Games

DICE+ aims to drag the humble dice into the 21st century

DICE+ aims to drag the humble dice into the 21st century
Dice+ is designed to bring the age-old device into the digital age
Dice+ is designed to bring the age-old device into the digital age
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Playing a game while using Dice+
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Playing a game while using Dice+
Rolling Dice+ on a tablet
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Rolling Dice+ on a tablet
Dice+ is designed to work with iPad 3 and 4
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Dice+ is designed to work with iPad 3 and 4
Dice+ is designed to bring the age-old device into the digital age
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Dice+ is designed to bring the age-old device into the digital age
The Dice+ digital die
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The Dice+ digital die
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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).

Dice+ is designed to work with iPad 3 and 4
Dice+ is designed to work with iPad 3 and 4

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+.

Source: Dice+ via Dvice

DICE+ TV ad

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6 comments
6 comments
Purple-Stater
As a tabletop wargamer of 25+ years, please allow my inner geek to shine through:
Dice is plural, the singular form is die.
Game on! :-)
Shachar Oz
adorable product! Big like
f8lee
Obviously the first hack will be for someone to remotely control the die from their smartphone...
Ruth Vallejos
No. No. No. and No!
There will never be a trustworthy digital random number generator. Dice aren't broken. Regular old dice aren't hackable unless the crew from "Ocean's 13" have been invading the dice factory in Mexico again. They are beloved by all gamers (except for those rare dice who like being on the floor and getting in your way when you answer nature's call in the middle of the night).
Has our love for random gadgetry gotten in the way of our common sense? I will retain my non-rechargable dice bag for a while longer, thankyouverymuch!
Nairda
This belongs on a Windows glass interface. Dedicated 50" TV table with capacitive overlay and RFID layer
Game of Warhammer with real pieces (RFID tagged) that are detectable on the screen when you place them, and electronic 'DICE' for game play.
When you do an attack the screen creates the effect like cannonball, fire, etc, directed at the enemy piece/army.
One word. EPIC !!!
Ralf Biernacki
@Ruth: You're missing the point. This is NOT a digital number generator. The random generation is done the the "regular old" way by physically rolling the die. The die then communicates with the system, letting it know what face it landed on, and whether or not it has been mishandled.