The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
It is thought that one day we may no longer use the likes of joypads to play games, but control the actions of our characters directly with our minds.
Can you see this happening in your lifetime?
There have been great advancements in technology in my life so far. Gaming-wise I begun with the Atari 2600. So what's changed since then? Obviously the graphics are so much better, as is the sound. Looking slightly deeper (though barely scratching the surface) the processing power and the like has also increased by incredible amounts. What did it take to create and run those Atari games?
The thing is you have always moved the character around with a little stick you hold in one hand, and buttons you press with the other.
At least now we have analogue sticks and buttons. No longer do we simply press left, we can do it to varying degrees. Well, most of you can, 5 years after I first played an N64 I still can't use the control stick properly! Honestly, I always push the stick the full distance, which makes me pretty crap at FPS and shooters - anything that involves following a target really! I've yet to fully experience the analogue buttons, but can imagine that they really do make a difference, if developers are willing to use them. I can see them changing driving games, changing how hard you accelerate, or brake, and sports games could be improved no end by weighting passes depending upon how far you press the button, as well as how long you hold it on for.
I guess these two things should have at least increased the skill level a gamer needs. Weren't many older games beaten by learning patterns? Waves of attacks, or where to go. Now it seems there is a new level to master.
So how long until we take the next step, and what will it be?
Massively multiplayer games are often heralded as something for the future. Huge online communities taking quests together, or brawling, if they prefer, maybe getting oiled up especially for the event. But I'm not sure that massively multiplayer games will really take off without a successful business model that will please both gamer and developer. It has to be profitable to run, or the developers simply won't be able to afford to create such games, but gamers don't want to be ripped off either. Unfortunately much of the internet is 'free'. Once you'e payed an ISP you can pretty much go where you like. Not many companies charge you to see their websites, and those that do are frowned upon. As such when charges are brought in, people may loose interest.
But still, even if online gaming took off on a huge scale, (so we'll all need broadband then) we'll still be using pads, keyboards and mouse to control this, when do we get to use the power of our minds?
What about 'virtual reality'?Big chunky headsets, full vision of a created world around us.
How easy would it be to create such worlds? Again, how would we control our movements within these worlds?
If we are to walk around to control our character movement, would we not find ourselves walking into real world obstacles as we tried to move around our virtual worlds?
Maybe we could stand on treadmills, but that's hardly practical for home gaming, is it. At least some of our movements could be used to control our characters, but wouldn't we need little pads on the parts of our bodies that we had in game control of? Would we need to wear some kind of gaming VR body suit?
I really don't understand how VR can work until we get to a stage in which we can simply think our movements, and have them happen.
Surely that's a long way down the track though, isn't it?
Personally I'm quite happy with my pad, but when the future comes I'll try to embrace it. Just as long as they don't want to attach electrodes to key parts of my body, we have to draw a line somewhere!
Can you see this happening in your lifetime?
There have been great advancements in technology in my life so far. Gaming-wise I begun with the Atari 2600. So what's changed since then? Obviously the graphics are so much better, as is the sound. Looking slightly deeper (though barely scratching the surface) the processing power and the like has also increased by incredible amounts. What did it take to create and run those Atari games?
The thing is you have always moved the character around with a little stick you hold in one hand, and buttons you press with the other.
At least now we have analogue sticks and buttons. No longer do we simply press left, we can do it to varying degrees. Well, most of you can, 5 years after I first played an N64 I still can't use the control stick properly! Honestly, I always push the stick the full distance, which makes me pretty crap at FPS and shooters - anything that involves following a target really! I've yet to fully experience the analogue buttons, but can imagine that they really do make a difference, if developers are willing to use them. I can see them changing driving games, changing how hard you accelerate, or brake, and sports games could be improved no end by weighting passes depending upon how far you press the button, as well as how long you hold it on for.
I guess these two things should have at least increased the skill level a gamer needs. Weren't many older games beaten by learning patterns? Waves of attacks, or where to go. Now it seems there is a new level to master.
So how long until we take the next step, and what will it be?
