When tablets meet consoles: Second screen gaming evolves at E3

Both Microsoft and EA showed off ways the so-called second screen could be a bigger part of the console gaming experience at their E3 press briefings yesterday. From the looks of it, we'll soon be moving away from apps that give you stats or let you tinker around the edges of a console game and getting into full-fledged connected territory.

The Xbox team has talked up the potential of SmartGlass in the past, but the fall arrival of the Xbox One means there might finally be something interesting to do with it when it comes to gaming. For the upcoming Roman hack and slash actionfest Ryse, players will be able to launch single player campaigns, set up multiplayer matches and use a timeline feature to get real time updates on how their friends are progressing through the game from their smartphone or tablet – and maybe get some gameplay hints by watching footage those friends have saved and made public.

If anything, EA went even one better. During its demonstration of Need For Speed Rivals, we got a look at a racer trying to avoid capture while a second player pursued in a police vehicle. A third player used a tablet app to help the police side, getting a helicopter into position to highlight the runner and possibly distract him as well.

Read more about the evolution of second screen gaming at Gamezebo >