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THQ Reveals uDraw Wii Tablet Peripheral, Games
by Leigh Alexander [PC, Console/PC]
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August 17, 2010
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This holiday kicks off a season for new hardware accessories, and THQ is getting on board with a new drawing tablet peripheral it calls uDraw.
uDraw will come bundled with what the publisher describes as an "expansive drawing, coloring and art-based video game" called uDraw Studio, together retailing for $69.99 when it launches "just in time for the holiday season."
The company will also launch two more drawing video games for use with the uDraw Tablet: Pictionary and Dood's Big Adventure which will launch the same day and be available separately for $29.99 apiece. The device and its games will hit Europe and other international territories in "early 2011."
"We've designed the uDraw GameTablet to offer something for everyone: the kids can doodle, save their creations on an SD-Card and print their artwork for display on the refrigerator," says Martin Good, THQ EVP of Kids, Family, Casual Games and Global Online Services. "Students can improve their skills through in-game tutorial lessons. And the whole family can sit down together for family game time with products like Pictionary.
The device sports a 4" by 6" drawing space and pressure-sensitive stylus, and it works by docking the Wii Remote, which then powers the tablet. It also features "tilt-and-roll" movement options so that players can use the tablet as a motion-based navigation device for characters in the device's games.
Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter has seen the device, and says he expects it to be "a popular product this holiday season." Says the analyst: "We recently viewed a demonstration of the product, and felt that at its suggested price, it presents a great value proposition."
Further, he has sales projections for uDraw: "The device impressed us, and we are frankly surprised that Nintendo has not already created such a peripheral," he says. "We are confident that THQ will sell its planned production of 1 million tablets over the balance of the fiscal year."
As for Nintendo, licensing VP Steve Singer also offers his vote of confidence: "Nintendo is committed to providing fun and unique experiences, and THQ's uDraw GameTablet seems destined to continue that trend," he says.
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As always, it always comes down to software. It comes down to games. All THQ needs is one truly great game, a Wii Sports or Wii Fit, and this tablet would become a great success. The idea of plugging a Wiimote into a tablet is interesting and opens up lots of cool ideas for game designers. But that killer app has to emerge, and these announced titles probably won't do that.
On the Wii front, Wii Fit Plus will continue to sell big, as will Mario Kart and Super Mario 5. Add in this year's new titles, and it's a very crowded field. The competition has never been more fierce. It's a good thing that "long tail" rules apply to this console, because that provides an extra bit of time for ideas like uDraw to grow. Very interesting.
Mario Paint?