Archos announces new GamePad tablet, makes gaming on the go a Dream

Mobile gaming has really started to take off. I still remember sitting around playing snake and thinking it was the coolest thing ever. Then came the addition of the bowling game on Nokia devices. From there it has just gotten better. Many of the newer mobile games fro Android are visually stunning with in-depth story lines and great game play. There is still the issue of onscreen control’s that can make even the greatest game a little frustrating. Your fingers are usually in the way of things unless you happen to have some fancy new larger screened device or a tablet. The advent of USB hosts and Bluetooth controllers are nice, but some times a nightmare to set up. Now Archos has a solution for the gamer on the go with the announcement of their newest tablet, the GamePad.

The GamePad sports a 1.5GHz dual-core processor along with a Mali 400mp quad-core GPU pushing your Android and gaming experience to a 7-inch screen. The gaming tablet will fully support Google apps and the Play Store along with running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. A really nice little addition is that they worked with a huge number of game developers to make sure their games would be compatible with the GamePad. It even features automatic game recognition and button mapping tools.

All of this will be available for approximately $189 sometime at the end of October. Looking at the image you can see it is super thin, offers all the controls a gamer could need, even a set of analog joysticks. Looks  pretty sweet. We just might have to pick one of these up.

ARCHOS combines physical gaming controls with a full Android-powered tablet to create the GamePad

Denver, CO – August 29, 2012 - ARCHOS, an award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, is proud to announce their first gaming tablet. This new type of tablet, the GamePad, combines gaming controls with Android^TM for a full tablet and gaming experience in one. Gamers will not only have access to all their favorite games, they will also have access to email, Internet, apps and more through one device.

The GamePad features a 7-inch, capacitive screen, physical control buttons and analog sticks. This Google certified tablet has full access to Google Play^TM for the tens of thousands of games available, runs a dual-core processor @ 1.5 GHz combined with a Mali 400mp quad-core GPU. In addition, the GamePad includes automatic game recognition and mapping tools – patented technology to ensure control compatibility with every advanced Android game.

Until now, tablets provided gamers with touch controls that lacked response and compatibility for their advanced games, providing a disappointing gaming experience. As one of the main tablet uses, there is a strong need for a tablet that does more for gaming. Thanks to the complete touch and physical controls of the ARCHOS GamePad, Gamers can enhance their experience starting at the end of October 2012 for less than 150€.

“When Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, was first released they included game controller support within the framework and that is when we decided to build the GamePad,” says Henri Crohas, ARCHOS Founder and CEO.

Some leading game developers have already embraced the physical controller support that was introduced with ICS rendering their apps compatible with the physical controls of the GamePad or with game controllers plugged into tablets or phones.

However many games originally did not include physical control mapping, which is why ARCHOS developed their mapping and game recognition tool; a patented technology that allows any virtual controls to be mapped the GamePad’s physical control buttons.

“Thanks to the mapping and automatic game recognition systems included on the GamePad, we already have over a thousand android games compatible with the ARCHOS GamePad’s physical controls, including back catalog titles that originally didn’t include physical controls,” continued Crohas.

ATTENTION DEVELOPERS
Over the past six months, ARCHOS has been discussing the GamePad with leading Android game developers around the world to make their games compatible with the GamePad’s physical controls and now we invite others to participate.

Developers interested in getting their current and upcoming games mapped for the ARCHOS GamePad can contact GamePad@archos.com.