Massively multiplayer games are often heralded as something for the future. Huge online communities taking quests together, or brawling, if they prefer, maybe getting oiled up especially for the event. But I'm not sure that massively multiplayer games will really take off without a successful business model that will please both gamer and developer. It has to be profitable to run, or the developers simply won't be able to afford to create such games, but gamers don't want to be ripped off either. Unfortunately much of the internet is 'free'. Once you'e payed an ISP you can pretty much go where you like. Not many companies charge you to see their websites, and those that do are frowned upon. As such when charges are brought in, people may loose interest.
But still, even if online gaming took off on a huge scale, (so we'll all need broadband then) we'll still be using pads, keyboards and mouse to control this, when do we get to use the power of our minds?
What about 'virtual reality'?Big chunky headsets, full vision of a created world around us.
How easy would it be to create such worlds? Again, how would we control our movements within these worlds?
If we are to walk around to control our character movement, would we not find ourselves walking into real world obstacles as we tried to move around our virtual worlds?
Maybe we could stand on treadmills, but that's hardly practical for home gaming, is it. At least some of our movements could be used to control our characters, but wouldn't we need little pads on the parts of our bodies that we had in game control of? Would we need to wear some kind of gaming VR body suit?
I really don't understand how VR can work until we get to a stage in which we can simply think our movements, and have them happen.
Surely that's a long way down the track though, isn't it?
Personally I'm quite happy with my pad, but when the future comes I'll try to embrace it. Just as long as they don't want to attach electrodes to key parts of my body, we have to draw a line somewhere!
Page:
We're not that far away from the 'thought guided shooter', here's an extract from the Eurofighter Typhoon Helmet specification (as worn by pilots flying the Eurofighter):
"Eurofighter Typhoon Helmet.
The Eurofighter Head Equipment Assembly (HEA) comprises the aircrew helmet and all the sub-system elements needed to display a real world overlaid picture on the helmet visor.
The HEA fulfils all of the normal functions of an aircrew helmet, such as:
Communications
Microphone - direct voice input (DVI) compatible.
Earphones - including high attenuation of external noise.
Laser - anti-laser visor.
Additional features
Logistics support
Display of target/flight information
High performance symbol/image generation
Binocular fully overlapped wide (40°) field of view
The HEA provides a 24-hour, all-weather capability to track targets using the visor display, and designate them for attack using the microphone to communicate via the aircraft Direct Voice Input (DVI).
Information is displayed wherever aircrew look as the HEA includes a high-speed optical tracking system to determine which way the helmet is pointing. This allows all displayed information to exactly overlay the real world view aircrew have through their visor.
The Eurofighter Typhoon Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) System is one of the most complex systems in the world, providing flight reference data, and weapon aiming through the pilot's visor. Like the aircraft's Head Up Display (HUD), it also provides the pilot with aircraft information without the need to look inside the cockpit.
The latest in HMD technology is represented by binocular Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) displays. These are generally wide field of view (up to 40 degrees) and can present both complex symbology and also TV like images to the pilot. Thus, by using Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR) sensors an enhanced picture of the outside world can be presented to the Eurofighter Typhoon pilot.
It incorporates a Helmet Tracking System (HTS) which effectively informs the aircraft system where the pilot is looking. This means that the Eurofighter Typhoon pilot can direct missiles to look in the direction of a target and the missile can then be locked on to that target. The HMS therefore truly provides a 'look and shoot' capability."
So basically, wearing this and using a microphone, you could direct your console to pick a target and destroy it, just by looking at the target and saying 'fire railgun' or 'fire magnum' or 'fire rocket launcher'. So Quake and Resident Evil type games shouldn't take much of a tweak to work with this type of technology.
It's just a case of waiting a decade or so for the price to come down. (Unless you've got a couple of hundred thousand pounds to spare).
"Eurofighter Typhoon Helmet.
The Eurofighter Head Equipment Assembly (HEA) comprises the aircrew helmet and all the sub-system elements needed to display a real world overlaid picture on the helmet visor.
The HEA fulfils all of the normal functions of an aircrew helmet, such as:
Communications
Microphone - direct voice input (DVI) compatible.
Earphones - including high attenuation of external noise.
Laser - anti-laser visor.
Additional features
Logistics support
Display of target/flight information
High performance symbol/image generation
Binocular fully overlapped wide (40°) field of view
The HEA provides a 24-hour, all-weather capability to track targets using the visor display, and designate them for attack using the microphone to communicate via the aircraft Direct Voice Input (DVI).
