Second Screens and OUYA?

[James Andrew Coote]

Does anyone have experience with playing games with second screens? I know the Wii U has a second screen, but wondering if there are any other games that effectively use it.

For my own OUYA game, I'm aiming to add in second screen support. The big unanswered question though is how to get mobiles/tablets or whatever else to connect. They would have to be connected to the same wifi (or LAN) as the OUYA, and would then also have to either type an IP address into the browser or scan in a QR code

[DistantWords]

I have the Vita and LBP2 with the Cross Controller DLC. The Vita connects through your LAN (WiFi). I personally have experienced issues with it where it looses connection for split seconds on and off which causes the game to pause while it re-connects. Very annoying I must say. But while it's working it was great! It ended up being an awesome experience, while it actually worked.

[LightyKD]

Ever seen the JXD s7300 tablet. It would be AWESOME if someone could figure out how to use that as a controller. When it comes to a second screen type of game, I think a app needs to be made that gives the user a set of editable touch buttons and a area in the middle of their screen for second screen stuff.

[AdyCarter]

http://ouyaforum.com/showthread.php?...y-Game-Madness is probably the best way of doing it. Release an app for the devices you want to be able to function as a controller.

[James Andrew Coote]

Without having tried out Bombsquad (gonna have a go when I get back on Monday!), what I'm more getting at is using multiple screens rather than using a mobile / touch screen device as a controller. Using the OUYA to experiment with ideas like discussed here:

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/Sergi..._to_humans.php

So for example, a game that presents different information on different screens, such as a team/squad based local multiplayer game where the players all move around on the TV, but each has different "scanner" (infra-red, nightvision, radiation level etc) that show up different enemies or hazards

Making a companion app is a lot neater solution in many ways and allows for higher performance, but you do restrict your audience. Even if (presumably) an OUYA owner is more likely to have an Android smartphone, their friends coming round to play might have an iOS device or might not have a smartphone at all. Using a browser/HTML5 type solution you could even use a laptop/netbook.

The other thing is if you have a controller to move around your character, and then a second screen on your phone/tablet, you keep having to switch around what you're holding, what you're looking at?

[James Andrew Coote]

Actually just found this on gamasutra as well about Spin Wars, which is also on the OUYA, so gonna check that out as well: http://gamasutra.com/blogs/ThomasBed...ork_online.php

[Wilds]

i would look into bluetooth.

[Athlor]

The Ouya needs it's own Second Screen App or developers that make custom apps for their game will be redoing code over and over. Something like Sony's Playstation App or Xbox's SmartGlass but it doesn't have to be as sophisticated. Basically the ability to render a bitmap or text at an x,y position at a minimum. I would absolutely include a vibration command as well for legal force feedback. SmartGlass is capable of being used right now on devices other than an Xbox but it has a learning curve and overkill in my opinion.

[James Andrew Coote]

The Ouya needs it's own Second Screen App or developers that make custom apps for their game will be redoing code over and over. Something like Sony's Playstation App or Xbox's SmartGlass but it doesn't have to be as sophisticated. Basically the ability to render a bitmap or text at an x,y position at a minimum. I would absolutely include a vibration command as well for legal force feedback. SmartGlass is capable of being used right now on devices other than an Xbox but it has a learning curve and overkill in my opinion.

Might be something we could work on as a community? I doubt OUYA would have time to create a solution themselves in the near term