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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!
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To be fair though... how natural is it to control a character with your mind?
Controlling your own actions is fine... but in a thrid person, RTS, etc... erspective, it would take some getting used to to control a character using your mind...
Especially since people tend to think in more abstract and/or target driven manner...
Games are starting to develop more 'specialised' equipment (rather than just joystick/pad derivitives or novelty items) so more specialised equipment will become avalible? ...
Controlling your own actions is fine... but in a thrid person, RTS, etc... erspective, it would take some getting used to to control a character using your mind...
Especially since people tend to think in more abstract and/or target driven manner...
Games are starting to develop more 'specialised' equipment (rather than just joystick/pad derivitives or novelty items) so more specialised equipment will become avalible? ...
I meant to say you've won quite a bit.
Yow Meka, when you write 'em, you write 'em long don't ya. Maybe thats why you've quite a bit at GAD, maybe I should do that. Next time I get the time I will, but don't you find with long posts, not everyone reads 'em fully so you don't get many replies?
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: