Future of gaming

[Tenko5]

So, I was wondering today what will the next gen be? I mean can the graphics and power of a system get much better? And if they can do they have to? Is it more likely game systems will focus on interactivity like the Wii? I would like to see a hybrid of the PS3 and Wii. Where the graphics are amazing and the controls are completly innovate.
So, what do you want the future of gaming to be like?

[Pollensalta]

I think eventually Nintendo will come out with a Wii that has the graphics of a PS3, yes.

[Quing]

I have a couple of predictions for the future of gaming. First, I think we're reaching a graphics cap. Computer-generated graphics can only get so good. As a result, I think we'll see an expansion into senses besides sight and hearing. I think that along with that, we'll probably get more systems like the Wii that are controlled via physical interaction. My second major prediction is that we'll probably get more games where what you do matters. What I mean by that is that we'll get games with more open-endedness, with a decrease in production of RPGs like the Suikoden series where you have a plot to follow. For all of the advances in technology, we haven't seen anywhere near the amount of utilization of that technology that could be done, and I suspect that that will change. Now granted, I don't expect these changes to occur in a major way even in the next generation of systems. Rather I think it more likely that we'll edge our way into these changes, and that we won't see a real change until a few system generations from now.

[Zeikcied]

A friend of mine (Alex Gore, co-author of the gaming blog in my signature) believes that digital distribution is the future. That future gaming consoles, either next generation or the one after, will do away with optical drives and rely only on digital distribution. By this time, terabyte drives (which already exist) will be cheaper and more widely available. Which would make a digital distribution scheme possible for a home console.

Personally, he makes a good argument. I don't think he's written about it in our blog, though. We've discussed it on another website.

Anyway, I think we're reaching the limit as far as how much difference more polygons will make in visual quality. I think that the amount of polygons can still increase, but it's at the point where it might not make any difference. Sure, if we have 100 million more polys on screen, we could display more unique characters. But is that really important?

I predict gaming graphics will be redirected to a few key points. One being video RAM, to hold larger, more detailed, and more complex textures, meshes, maps, etc. The other being various new graphical features, much like the normal maps and high dynamic range (HDR) rendering of this generation.

As for controls, I think the "classic" input devices will still control the majority of the market. Motion sensitive and touch-screen controls, while great for casual gaming, are very limited when it comes to more mainstream genres. So I don't see that becoming the norm. Instead, I think further refinement of the tried and true controller will reign. Microsoft will no doubt tweak the 360 controller in their next hardware, and Sony will keep with the classic "Dual Shock" design. Now that every button on the controllers, except Start and Select/Back are analog, I'm left wondering exactly what is left in terms of advancing the "classic" input. But I'm confident that motion sensitivity isn't going to become a standard. It may become a regular Nintendo gimmick, but not a standard.

Also, there has been a push recently for user-created content. Unreal Tournament 3 on the PS3 will mark the first time (to my knowledge) that people can take user-created mods from the PC version and play them on the PS3 version. Epic has said that every mod for the PC version of UT3 can work on the PS3 version, as long as it meets the PS3 system limitations (which is mainly memory capacity). Future games, such as LittleBigPlanet also offer user-created content. I see a future where console games will feature in-depth mod tools bundled with the game, just like their PC counterparts.

But for the most part, I'm not sure what major changes we'll see in terms of actual games. It's still early in this generation, and I don't think companies have really gone too far outside the boundaries of the last generation. I think once they really start experimenting with what they can do, then we'll have a better idea of the kinds of games we'll see in the future.

[Tenko5]

I think eventually Nintendo will come out with a Wii that has the graphics of a PS3, yes.

Two things about that. I doubt Nintendo will do it. And if they do and it replaces the old Wii I will be pissed for already having one.

Zeikcied: I was really hoping for something like .hack (the show). Where they plug in and can control everything you do.

[Zeikcied]

Zeikcied: I was really hoping for something like .hack (the show). Where they plug in and can control everything you do.

That's still at least 50 or more years away. I'm betting on much more than 50 years.

Virtual reality is still in the very early stages. All I've seen in the real world is an arcade game with a "helmet" visor that lets you look around. There are some functioning gloves that allow you to manipulate robots, complete with some form of touch feedback. But I don't think there have been any attempts to make that stuff work in the realm of gaming.

Right now, it seems virtual reality is more geared toward medical use, for things like long-distance robotic surgery. The use of VR in gaming is many decades away, and that's not even counting the years it will take for it to be ready for the general market.

The concept of sitting in a special chair, putting on a visor, and being completely immersed in a game, like in .hack, is just science fiction, and will remain that way for at least our lifetime.

[Occam Arkitect]

Instead of creating a topic, I thought I'd post it here instead.

Gamepro's Top 48 games of 2008

http://www.gamepro.com/gamepro/internat ... 1148.shtml

Even though the mag's hated by many, thought you'd give it a chance and read it.

[Zeikcied]

Instead of creating a topic, I thought I'd post it here instead.

Gamepro's Top 48 games of 2008

http://www.gamepro.com/gamepro/internat ... 1148.shtml

Even though the mag's hated by many, thought you'd give it a chance and read it.

My hate for Gamepro started when I noticed a bias toward the N64 over the PlayStation, for no other reason than slightly smoother graphics and no load times.

Anyway, it bugs me that they can't think of any reason why you shouldn't care about Final Fantasy XIII, and that you should just care about GTA4 by default, because it's GTA. I'm sorry, but Grand Theft Auto is not the ultimate game, much like Final Fantasy is not the be all, end all of Japanese RPGs.

[Pollensalta]

...most of the games on that "top 48" list look atrocious.

[Tenko5]

Instead of creating a topic, I thought I'd post it here instead.

Gamepro's Top 48 games of 2008

http://www.gamepro.com/gamepro/internat ... 1148.shtml

Even though the mag's hated by many, thought you'd give it a chance and read it.

It was an okay list. I like GTA its mindless fun but putting it above mgs4? If MGS stands up to the series than it will easily blow GTA out of the water. But by the sound of their review it's more combat oriented than stealth and story oriented. I hated everyone that complained about how MGS2 had too much talking and all that. They need to shut up and go to a game like GTA. And killzone at 4? Did they play the first one? It was horrible, and i doubt they changed it much.

[KFCrispy]

new interfaces is the future of gaming. while there have been "light guns" and "power pads" in the past, technology now allows the new interfaces to really come to life. the Wii lets people conceptualize the dual-axis controller in a new way (dual-axis controllers can already do what the wii-mote does, but the wii-mote is much more intuitive), there was the DDR dance pad, we have Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and at a technology convention in NYC last year, there was camera-capture technology-- one was for a fighting game (so they setup a green screen area and you were IN the game) and one was a boat-rowing one.

i can imagine wireless motion-capture technology similar to the wii-mote that you attach to parts of your body (wrist, hands/fingers, legs, etc)... then you can physically fight in first-person, among other things (the rowing game mentioned above might only need to know what your arms are doing). now i'm not really sure of any of this generation's systems can handle different types of input (seems like the Wii can), but if they don't already, they will change gaming systems to match a PC that can handle infinite types of input; it merely has to been installed.

while many games will still be able to handle the traditional controller, even more games will provide/handle new ways (new devices) people can communicate with the game.

[Occam Arkitect]

Keep in mind that Konami already had a guitar controller with a tilting effect since the late 90's.
(also, with a complete drum set for simulation)

[KFCrispy]

and Nintendo had a light gun when their system first came out.. wasn't too popular.. but now it's a big fad, with games that attract all kinds of audiences.

[Zeikcied]

and Nintendo had a light gun when their system first came out.. wasn't too popular.. but now it's a big fad, with games that attract all kinds of audiences.

And the Black Box, a prototype home game console (and the very first of its kind) from the 1960s had a light gun. So really, home consoles have had light guns since the very first prototype was created.

Anyway, I still think that motion sensing technology won't ever replace traditional controllers. In my opinion, it's a matter of integration with specific types of games. A 40-hour RPG, for example, has little use for motion controls. Even if you use motion controls for attacking motions, the player will be physically tiring quickly.

Motion controls are not meant for the kind of epic gameplay experiences we've had in the past two generations. Motion sensing is really only useful for short bursts of activity, with games that have more simple actions. In other words, mini-game collections.

How many "epic" Wii games are there that use motion controls throughout the game? (And were they any good?) I know LoZ: Twilight Princess uses motion controls for sword slashing and arrow shooting. And I know Super Mario Galaxy has some minor use of motion controls (plus using the point functionality for collecting stuff). But, as far as I know (not owning a Wii yet), those games employ mainly traditional control schemes.

I believe that traditional control methods will remain dominant, while motion controls either fade away, or continue to occupy a casual gaming niche.

[Thaddeus]

i dont agree with the digital distribution as an end-all be-all for future consols-- mainly because i dont think anyone is going to want to buy a game without a hard-copy of it, mainly because it be throwing away money-- years later the chances of you being able to replay the game is slight-- i mean if you delete a game you downloaded to make room for more games (which would eventually happen even if you had a TB of space) theres no gaurentee that you would be able to plug in your consol 10 years later and re-download it. Thats not cool.

i think that if there is going to be digital distribution it will be in addition to hard-copy distribution leaving people to decide for themselves (i know i would always go with hard-copy).

i definatly think that future consoles will be more media-oriented-- the xbox 360 already is and those features are a huge hit-- i know I love em. you can rent movies and shows, watch media files over your network, soon there is going to be a DVR and on demand service-- it plays HD-dvds with an accessory-- i love all the features and so do many others. I think we will see more integration in the home entertainment field for sure. possibly something like support for cablecards etc.

Another poster mentioned support for game mods like pcs already have, I REALLY hope for this. I've wanted that for years-- I love the elder scroll games and any fan of that series will tell you its all about the mods. So heres hoping for that.

overall though, i think next-gen will prolly just be more powerfull feature rich versions of this generation.