Ultimate Shuffleboard connects multiple devices together to create the ultimate shuffleboard experience. Using Bluetooth or WiFi, users can connect up to 8 devices to one another to create the length of the shuffleboard game area. The current smartphone gaming space is anti-social: users either play by themselves or compete against faceless opponents online or simply through online leaderboards. Lost is the face-to-face competition of board games, gone is the team lineup high-fiving one another and apart from a temporary social network post about a high-score, glory has been lost from smartphone gaming. That all changes with Ultimate Shuffleboard.

The game itself strays little from traditional table-top shuffleboard. Since multiple devices are required to build the game board and play the game, it's a guarantee that you'll play with other real in-your-physical-space humans. You'll play the game with at least one other person in close proximity across at least two iOS devices. Designed to be a purely social experience, Ultimate Shuffleboard brings people together around a classic game without the need for physical equipment. 

While Ultimate Shuffleboard is set to launch in early Fall 2011, several alpha tests have proven both fun and educational. This is the first gaming application that requires multiple devices and one of only a handful of applications that encourage device-to-device connection to enable core functionality. The early versions of this application have suggested they'll support up to 16 total devices. While the original goal was simply 4 devices, it will be entertaining and interesting to see large games and how the users handle interruptions, multi-tasking and other game elements. 

The original concept came from hanging out with friends and not having anything to do with our hands but grasp our drinks. Incidentally, several of our mobile devices were in the center of the table, sitting idle -  While we've started our focus on iOS, the ulterior motive of this particular project is to enable games to communicate between iOS & Android platforms to create a unified multiplayer gaming experience. 

This is the first of three mobile applications I invented and partnered with employer-at-the-time Peak Systems to develop and publish. The majority of the user experiences I envision are centered around people engaging with one another - and in real-time as much as possible. While the Ultimate Shuffleboard engine will be reused for additional gaming environments one thing will always ring true: playing together, is better.