With all its complexities and long history, chess is unquestionably a regal game, but it hasn’t really changed that much over time. The basic rules have remained steadfast, which is actually kind of great if you’re looking to compare games past and present. But what if someone took modern technology and applied it to this hallowed game? What would it be like?
Well, it would probably be like the upcoming game Speed Chess, set to debut this week at Tokyo Game Show 2015! The game is in for a major revamp, complete with a lack of turns and a multi-touch display that glows brilliant neon colors!
Produced by Team Dengekisen (Twam電撃戦, literally “Team Blitzkrieg”), Speed Chess takes advantage of modern technology to put a new spin on the classic game. While chess has traditionally been played by taking turns, one player moving one piece at a time, Speed Chess abolishes those arcane rules and opens things up for something a bit faster.
▼ And cyberpunk…ier…
Instead of taking turns, players move their pieces simultaneously in real time — this isn’t your Bobby Fischer’s speed chess we’re talking about here!
But it’s also not the free-for-all you may be imaging. There are definitely rules here. The most basic is that after moving a piece, you cannot move it again for a certain amount of time, kind of like an RTS (real-time strategy game).
The time during which a piece can’t be moved is called the “cool time,” and this is where the game is won or lost, apparently. But how are the players supposed to keep track of each piece’s cool time? Simple, they’re not! Instead, players will rely on the board, which is actually a multi-touch display produced by 3M, and its glowing neon colors. The board can handle up to 60 points of contact at once, allowing it to keep track of all the pieces on the board and then some.
Based on the Vimeo video, it looks like the board also provides some hints for moves, though we may be misinterpreting the neon lights. It certainly looks like the perfect game for a cyberpunk world. In fact, we’re kind of surprised William Gibson wasn’t a consulting partner.
The game will debut at Tokyo Game Show this week, and those interested can swing by the Team Dengekisen booth, in Hall 3, to try it out. Hopefully version 2.0 will come with neural implants and cybernetic arms to enable play at ultrasonic speeds.
UPDATE:
Team Dengekisen have released a new video with actual gameplay. With a running time just over two minutes, the overhead video shows a full game including messages from the board, all its cool lights and the exactly how the game is played.
If you weren’t interested before, we bet there’s a good chance you’ll be a lot more interested now!
Sources: Culture Lab, Vimeo/trust tower, Team Dengekisen, PR Times
Images: Vimeo/trust tower, Team Dengekisen