In 2014, ushered in the outbreak of wearable devices

According to foreign media reports, although wearable devices such as Google Glass and Samsung Galaxy Gear smart watches have not yet been popular, this cannot prevent the enthusiasm of game application developers and create applications around new devices in order to capture consumer technology. The next key moment.

Niccolo DeMasi, chief executive of mobile game developer Glu Mobile, believes that the potential of wearable devices is comparable to Apple’s 2007 iPhone. The appearance of iPhone has so far catalyzed the creation of a large number of mobile applications. Demasi and his colleagues also asserted that the development of excellent applications for the characteristics of wearable devices will help expand the market for such products.

Shawn Hardin, chief executive of mobile game company Mind Pirate, said that a brand-new application ecosystem is about to come. Companies that can seize the opportunity will become the heavyweights in this field and hesitate. The company will no doubt miss the opportunity. The company’s first game, Global Food Fight, developed for Google Glass will be released this month.

According to analysts' forecasts, the mobile gaming market is expected to grow from 6 billion U.S. dollars in 2010 to 17 billion U.S. dollars this year, and in the next few years, wearable devices may help fuel this growth.

It is reported that a series of smart devices such as Fitbit, a new smart watch and health tracker, will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, indicating the outbreak of wearable devices in 2014. Or will come.

At the same time, Google Glass is expected to be widely promoted this year. So far, Google’s beta version of smart eyewear users is priced at US$1,500. There aren’t many developers and consumers who have been promoted from a small scope to register to participate in the early use program. All users are only about 15,000.

The smart watch Galaxy Gear released by Samsung in September last year has been mixed since its launch, and consumers are not enthusiastic about it. Although the start is slow, according to Juniper Research, a market research firm, smart wearable device shipments are expected to exceed 130 million by 2018. In addition, global shipments of smart glasses will reach 10 million. In comparison, sales of smart glasses in 2013 are expected to be only 87,000.

The basic functions of a wearable computing device are like a microcomputer. Currently, the main focus is on wrists or facial wearable devices. Of course, other parts of the wearable device will eventually be developed. To develop applications for these devices, developers typically focus on voice, GPS, gyroscope, compass, and WiFi capabilities. In contrast, more traditional mobile application development utilizes touch screen interfaces.

New entertainment and games Glu hopes to outperform its rivals with the Spellista, a crossword puzzle developed for Google Glass. Google Glass allows hands-free operation, and Spellista relies on voice commands and plays with the device's gyroscope in conjunction with head movements. Through voice commands, gamers can use Google Glass's 5-megapixel camera to capture photos and create puzzles to share with friends.

Another feature of Google Glass is how it transmits sound. The device transmits sounds through the sound vibrations when the sound passes through the skull behind the ear rather than the conventional speaker, which enables the user to hear the sound of the surrounding environment at the same time. To date, more than 2,000 developers have acquired the code and tools needed to develop applications for Google Glass.

Silicon Valley start-up Mind Pirate, through its application Global Food Fight, wanted to prove that wearables are ideal for miniature battle games or games that are 30 to 90 seconds apart. This 3D app uses multiplayer mode. Players use head movements and tap the Google Glass trackpad to throw sticky foods like tomatoes and avoid each other's attacks.

The company also launched an incubation program to fund four developers and collaborated with the Canadian Film Institute in Toronto, Canada, to develop games and applications for Google Glass and other wearable computing devices.

Timothy Jordan, a senior developer advocate of Google Glass, pointed out that the game concept put forward by developers must be groundbreaking. It may not be appropriate to copy popular games from other platforms to Google Glass.

Games and applications often help popularize new hardware devices and help users become familiar with new technologies. Rovio's mobile game "Angry Bird" shows the iPhone's simple and easy-to-use sliding touch function; Solitaire, a solitaire game, makes using the mouse under Microsoft's Windows operating system seem intuitive.

Demasi also said that although it is still in the early stages of the development of wearable devices, from the 2017 to the 2027 decade, all wearable devices will eventually see great development. Harding believes that there will be a large number of highly competitive wearable devices on the market, and there will always be products that are truly suitable for new types of entertainment and games.

It is reported that companies such as Qualcomm and Fitbit will display their wearable health trackers, smart watches, and single-lens or dual-lens smart glasses products at the International Consumer Electronics Show.

However, not all developers believe that wearable devices will rise rapidly. These developers are worried about pricing, battery life, and other issues.

Misha Lyalin, CEO of ZeptoLab, pointed out that for most game developers at this stage, this type of equipment is mostly R&D projects. Developers must have a huge platform to succeed, and it's too early to bet on wearables. The hot mobile game cut rope is ZeptoLab's product.

Venture capitalists mostly hold a wait-and-see attitude toward wearable devices, but others still hope to have a solid position before the rise of such equipment market. Bessemer Ventures and Signia Venture Partners have jointly invested $2.5 million in Harding's Mind Pirate.

Jeremy Liew, managing director of Lightspeed Venture Partners, said that although Google Glass has not yet formed a mass consumer platform, once the product becomes a mass consumer product, the next billion-dollar enterprise will emerge from it. This is why everyone attaches so much importance to this area.