Can Microsoft launch the ultimate gaming tablet?

1 hr.

Todd Kenreck

Rumors have begun circulating about a Microsoft tablet again, and Monday may indeed mark the arrival of one. But what would such?a?tablet need to have to grab gamers??Microsoft has sat out?portable gaming while PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Android and iPad battle it out. To be a huge?success?in the gaming world, an Xbox-friendly Windows 8 tablet?would need to take inspiration from three key devices.

(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal, but the relationship does not mean we receive any privileged information regarding Microsoft products and services, or are compelled to cover Microsoft in a favorable light.)

The Transformer Prime Android device by Asus?was the first real step in creating a hardcore and casual gaming tablet. The quad-core tablet is powered by Nvidia's Tegra 3 processor and has HDMI out. It's capable of playing 3-D games with complex particle effects and it can?even be used with your standard Xbox or PlayStation controller via USB. That combination of functionality and power coming from Nvidia's processor almost made the Transformer Prime a gaming platform by itself. The only thing holding it back was content, or Android's general lack thereof.?

Sony's PlayStation Vita also has a quad-core processor with a beautiful screen but the reason for the PS Vita's success is the huge amount of quality games and fantastic controls. But not everything on the PS Vita is fantastic ? try to avoid the Web browser if you can.

Finally, there's the iPad.?What?holds?back Apple's "magic" tablet from being a hardcore gaming baddie? No native HDMI out by design, a?lack of 3-D?support?and no easy way to use USB controllers makes it less?adaptable for hardcore gamers. However,?the iPad's?friendliness and the?relative security?of its software (and App Store) have let it?dominate the casual gaming world.?Like the PS Vita, titles matter. The ?massive amount of casual games available on the iPad has been its greatest?asset, at least in the gaming realm.

A Microsoft tablet needs to be many things to shock gamers?into paying attention. Clearly, the performance of Windows Phones shows that mere Xbox synergy won't cut it. An Xbox-primed tablet must have the?HDMI out,?3-D?capability?and mouse-and-controller friendliness of the Transformer Prime. It needs the excellent controls of the PS Vita and the charm and simplicity of the iPad to boot.?

What they need most though is content, and it's the content that the?Xbox already has. Microsoft not only has its own incredibly popular video game franchises like Halo but the Xbox platform is held up by strong relationships?with?third party game developers as well.?

Microsoft has to speak to casual gamers with "Angry Birds," "Cut the Rope," and "Plants vs. Zombies." But?if Microsoft's execs can hit the stage Monday and show off?popular hardcore titles like "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim," "Diablo 3," or?"Modern Warfare 3," then?they'll really have something.

Taking the very best from the Transformer Prime, PS Vita and iPad is a tall order, but it's the order that gamers everywhere?have placed and darn it we want to get served.

Curious about what's next for Microsoft??Join msnbc.com's?Wilson Rothman?on Twitter or at msnbc.com's Gadgetbox for live coverage of the mysterious Microsoft Windows 8 tablet event, starting at 3:30 p.m. Pacific/6:30 p.m. Eastern Monday.

For?more on gaming you can follow Todd Kenreck right here on Twitter

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