Console Gaming Meets Smartphone Gaming With the Coco ...

The coco controller. Photo courtesy Milkshake Labs

Serious gamers can?t rely on a touchscreen for long periods of mobile gameplay ? at least, that?s what Milkshake Labs co-founder Colton Gyulay says. So the startup developed its own portable gaming solution for the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S III called the coco controller.

?Touch-based controls don?t offer the precision required for serious gameplay,? Gyulay told Wired via email. ?Virtual joysticks and buttons take up space on the screen, and your fingers slide all over the place while playing.?

The coco controller aims to provide a console-level gaming experience for the price of a smartphone case. It houses a multi-axis directional pad, one analog stick, four action buttons, and two trigger buttons. ?There are good handheld gaming consoles on the market, but it just doesn?t make sense to buy them when you already have a phone that?s capable,? the team?s Kickstarter campaign explains.

The coco controller isn?t the world?s first portable gaming controller. There?s also the $63 Bluetooth iControlpad, the $50 60Beat GamePad, and a number of others of various styles. Apparently Apple has even dabbled with the idea of creating its own gaming controller for iOS. Coco differentiates itself by sporting a ?minimal pocket presence,? an affordable price (a handful of early birds grabbed the gaming controller for $35; the standard backer price is only $42), and high quality.

?Technology drives the affordability. We have a pretty clever system that is powered and communicates through the audio jack, so we eliminate the need for a battery and expensive circuitry,? Gyulay said. That means you don?t need to worry about Bluetooth, charging, or anything else ? it?s plug and play.

The controller is already compatible with 31 iOS games, and when it ships later this year, buyers will be able to choose between one of four sizes: iPhone 4/4S, the most recent iPod Touch, Samsung Galaxy SIII, and the upcoming iPhone 5. Coco?s makers also look forward to it being used as a controller for big-screen gaming through AirPlay mirroring, as well as dual-screen gaming.

The final product will be produced using the same manufacturing and design firm that hardware startups Pebble Smartwatch and Maker Bot used. The Milkshake Labs team is hoping to raise $175,000 on Kickstarter, and have thus far raised over $12,000.

Source: http://z4webhosting.com/blog/32486/console-gaming-meets-smartphone-gaming-with-the-coco-controller/

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