Having been with us for at lest 5000 years, it's fair to say that the humble dice has stood the test of time. So does the dice need to be dragged into the digital age? Game Technologies thinks so, and the company is taking a 21st century approach to the age-old method of random number selection with Dice+.
Dice+ stays true to the six-sided form factor of traditional dice, but it adds the ability to interact with smartphones and tablets using Bluetooth to deliver a blend of old fashioned game playing on a new fashioned platform.
Compatible with Android 4.0 and newer, as well as the iPad 3, Dice+ has a range of up to 15 feet, which seems like more than enough, since most gamers will be playing near the device to which they are connected.
The device also packs quite a bit of technology into the space behind its six LED displays. An in-built magnetic field sensor allows Dice+ to detect its orientation while a proximity sensor lets it know when it is being touched and an accelerometer allows it to detect movement and acceleration. These sensors allow for accurate rolls as well as helping prevent cheating (because it knows if it has been rolled properly).
For the time being, the list of supported games available on Apple's App Store and Google Play is modest, with staples like Backgammon included alongside less well-known games such as This Way Up, Bella & Max, and others. The company plans to release more games throughout the year, and it is calling for developers to create more games for the device.
For now, only a six-sided die is in production and the company has not announced plans for different versions, so role-playing gamers will have to make do with their non-digital 20-sided dice for now. However, up to seven Dice+ can be used at one time, which opens up the possibility of some interesting and more complicated games in the future.
Dice+ is priced at €$39.99. A battery designed to last about 20 hours is included.
The video below features a demonstration of Dice+.
