Over the last two years, mobile and smartphone gaming has taken off considerably. Moving beyond fun little time-wasters (though those still exist in droves), developers gradually began offering more unique, dense titles as they became acquainted with new platforms.
Anyone who's played a mobile game can attest to their entertainment value and fun. At the same time, that same person would probably note that sometimes controlling games on touch screen devices can range from awkward to downright frustrating. Even controller add-ons are often platform specific, and providers like Apple and Google haven't been keen on setting any standard for gaming.
San Diego-based Mad Catz Interactive is trying to take the situation into its own hands.
The company announced in a press release that it plans on showcasing its next generation controller technology at 2013 International CES (or CES 2013), which is set to kick off on Jan. 8 this week.
With its upcoming GameSmart line-up, Mad Catz will attempt creating universal controllers for smartphones, tablets, and computers. These new controllers will be powered by Bluetooth Smart to ensure compatibility across all different types of hardware. Windows 8 and Microsoft PCs, Android phones and tablets, iPhones, iPads - GameSmart pads are intended to work easily with all of them.
"There are a number of point-to-point solutions in the market today that provide proof of concept, but the industry needs an agnostic operating system solution to provide standardization, ease of implantation and scalability," said Darren Richardson, the president and CEO of Mad Catz. "With our long history in the gaming industry, Mad Catz has the technical capability, product breadth, global distribution, and developer and publisher relationships that uniquely position our company to make this ambitious initiative a success. We believe the GameSmart initiative fits perfectly with our long-term strategy of designing innovative products for passionate gamers."
Instead of attempting to discourage the adoption of touch screen control, the hope is that a universal controller would allow game developers to easily implement the control scheme most desirable for their specific title.
"Mobile gaming is a vibrant and exciting space and we don't see controller-based games replacing touch screen games, we expect them to enhance and enlarge the smart device gaming experience to include the living room experience," said Richardson.
Whether or not the attempt works is something that'll have to be ruled on later, however. Customers of Mad Catz controllers tend to have mixed feelings about the end products, but if the GameSmart line-up manages to get things right, it could go a long way to boosting the company's standing and sales.
The first selection of GameSmart controllers will be displayed at CES 2013, with a launch scheduled shortly after the conclusion of the show.
