CoD exec predicts second screen gaming will snowball for next-gen

Infinity Ward's executive producer Mark Rubin has spoken about the potential uses of second screens and companion apps as they relate to the next generation of consoles and games.
His remarks came as part of an interview with the Financial Post regarding Call of Duty: Ghosts, which itself will have a free companion app.

Second screen is the name given to the use of another device to augment content you're experiencing elsewhere. One example is watching X Factor or The Apprentice and having Twitter open on your phone to provide a rolling critique of the candidates and contestants. In terms of gaming, it's a concept integral to the Wii U console which offers a screen embedded in the controller as well as the traditional TV display.

According to Rubin, although second screen apps already exist in various forms, they are going to be big news in the not-so-distant future. "Taking off my Call of Duty hat for a second, companion apps started to hit during current-gen, but they're really going to pick up for next-gen. Different games are going to use apps in a lot of different and interesting ways."

The "different and interesting" part will be vital. If apps are developed simply to get people to discuss content around a branded hub, there's often little incentive for users to step outside their usual haunts -- Facebook, Twitter, messageboards and subreddits. If, however, they provide new content or a new experience of existing content the ballgame changes.

Gaming is in an interesting position in terms of the second screen. On the one hand different devices offer different capabilities and can enable designers to explore aspects of the game which would otherwise be left untouched. They can also be used to keep the brand present in players' lives even when they're not in front of a PC or console.

Call of Duty GhostsActivision

But as Rubin points out, there are problems unique to gaming as it's an active medium requiring concentration from the player. "It's a little more of a challenge when it comes to our types of games. Looking away from the screen when the action is intense is obviously a challenge from a game design standpoint. So we have to be careful about that. We have some ideas that I think are going to develop further as we go along in this generation."

In terms of what Call of Duty: Ghosts is doing, the app is linked closely with multiplayer and therefore under wraps for the time being. But Rubin offered some broader information on the basic concepts underpinning the app. The main issue is avoiding a scenario where the app means a game becomes a pay-to-win proposition. "You can't make it required, and it can't confer a massive advantage. There's some balancing that needs to be done. You don't want it so the guy with an iPad has an advantage over other players in multiplayer just because he has the money to buy an iPad."

The strength of Infinity Ward's (or, indeed, Activision Blizzard's) investment in second screen presence is exemplified by the fact there's now a dedicated studio working on concepts of that ilk. "We actually have a whole department -- a whole studio, basically -- wrapped around the idea of second-screen. Our Beachhead group is doing a lot of work there."
Call of Duty: Ghosts is due for release in November.