Google just introduced a nifty little game called “Roll It” to its Chrome browser. Roll It recreates a simple skee ball game using your phone as a controller for your computer screen. To try it, just go to Roll It’s URL and follow their simple instructions to sync your devices together and play.
Is Google considering entering the gaming space? If so, this could be a huge game changer. Sure, “Roll it” is a small and simple app, but the ability to use your phone as a controller with any screen can have valuable implications for mobile and console gaming. The game itself was immediately reminiscent of Nintendo’s Wii Sports and the Wii U remote. Can you imagine a future where you can replace your clunky console with your phone? With just a mobile device, you could someday play all your games anywhere (with internet and a monitor)!
Naturally, Roll It still has a few kinks to work out. There is a slight delay between moving your phone and the action registering with your screen. We also sometimes lost connection between our phone and computer as we were playing. Perhaps most importantly, using our phone just didn’t seem to give us very accurate control.
In spite of the imperfections, we’re excited about Google’s new experiment. Is Roll It just a short-lived test or is it part of a larger plan to change the mobile gaming landscape?
