Geeky idea for M4 "expansion": Wifi gamepad as Multiplay

[mr_lou]

Yet another one of Mistha Lu's geeky ideas needs to be shared.

Tagging @Duke and @TotO

Some years back TotO created the MultiPlay; a joystick adapter with additional 2 ports you plug into the expansion port, making it possible to create 4-player games for the CPC. (
So I did).

And Duke created the M4 board that lets you connect your CPC to your phone via WiFi (among other things).

So here's the idea: Create a cellphone app with a virtual gamepad that sends certain instructions to the M4 board, which then translates it into the MultiPlay port calls. 

I write "cellphone app" because that's the first thought, but it could even work for laptops and PC's. All we need to know / agree upon are the URLs / socket data to be called.

This idea spawns from another geeky project of mine: Finding ways to control Blu-Play games with something other that the remote control. A short test yesterday revealed that it's absolutely possible to use a wifi device as an input-controller for a game running on a Blu-ray player.
If I can do that for a standard Blu-play player, surely this can also be done with the M4?

When searching a bit we'll find there already exists many of these gamepad apps for both Android and Windows Phone (didn't check iPhone). Maybe one of those apps could be used as it is. Or maybe it's best to make our own app.

What do you think about this?

[Duke]

It's an idea... Not sure if it's a good one
Might be fun for some minutes to control a game with your phones touchscreen, but generally what makes phones crap for playing games is that it has touchscreen controls and nothing else IMO.

Then thinking about the amount work and possible lag/latency problems etc. I am out, but maybe someone else wants to pick it up
- So setup a tcp server on the cpc using the sockets interface of m4 running in the background of your game. Joseman already did so with CPC chess.

[mr_lou]

It's an idea... Not sure if it's a good one
Might be fun for some minutes to control a game with your phones touchscreen, but generally what makes phones crap for playing games is that it has touchscreen controls and nothing else IMO.

Touchscreen phones is just one of the options. It would also work on phones with buttons - or if you connect a gamepad to your phone, then you can use that one too.
As for myself, I would be using my old trusty Sony Ericsson W995 for example.

Then thinking about the amount work and possible lag/latency problems etc. I am out, but maybe someone else wants to pick it up

Well, then it'll die. The idea was for you to embed it in the firmware somehow: Receive certain data on a certain port => call the corresponding CPC command. (I forget what it is, but it's very simple. That's why TotO was tagged).
I understand the concerns for lag, which is why it is yet another one of many ideas that I wouldn't normally ever mention - except then it's always been a matter of time before someone else comes up with the exact same idea - and everyone loves it. O_o
In this case, we can see there are tons of such gamepad apps already, so someone must think they're working just fine.

- So setup a tcp server on the cpc using the sockets interface of m4 running in the background of your game. Joseman already did so with CPC chess.

It shouldn't be that complex. The logic should reside inside the M4. I.e. the M4 would embed a software/firmware MultiPlay. A translator of sorts. Receiving data via sockets on a certain reserved port, and subsequently call the CPC command to the CPC.
The games using MultiPlay just checks status on a certain port. That's all. So the M4 basically just have to set values on this port, depending on data received on the socket.

Setting up a server is a completely different ballgame, not related to this.

[GUNHED]

To emulate the MultiPlay it would be needed to emulate the MultiPlays I/O ports. I don't know it the M4 can do this. If yes, it's a lot of effort for sure. The reason is that the M4 only uses two I/O ports for control. The actual data transfer is managed by ROM-mapping (that' memory mapped I/O using a ROM).
I can't tell if the idea is good or not since I don't have a cell phone of that new generation. It could be fun though. 

[TotO]

The MultiPlay was first created because @Axelay MegaBlaster and the really really really fun QuadRaster !!!
It support two Amiga Mice too... Expected for a Lemming patch or a Settlers game. @Rhino use it for his Perfect Pix drawing program too.

But I think that @Duke new USB adapter should allow something close w/o the need to use the M4.

[GUNHED]

Sorry for derailing, I guess that I did ask before, but can't remember. Can we connect Atari ST mice to the MultiPlay too?