Information is displayed wherever aircrew look as the HEA includes a high-speed optical tracking system to determine which way the helmet is pointing. This allows all displayed information to exactly overlay the real world view aircrew have through their visor.
The Eurofighter Typhoon Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) System is one of the most complex systems in the world, providing flight reference data, and weapon aiming through the pilot's visor. Like the aircraft's Head Up Display (HUD), it also provides the pilot with aircraft information without the need to look inside the cockpit.
The latest in HMD technology is represented by binocular Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) displays. These are generally wide field of view (up to 40 degrees) and can present both complex symbology and also TV like images to the pilot. Thus, by using Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR) sensors an enhanced picture of the outside world can be presented to the Eurofighter Typhoon pilot.
It incorporates a Helmet Tracking System (HTS) which effectively informs the aircraft system where the pilot is looking. This means that the Eurofighter Typhoon pilot can direct missiles to look in the direction of a target and the missile can then be locked on to that target. The HMS therefore truly provides a 'look and shoot' capability."
So basically, wearing this and using a microphone, you could direct your console to pick a target and destroy it, just by looking at the target and saying 'fire railgun' or 'fire magnum' or 'fire rocket launcher'. So Quake and Resident Evil type games shouldn't take much of a tweak to work with this type of technology.
It's just a case of waiting a decade or so for the price to come down. (Unless you've got a couple of hundred thousand pounds to spare).
Your Honour wrote:
> In theory, it shouldn't be too difficult to think what you want to do in a
> game.
A thought is just an electronic signal sent from your brain to another
> part of your body. So it would be relatively simple to tap into the signal, and
> use it as an input of a game.
However, in practice this is alot more
> difficult, so I don't think we will be seeing it for a long while yet....
Didt they make controller that moved your character depending on where on the screen you were looking?
You had to tape a couple of wires to the side of your temple and had to say fire every tie you wanted to shoot...
(dont think it worked too well though?)
> In theory, it shouldn't be too difficult to think what you want to do in a
> game.
A thought is just an electronic signal sent from your brain to another
> part of your body. So it would be relatively simple to tap into the signal, and
> use it as an input of a game.
However, in practice this is alot more
> difficult, so I don't think we will be seeing it for a long while yet....
Didt they make controller that moved your character depending on where on the screen you were looking?
You had to tape a couple of wires to the side of your temple and had to say fire every tie you wanted to shoot...
(dont think it worked too well though?)
Consider that blokes are supposedly supposed to have about thought to do with sex every 10 seconds (or something like that) it should make for some very interesting game play. Mortal Kombat could be a whole different game!
In theory, it shouldn't be too difficult to think what you want to do in a game.
A thought is just an electronic signal sent from your brain to another part of your body. So it would be relatively simple to tap into the signal, and use it as an input of a game.
However, in practice this is alot more difficult, so I don't think we will be seeing it for a long while yet....
A thought is just an electronic signal sent from your brain to another part of your body. So it would be relatively simple to tap into the signal, and use it as an input of a game.
However, in practice this is alot more difficult, so I don't think we will be seeing it for a long while yet....
Controlling games with our minds? I feel exhausted just thinking about that one.
You can't really beat a controller can you. Feels good in the hands - like a leather-bound book, or a perfectly-formed breast.... (pardon?)
You can't really beat a controller can you. Feels good in the hands - like a leather-bound book, or a perfectly-formed breast.... (pardon?)
uksgamer2002 wrote:
> My head hurts.
Mr Gumby... is that you?
> My head hurts.
Mr Gumby... is that you?
My head hurts.
Erm....well......erm. Look, I've said it before, English with my current teacher is BORING. I've had a few coffee's so I'm not thinkin straight.
uksgamer2002 wrote:
> I think you'd become used to using your mind so long as you started at an early
> age, and provided the idea is integrated into the mainstream society.
lol... its a computer game...
Besides, do you really want your kids thought processes developed specifically to allow them to play Mario better?
:)
> I think you'd become used to using your mind so long as you started at an early
> age, and provided the idea is integrated into the mainstream society.
lol... its a computer game...
Besides, do you really want your kids thought processes developed specifically to allow them to play Mario better?
:)
I think you'd become used to using your mind so long as you started at an early age, and provided the idea is integrated into the mainstream society.
Page: