Second-Screen Experiences Are Still a Novelty, Crysis 3 Dev Believes

Crysis 3’s Producer, Mike Read, has talked about the recent surge in popularity of second-screen experiences, such as the Nintendo Wii U’s special GamePad or the Xbox SmartGlass tech, and has revealed that he believes they’re a bit of a novelty that might not last very long.

Crytek has pioneered game technology thanks to its CryEngine 3, which was heavily showcased by the stunning Crysis 2 last year and is set to be brought back into the spotlight with Crysis 3 in 2013.

As you can imagine, the independent studio is studying every new technological opportunity, including the second-screen experiences that are supported by the Nintendo Wii U, thanks to its GamePad, and the Xbox 360, thanks to the SmartGlass system.

According to Crysis 3 Producer, Mike Read, these technologies are still in their infancy and might not become a core part of the gaming industry.

"In terms of the dual screen stuff, I personally believe it's a bit of a novelty at this point," he told CVG. "If I would to have to point at anything that really moves into next gen, I think it's cloud gaming."

The German studio has emphasized its love for cloud gaming in recent months, joining the trend set by Sony, which has just acquired Gaikai, a company specialized in this field.

The Wii U will have a particularly tough time with the GamePad, as Read believes many parents will no longer let their small children play with the bulky and expensive controller.

"One thing I really love about the Wii, and I'm not sure Nintendo even realized this when it launched, is that the Wii's demographic was between the age of six to 60. I would gladly give a Wii controller to my three year-old to play that game, but when I saw the Wii U controller I thought, I'm not sure if I'd give that to my child to play with, that's an expensive piece of hardware."

As of yet, Crytek hasn’t confirmed that it’s bringing Crysis 3 onto the Wii U.