Occasionally, a piece of gaming hardware comes along that inevitably makes you gawp. It might be ridiculous, like the Resident Evil chainsaw controller, or frankly unplayable, such as the “skateboard” for Tony Hawk: Ride. Sometimes, you get an invention you didn’t ask for, but you still want to try, like the Rubik’s WOWCube.
There’s a lot to unpack with this one. However, if this Frankenconsole manages to stick the landing and resonate with players on both technical and interactive levels, it could be a real game-changer — even if it’s only in specific, self-devised circumstances.
The Rubik’s WOWCube, developed between Spin Master and Cubios, combines a handheld console with your classic Rubik’s Cube — at least, one with only four subdivisions per side, rather than your classic nine. With it, the device aims to deliver a tactile, 3D puzzle experience with the functionality of a console, albeit one where games are played across all six sides.
This unusual device features 12 interconnected mini-cubes, each side equipped with digital screens and motion sensors. Players can twist, shake, and spin it to interact with games like Space Invaders, Cut the Rope, and, best of all, 2048 — which in retrospect, feels like it was accidentally built for this — on the cube’s weird hardware.
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Admittedly, on a gaming level, my personal excitement is entirely limited to 2048 right now — I’m a member of the 65536 club, to both my credit and detriment. You can only have so much Space Invaders, and Cut the Rope was dull even back in my iPhone 3GS days. Still, what’s apparent about the WOWCube is the “art of the possible” that it promises. One major cornerstone of the device is that it’s an open platform for developers to create and upload custom apps. Those with a killer idea receive a dedicated SDK and developer portal, allowing indie developers and studios alike to explore physics-based design in three-dimensional space.
To top it all off, the Rubik’s WOWCube will also be certified by STEM.org, which adds an extra layer of credibility for the device as something that isn’t just for entertainment, but as a tool for cognitive development and learning — the type of thing you could see in schools in the months and years after its release. If you already have ideas of what you could do with this, think about how you can adapt a national curriculum around it, because it could be a license to print money.
In any case, it’s only a matter of time before someone figures out how to adapt some other classic games for it. Twisting to turn left or right, or rolling to go straight ahead, would be perfect for Dungeon Master. Hell, there’s every reason someone can port DOOM to it — at this point, thanks to the meme, I genuinely think my six-year-old Maltipoo could run DOOM.
Pre-orders are open later this year, and test versions are already kicking around in the wild, so it’s gonna happen at some point. Check out the official Rubik’s WOWCube website if you want to register your interest, or check out the ongoing history of the WOWCube, where you can also learn about why it’s called the WOWCube (spoiler alert: it may or may not have been because people “exclaimed WOW!”).
Trust me, I really have to review this one. It’s too weird not to — watch this space.
