The future of video gaming...post your thoughts and visions

[AKUMA™]

So people, what do you think? Where is video gaming heading? What is the future gonna be like? Virtual Reality headsets? Are we gonna have to plug a cable into the back of our heads to play a game? We've come a long way since Pong. Cartridges, TurboCards, CDs, DVDs...What's next? Please post your thoughts here.

[brit]

Should be in general gaming so that's where it's going. And the future of gaming will be similar to how it is now. I suppose sometimes into the next century gaming will be completely gone or it will be holographic, but atractive at the same time, unlike the stupid holo-games that came out in the 90's. Small chance that it might be sorta matrix-ey but that's not completely impossible.

[micral]

well i think first of all is that 3d screens will replace 2d flat screens... and then controllers will be replaced by gamers' actual bodies... maybe in a virtual reality environment. another thing, gaming will become a full-time occupation..seriously. it already is now for some people but this trend will be more popular in the future.

[defiled]

I think it'll be the same.

However, as time goes on you probably won't see too many more gems like Katamari. The industry parallels Hollywood right now, in the sense that a few inventive games come out a year as opposed to all the crap. I went to E3 last year (heading again this year), and just about every major title was a sequel, or part of a series, or an expansion pack. Christ, where is the originality?

To tell you the truth, I wouldn't even care if the industry crashed. I have enough games to play from the 16 and 32 bit eras, where games were a little more about gameplay than they are now.

[micral]

yes it is sad that there aint much "originality" in games nowadays.. but i think that also depends on other factors. years ago when multiplayer was not popular not many of us would imagine an entire live virtual gaming world, now it's everywhere and all of this happened thanks to the internet. god knows what kind of technology they'll invent in the future that may help revolutionize the whole gaming industry again...

[Uncle Evil]

where games were a little more about gameplay than they are now.

yes sadly it seems no one cares about gameplay anymore they think if a game has good gfx its good

[Cyberxion]

Systems will continue to get more and more powerful, but the types of games we play won't be any different ten or twenty years down the road. Eventually graphics are going to hit a roof on how realistic they can get, and gamers will place less and less emphasis on how good a game looks. When this occurs, gamers will begin to realize that they've pretty much been playing the same games ever since the PSX, and that the only thing that's changed is how great they look. Gamers will start to demand new and exciting ways to play games, which will either cause a renaissance, in which the industry shows amazing creativity, or will cause a crash, due to the industry having long since lapsed into a pattern of complacency that they just can't shake.

[Uncle Evil]

wow you have this all figured out

[psfan18]

Systems will continue to get more and more powerful, but the types of games we play won't be any different ten or twenty years down the road. Eventually graphics are going to hit a roof on how realistic they can get, and gamers will place less and less emphasis on how good a game looks. When this occurs, gamers will begin to realize that they've pretty much been playing the same games ever since the PSX, and that the only thing that's changed is how great they look. Gamers will start to demand new and exciting ways to play games, which will either cause a renaissance, in which the industry shows amazing creativity, or will cause a crash, due to the industry having long since lapsed into a pattern of complacency that they just can't shake.

the latter will happen. there is already starting to become a decrease in the games. there just aren't that many good games out there anymore and how many more sequels can you make? plus the increase in piracy factor

[Slick William]

I have a few thoughts to share...

- I really, really dislike the casual gamer. They are destroying the games industry. I feel games were more original and fun when it was a geek hobby. Now the casuals outnumber the hardcore by a large enough ratio that companies no longer market to us. Thus, every game now has to have the best-fuckin-fog-ever effect, rappers/hip-hop, and/or "mature content" to even be considered worthy of publishing. That is a crime. Unfortunately, the problem will only worsen as game budgets increase and publishers are unwilling to take any risk.

- Also, because of the casual invasion entire <i>genres</i> of games are becoming obsolete. How often do you see a professional shmup being made anymore? Aside from R-Type Final, Gradius V, and Ikaruga, nothing I know of was released this generation. What about point-and-click adventure games for the PC? How about 2-D Platformers on consoles (not handhelds)? Beat'em ups? Production in all of these genres has slowed to a trickle, and it is a damned shame. Fun gameplay should never <i>ever</i> become obsolete!

