PS Vita Augmented Reality game Table Top Tanks, which we developed at Devil’s Details in Sheffield, UK. When we were asked if we’d like to develop Table Top Tanks by our friends at SCEE we couldn’t believe our luck: Who doesn’t like blowing stuff up with Tanks? And we got to play with and help develop PlayStation’s AR technology too. So, we said “Yes please!” and got down to work.
So, what’s in Table Top Tanks? Firstly, there are the tanks: They’re quite quick, nimble and fun to drive and you can choose from 10 different colors. Their main cannon is pretty powerful and you can upgrade its shell type by running over pickups; my favorite is the bouncing missile – they’re great fun to spray into the edge of the arena and watch them cause carnage and confusion as they bounce around. To get you started playing the game we’ve included a single player campaign, which will teach you how to play and challenge your tank skills.
But the real fun comes making your own maps using the simple editor. You pick a map size – small, medium or large – and then place virtual shapes around real world objects, so PS Vita can “see” the objects. You can also fill the shapes with water, smoke or fire and so that when they’re shot by a missile they’ll leak water, spill smoke or be set on fire.
Once you’ve crafted your level it’s time to play from a choice of capture the flag, last man standing or two vs. two game modes.
Table Top Tanks allows you to play with and against AI tanks (and you can choose how smart they are) but it’s much more fun to play against up to three friends over Ad Hoc. Share your newly created battlefield with your friends and duke it out from different angles. It’s really great fun, and because the levels are quick and easy to make go ahead and experiment by creating new maps.
With a little effort you can also move Table Top Tanks from the table top. If you print some new markers out but scale them up (we printed them so they filled A4 sheets, just make sure you keep the aspect ratio the same), you can upscale the awesome by playing Table Top Tanks on the floor rather than on a desktop. The Tanks become model car size and you can set up obstacles using the editor and get the whole house involved, blasting the dog or setting fire to the coffee table. We played quite a lot of large marker Table Top Tanks when we were developing the game and it’s serious fun; get some friends together and give it a go.
Finally, if you fancy a little extra twist on the tanks, we’ve got a tank pack DLC in the works which features our take on “toy” tanks. They’ve got a really distinct, bouncy shape and you also get a themed fighter jet too. They’re a firm favorite with us and we’re sure you’ll enjoy playing with them.
We look forward to hearing everyone’s feedback!
yes some vita love, but still…..i want more and more and whens the next firmware update?
Cosmis_chaos, I do not, in fact, expect twenty more games to come out right now. Nor do I act like they “gave” me nothing from the start (ignoring the fact that I buy their games rather than any “giving” going on). I said that it’s ridiculous that Sony has ANNOUNCED four AAA titles for PS3 this year and none for Vita. I did not say “release”. What you seem to have forgotten is that the Vita was announced a year and a half ago, and many developers had the system even before then. So, no, there doesn’t have to be “magic” involved. There has to be a normal development time. There has to be some development shifts on Sony’s end to their new portable.
Although the PS3’s launch has nothing to do with this, you felt inclined to bring it up, so I’ll respond. Sony was at the absolute top after PS2. They didn’t feel the need to release exclusive after exclusive for the platform. They clearly thought the gamers would flock to the platform because it’s the successor to the PS2. They were mistaken. Exclusives for the platform dramatically ramped up after they realized how bad sales were.
The Vita is different. Sony is no longer number one. They know they need to offer as many incentives as possible, and yet they aren’t doing a good enough job, in my opinion (again, I’m not saying in releasing right after launch, but rather after in announcing games to keep hype up). The PS3, while not necessarily doing amazingly, does not need remotely as many new incentives or hype as the Vita does.
In regards to Table Top Tanks and Resistance, all you have to do is think about it. I’m not saying these games will flop, and I’m not saying they will be terrible. Objectively, Table Top Tanks looks like a cheap PSN game. Not cheap as in bad, but inexpensive. Sony chose to put Resistance in the hands of a developer with a poor track record. That doesn’t automatically make it bad, but all of the videos and interviews I’ve seen recently show an unpolished game with a lack of content. I’m just connecting the dots here. I would LOVE to be shown differently when the game comes out, so we’ll see.
This idea of yours that to show concerns for a platform means to be ungrateful for what you have is utterly ridiculous. Feedback (even if told in a frustrated manner like mine) is good for a company.
Sounds cool. Only thing that would make it better is if it had been one of the ones that came free with the Vita.
will it be in the hong kong playstation store? cuz the other ar games arent there?
+ vanwinkle on May 17th, 2012 at 5:54 pm said:
The Vita is different. Sony is no longer number one. They know they need to offer as many incentives as possible, and yet they aren’t doing a good enough job
Preach it brother. A number of vita owners are new to the playstation brand. If this is how the vita is treated by their parent company, they won’t be back. The vita in many ways is superior to the ps3. It is a far superior piece of hardware to anything out on the handheld market. You can’t say that of the ps3. The ps3 has all sorts of issues. But, if you don’t support a system properly, what difference does it make how good the hardware is.
Sony has an ingrained culture of arrogance. No longer no. 1, but acting like they are. Where are the third party deals for the vita. Virtually nothing of note from third parties in the NA market. Madden and that’s it. Eb games list of upcoming games for the psvita is virtually barren of third party games. E3 better be a revelation or this system, despite its potential, is going to sink like a rock.
Vanwinkle, maybe things are looking up, I’ll repost the following that I posted elsewhere.
Well, finally some good news for the vita, Sly Cooper 4 Thieves in Time will be getting a vita version day and date with the ps3 version of the game this fall featuring cross save functionality. This needs to become standard for sony.
A cutting edge 3d platformer for the vita. Why they aren’t doing this for games like LBP Karting and Playstation All stars battle royale is beyond me. The vita is more than capable of handling those games. Sony, do you want your system to succeed or what?
@39: Soul Sacrifice. Rumored English title being Forsaken Souls. Now hush up. Sly 4 is coming to PS Vita too. “I don’t see them, so they don’t exist!”
Massimodo, agreed on all counts. It’s fantastic news about Sly 4 coming to Vita with day and date release. I hope this will be a trend for Sony (of course, along with new IPs). I want to see LBP Karting and Playstation All-Stars on Vita too, and hope they will be announced.
Elvick, of course I didn’t see Sly 4. It wasn’t announced until last night/this morning. And I’m glad it has been. It’s great news. It’s not a new game (as it was announced last E3) but still awesome that it’s coming to Vita. Soul Sacrifice has not been announced for Western shores yet (although I’d be shocked if they didn’t announce it for NA). Forsaken Souls is just a domain name people found that Sony registered; that’s as far as the “rumors” extend. If that’s what it is, then great.
I’m not pretending things don’t exist that actually do. I’m just seeing it how it is.
This looks promising. As far as ARE games goes.
*AR games goes…
My Playbook has a dictionary that automatically change the words… I hate it.