One of the Designers of the First Xbox Just Debuted A Tabletop Gaming Tablet

The system architect of the original Xbox games console, Rob Wyatt, is back with his new company, The Last Gameboard.

The first offering is the Gameboard-1, a tablet that can work as a regular gaming tablet but also as a board for tabletop games with physical game pieces.

According to its makers, “Gameboard-1 is a technology device and a platform that will change the way we play games together — a device to teach new players faster, digitize set-up and scorekeeping, access an unlimited-play game library and allow users to try new games before they buy… all while maintaining the crucial physicality between players and pieces.”

With a 16” x 16” screen and NFC sensors, the Gameboard-1 can also lets you connect multiple gameboards to create a larger, multi-screen gaming experience.

It will also have WiFi and Bluetooth integration to let you connect other devices to it.

The Kickstarter is also meant to help the developers “finish building a single marketplace that will offer thousands of individual titles a la carte and an optional monthly subscription service for unlimited access to that vast library of games and gaming tools.”

Or, to put it more succinctly, “it’s like Netflix for games” like chess, checkers or modern tabletop games. This short gif is definitely something else!

The Gameboard-1 announcement comes a few days after The Verge reported that Rob Wyatt did not receive any payment for his previous project, the Atari VCS retro console everyone was so excited about. 

The fate of that console is still up in the air, with multiple outlets saying it’s close to getting canceled. 

Fortunately, Kickstarter funding offers a type of freedom from such financial difficulties and much more creative control, so Gameboard-1 seems like a sure fund.