- I also dislike the seemingly necessary inclusion of multimedia functions in all new game devices. I have a good DVD player, I have a good CD player, and I have a good PC. I don't need all of this extra, sub-par functionality added onto my console or portable. It adds to the cost of the machine, which wastes my dollars, and it wastes console manufacturer dollars. I especially don't like how companies (ie: Sony) are trying to leverage their gaming systems to lock people into their proprietary formats. If you want to watch Sony movies, then you will need either Sony UMDs, Sony Memory Sticks, or Sony Blu-Ray discs.

- And I really, <i>really</i> hate the coming advertising in video games. I understand that some advertising in certain games adds to the realistic feel to that particular game. However, I have a feeling that publishers will put the squeeze on developers to create games that will yield the most ads, especially considering that next-gen games are going to cost tens of millions of dollars to produce. This will just limit the scope of gaming further. I wouldn't be surprised if loading screens are replaced by short commercials. Games will even use your net connection to update those ads to the latest versions. WTF! I don't buy products to have commercials thrown in my face.

- As for the good, I love Nintendo's approach to things, which is finding new ways to enjoy games. Don't get me wrong, playing games in new ways doesn't mean throwing out the old ways (I just argued to keep old genres alive, for crying out loud). Just look at the DS. The touchscreen adds a new dimension of play, but it doesn't replace the d-pad and buttons way of playing. Seriously, who would deny some variety in their gaming experience? I wouldn't. I love peripherals like light guns, light bazookas, bongos, maracas, driving wheels, dance mats, touch screens, etc, that come out for games. I just wish they were used more often, to help justify their usually high price.

Ever heard of Steel Battalion for the Xbox? That game had a huge mech controller that costs $150. That is insanely expensive when you consider that it is only useful for one game. If there were, say... 50 games that utilized the device, it wouldn't seem like such a bad investment.

- I also really like Nintendo's approach to global multiplay, because it is FREE! I have always refused to pay to play any home video game, because I don't like being double dipped. If you don't know, double dipping is a practice of companies charging you twice for the same product. I feel gamers shouldn't have to buy a game, just to be charged to play it, even if it is through a service, and especially if that service is pulling in ad revenue on top of your subscription fee.

As for speculation on the future of the industry, just look at Cyberxion's post, he sums it up pretty well.

[Chaos]

Not so many changes. Just better graphics and more and more reality in the game.

[Winged 2.0]

I really think that its going to hell. Its hard to find a good PS2 game now and it will probably get worse. Long live 8/16-bit gaming.

[GODJonez]

How do you all intend on saving the gaming industry then?

Maybe we should make some new innovative games?

[pkt-zer0]

How do you all intend on saving the gaming industry then?

Maybe we should make some new innovative games?

I think it's sad, but you're quite right. It's hard to imagine that the gaming industry will go on like this, but I think there will be something different here, when hardcore gamers are totally left out of the calculations. I mean, why would any software company conform to the needs of thousands, when they could possibly get millions of buyers with a much less innovative/gameplay-orieneted design. And that's when the game industry dies and revives as something else. I can't possibly imagine what that will be like, but it's probably something like, say, going from REAL food to McDonalds. Much more mass-produced, much less original.

And I think that there might be something like games made by gamers, but then again, it cost money. Lots of money. I think it might be possible of creating a game just from effort and hard work, and that it would be appreciated greatly, but only by gamers, though. And that's the end of it, you're screwed again.

So, umm.... let's just hope for a miracle.

[Norgus]

I don't think I can disagree with slick william on any of his points, and they were such good points too. Positive rep given

I don't think classic controller/monitor(or TV) combo will die out any time in my lifetime, but there may be alternatives at some point.
Augmented reality is one thing that may start to come about (possibly as more involving mobile phone games)
I believe Japan already has at least one such game which is directly affected by your physical location within Japan (I think it was called <a href="http://www.thefeature.com/article?articleid=100501">mogi</a>).

edit: link to an article about mogi added