number of smart phones.

So no, key binding, no matter how fanciful, isn\'t going to solve the basic limitations of the format.

Tablets and smartphones were never intended for this kind of thing and their design reflects that. (Shocking, I know)

http://www.kainy.com/

It streams it via internet connection. As I said 'With Time' the newer more efficient processors and apu\'s come out, I can argue this all day. If you take a look back and see what we have done the past 10 years you will begin to see the light. I know you love your desktop (I love mine as well) but tablets will eventually work side by side with desktops. There is no reason to fight it, join the dark side, haha. Plus being able to write any code you want, right now (with the preview and your favorite programming language) and having it ready. Of course I could be wrong and the entire world could end Dec 21 but guess what, we both wait together in time!

[Radion]

The video has induced mental drooling.

[Thiel]

http://www.kainy.com/

It streams it via internet connection. As I said 'With Time' the newer more efficient processors and apu\'s come out, I can argue this all day. If you take a look back and see what we have done the past 10 years you will begin to see the light. I know you love your desktop (I love mine as well) but tablets will eventually work side by side with desktops. There is no reason to fight it, join the dark side, haha. Plus being able to write any code you want, right now (with the preview and your favorite programming language) and having it ready. Of course I could be wrong and the entire world could end Dec 21 but guess what, we both wait together in time!

Yes? That doesn\'t actually solve any of the problems I outlined. Your still operating the system at high intensity for prolonged periods of time which means the battery life and heat problems are still there.

And take a look at the demonstration video. The most demanding game in terms of input had what? 8-10 keys and they took up the majority of the display. And none of the games required the use of more than one control group at a time. KSP does.

This has nothing to do with whether or not I like tablets. It has to do with the fact that the touch screen format, especially the portable versions, does not mesh well with games that require a large range of inputs.

Also, I suggest you take a look at the computers of the last couple of decades. You\'ll note that all of them have the same input options, the keyboard. You\'ll also note that it haven\'t changed at all since it was first introduced. The only big change that has occurred is the mouse.

[Mojavi-Viper]

Yes? That doesn\'t actually solve any of the problems I outlined. Your still operating the system at high intensity for prolonged periods of time which means the battery life and heat problems are still there.

And take a look at the demonstration video. The most demanding game in terms of input had what? 8-10 keys and they took up the majority of the display. And none of the games required the use of more than one control group at a time. KSP does.

This has nothing to do with whether or not I like tablets. It has to do with the fact that the touch screen format, especially the portable versions, does not mesh well with games that require a large range of inputs.

Also, I suggest you take a look at the computers of the last couple of decades. You\'ll note that all of them have the same input options, the keyboard. You\'ll also note that it haven\'t changed at all since it was first introduced. The only big change that has occurred is the mouse.

We shall see, time will tell...

[samstarman5]

After some thought, I would have to say that playing KSP as it is on a Surface is not preferable. The media is nice, but really isn\'t oriented to what is demanded of the game. May as well try playing Combat on your Atari 2600 with paddles. It can be done, but you won\'t get your tank anywhere. You would get a giggle imagining Clu inside there getting seriously motion sick.

Surface would be better intended for strategy games such as RUSE, as that game\'s initial promotion exhibited quite well its eligibility for that platform. Master of Orion or Sins of a Solar Empire are another pair of prime candidates, considering the example this video gives of Surface\'s strong ability to exhibit three dimensions.

That doesn\'t rule out building, but I wouldn\'t want to make such an investment just to tinker in KSP\'s VAB only. Building a rocket is no fun without actually testing it. And crashing it, then improving it and testing it again.

If Surface could be used with additional input interfaces, as well, then I can see it being flexible enough for KSP. But considering it is more a prototype in essence to woo investors wholesale, its abilities for the wider market are understandably limited. There is nothing I would love than to sweep my keyboard aside and reach up to my screen to get that stage just where I want it. But to think Surface works on its own is narrow-minded and foolhardy. It is one reason why the advocates of Kinect and the Wii drive me insane, because they see only that kind of interface. Motion control is fine, but it is not the end-all interface. People have already shown that the Kinect is an awesome tool when it works in concert with other devices, something I think Microsoft sneakily intended when it released it with just the 360.

Surface is the same thing. It is an interface device that is left on its own, to tease the imagination and ingenuity of people to find its place among other devices.

So, no, Surface by itself isn\'t the ideal device for KSP. But it sure as hell would be an awesome addition to all else we have at our disposal.

Think about it this way. Surface as it is requires tactile contact for use. That\'s cool and all, but no matter how clean your hands are, continued use is going to build up issues. I know that all too well with the screens I use at my workplace. My fingers are going to be calloused monstrosities considering the poking I have to do to get my selections made.

But what if you include a Kinect in the recipe? Suddenly tactile contact is no longer a necessity as the Kinect can tell the Surface where you are pointing or pushing or pulling at. Suddenly you are Tony Starkerman, designing your Iron Kerbal to your desire. And not just to the Mun. You are going to take on the Space Kraken, and win. Then the stars will be yours. At least until you can find out how to get over that one Delta-V hump that keeps sending your ship into Kerbol. Though that may require a bit of keyboard and mouse input. And that\'s okay.

[semininja]

The way I see it is that with this kind of program on this kind of display, you\'ve got enough screen \'real estate\' that you can put in the buttons you need -which, I might add, is fewer than are currently used; throttle can be an axis, and autopilots (if you use them) solve the attitude control problems (with extras as well) by using scrolling selectors for number inputs. There is also the potential for visual RCS control, by setting the camera behind or in front of the rocket and touching the side you want the rocket to move toward.

[Sordid]

Am I the only one not really impressed by that? Every single thing he does can be accomplished more easily with a mouse and keyboard, IMO. The software itself is quite neat, but there are other programs very similar to it that you can run on your PC. I just don\'t see the point of this.

[Guest GroundHOG-2010]

Am I the only one not really impressed by that? Every single thing he does can be accomplished more easily with a mouse and keyboard, IMO. The software itself is quite neat, but there are other programs very similar to it that you can run on your PC. I just don\'t see the point of this.

Its not that I am impressed, its that the tech is horrible for gaming on. Therefore I don\'t like that they have been posting about 'Oh Imagine KSP running on it' as good, but thats my personal opinion, so I decided to leave them to there dreaming, as I have better things to do (actually I don\'t, but there is something else that could waste my time doing).

[Sordid]

Yeah. I think it\'s quite telling that at the beginning he says he\'s an architect. I can see how it could be useful for like making presentations of architectural designs and such. But it\'s nowhere near precise enough for actually working with and I don\'t think it would make much of a gaming platform either.

[mincespy]

It doesn\'t look so good.