Surfacescapes Demo Walkthrough from Surfacescapes on Vimeo.
This is the best use for Microsoft’s Surface multitouch table we’ve seen yet. Recreating the Dungeons and Dragons experience on a tabletop. It’s a work in progress, but it’s pretty stunning. It was created by a team at Carnegie Mellon University. Players move real figurines over virtual battlefields, rolling virtual die to deal damage against the usual wolves and such.

So far they’ve got everything from modeled pieces, spell effects, and tons of nice touches to the terrain and ambient outdoor sound effects. It might remove some of the imagination from the game, but it makes many things easier.

Straight Up Chess is an interesting new version of the standard chess board. The chess set comes framed in your choice of several different wood options and you hang it on your wall. The pieces are supported by shelves that move with the pieces. So, instead of sitting across from each other for hours on end, you can just “move a piece whenever you walk by”. It even includes a marker to remind you who made the last move. Pretty cool idea.

Ok, so I have been sick of seeing Monopoly this and Monopoly that, for years now. Every time you turn around there’s a new one and I always imagine some lonely geek collecting each one and storing it away as they come out. But this latest Monopoly game I might actually buy and it might even make me want to play again.

This one features Mario, Luigi, Link, Zelda, Kirby, and other NES icons. The box comes with 6 collectible pewter tokens including Donkey Kong’s Barrel, Link’s Iron Boots, Hylian Shield, NES Controller, Mario’s Cap, and a Koopa Shell. I especially like the NES Controller. The Collectors Edition Nintendo Monopoly retails for just $33.00. As usual, it’s the same exact game. It just has Nintendo graphics everywhere.

While everyone’s waiting for X-Box’s new Wii controller, another wireless controller is coming our way for the Xbox 360. The only difference is that you’ll be using your feet, not your hands. Qmotions will be developing a version of their skateboard controller for Microsoft’s game console.

The company already makes controllers for various sports games and plans to release it’s “Big Air” board for the Xbox in the second half of 2008, with more Microsoft-endorsed products to follow. I’m guessing one of those products will have the name Tont Hawk in it. Call it a wild guess.