Activision joined the announcement party for upcoming Apple TV games today, and it’s starting to look like all the publishers want to get in on the Apple TV action. Activision also gave us our first insight into how the iPad Pro might influence game design choices in the future. The first game Activision announced is Skylanders SuperChargers, the next iteration of the company’s huge moneymaker that is the Skylanders franchise. The game’s starter pack, which we have already talked about, will be identical for all iOS devices.
You’ll also be able to seamlessly sync your progress across the Apple TV and your other devices using cloud save support. The next game announced was Guitar Hero Live, the newly-resurrected game that has been our excuse for collecting plastic instruments in our living rooms. The announcement states that the redesigned six-button guitar controller will connect with the Apple TV in the same way it will connect with your other iOS devices.
Lastly, Activision announced Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved ($9.99). As you very well know, this game has already launched on the App Store, but what was very interesting in Activision’s announcement was that GW3 is coming not only to the Apple TV but also the iPad Pro. The game will feature a revamped online cooperative mode that will have something to do with the new Apple Pencil.
This last part of the announcement was particularly intriguing to me because I’m always fascinated by how new gadgets open up new design spaces, and apparently the Apple Pencil might do exactly that. I can imagine it being used for local multiplayer games on the iPad Pro where one player uses her fingers and the other player the Apple Pencil, enabling the game to track the two different players much better and opening up all kinds of design possibilities. Fun times ahead, I think.