The App Store has a chokehold on mobile gaming, but Apple has yet to set foot into the world of living room consoles. And Apple doesn’t need to worry about competing with the likes of Xbox—the App Store has already created an incredibly vibrant and profitable gaming ecosystem.
You can mirror a game running on your iPhone to the big screen with an Apple TV. It works, but there’s more that could be done. That’s why a gaming startup based in India is bringing Wii-like motion gaming to the Apple TV. Instead of playing on the iPhone, you play with the iPhone.
“There is no need for extra sensory and gaming hardware.”
Rolocule Games is developing Rolomotion, a new technology that uses the iPhone’s gyroscope, magnetometer, and accelerometer to track the user’s movements during gameplay. “Unlike other motion gaming consoles, there is no need for extra sensory and gaming hardware,” Rolocule co-founder Anuj Tandon told Cult of Mac. The first title to use Rolomotion is an in-house tennis game Rolocule hopes to ship by mid May. When watching the video demo, Nintendo’s Wii tennis immediately comes to mind:
Since Rolomotion is entirely software based, all you need is an iPhone and Apple TV (iPad won’t be supported out of the gate). The game streams to the big screen via AirPlay like normal. Optimized games then turn the iPhone into a controller. “We have always been fascinated by the potential of the Apple TV and gaming and I think Rolomotion is our first step in that direction,” said Rolocule CEO Rohit Gupta.
Apple has seen prototypes of Rolomotion in action. “We are working with them and we are very excited,” said Tandon. When asked about a SDK for third-party developers, Tandon said it will be considered once Rolocule’s first game ships in the App Store.
Motion Tennis will be available to download next month, and beta invites will be going out to those who sign up on the Rolomotion website.
