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I had yet another strange dream this morning after watching Blue Peter (great show!), how greedy of me. I woke up at 2:30pm, again confused and trying to remember the dream I had; to analyse and make sense of it, and strangely went downstairs and started playing the piano relentlessly and without flaw, sounded ok as well. Stranger things, have and will happen.
Now, I won't tell you what the dream was about, it was just very odd, but had the most amazing special effects - invisible effects.
That may not make any sense to you, but I was thinking - will effects in gaming ever be as good, or even surpass those in real life? Will a sunset in an RPG game ever conjure up more emotion inside than a real life one? It's a scary thought, because if it were to happen, then maybe we'd want to spend more times in these virtual worlds, than in reality. How long WILL Virtual Reality take to bring itself to the mainstream world, if at all?
Special effects are getting better every year, with every leap in the console generation, and in fact there's already a great range on the PlayStation 2 - early titles like Smuggler's Run compared to games like Silent Hill 2? It's amazing how fast technology is advancing, but aside from graphical awe and wonder, I think we need a major overhaul of the gaming experience. Boundaries need to be push, rules need to remade, and the word Euphoria needs to be recognised as part of gaming.
Have you ever been to that Alien Encounter Experience in DisneyLand? How great is that! Well it's something special because nearly all of your senses are being stimulated - you're looking around, listening out, feeling the supposed breath of an Alien on your neck, smelling/tasting that smoke that rises around you and, anyway, if you haven't been on that then maybe you've been in one of those 3D movies - the ones that require you to look incredibly stylish in them good old 3D glasses... Well, they're good as well, they're funny, they're entertaining, you often get short spurts of cold air onto your neck/back, or wherever, all this from a 2D screen, and a little bit more.
If gaming was to take the same approach - perhaps, in a more conventional way (you can't expect hundreds of people to sit in the same place, playing the same game, wearing head phones and sitting on a specially designed chair - just for that game so that it 'squirts air' and so forth in sync with whereabouts you are in the game, can you?), I just feel that it'd be nice to feel how the likes of Tony Hawk feel when they don't land the way they should - obviously, I'd rather not get injured, or indeed wear one of those rumble vests, but a little judder on the control pad? Please...
I want surround sound - the latest Dolby systems, I want a chair for every game - a chair that takes a mini 'Game Experience Card', so that someone has had to program it to make the game the best experience so far - we need to feel more in games, we need to be scared - we need chairs that swivel just like that (Infrared pads would be a must), when you've spun in Colin McRae 3, and we need bursts of air when we're walking down the street in Resident Evil - we need voices on our head, we need to be scared even more,
we need more!!!
Anyway, I'm done.
Thank you for reading
Now, I won't tell you what the dream was about, it was just very odd, but had the most amazing special effects - invisible effects.
That may not make any sense to you, but I was thinking - will effects in gaming ever be as good, or even surpass those in real life? Will a sunset in an RPG game ever conjure up more emotion inside than a real life one? It's a scary thought, because if it were to happen, then maybe we'd want to spend more times in these virtual worlds, than in reality. How long WILL Virtual Reality take to bring itself to the mainstream world, if at all?
Special effects are getting better every year, with every leap in the console generation, and in fact there's already a great range on the PlayStation 2 - early titles like Smuggler's Run compared to games like Silent Hill 2? It's amazing how fast technology is advancing, but aside from graphical awe and wonder, I think we need a major overhaul of the gaming experience. Boundaries need to be push, rules need to remade, and the word Euphoria needs to be recognised as part of gaming.
Have you ever been to that Alien Encounter Experience in DisneyLand? How great is that! Well it's something special because nearly all of your senses are being stimulated - you're looking around, listening out, feeling the supposed breath of an Alien on your neck, smelling/tasting that smoke that rises around you and, anyway, if you haven't been on that then maybe you've been in one of those 3D movies - the ones that require you to look incredibly stylish in them good old 3D glasses... Well, they're good as well, they're funny, they're entertaining, you often get short spurts of cold air onto your neck/back, or wherever, all this from a 2D screen, and a little bit more.
If gaming was to take the same approach - perhaps, in a more conventional way (you can't expect hundreds of people to sit in the same place, playing the same game, wearing head phones and sitting on a specially designed chair - just for that game so that it 'squirts air' and so forth in sync with whereabouts you are in the game, can you?), I just feel that it'd be nice to feel how the likes of Tony Hawk feel when they don't land the way they should - obviously, I'd rather not get injured, or indeed wear one of those rumble vests, but a little judder on the control pad? Please...
I want surround sound - the latest Dolby systems, I want a chair for every game - a chair that takes a mini 'Game Experience Card', so that someone has had to program it to make the game the best experience so far - we need to feel more in games, we need to be scared - we need chairs that swivel just like that (Infrared pads would be a must), when you've spun in Colin McRae 3, and we need bursts of air when we're walking down the street in Resident Evil - we need voices on our head, we need to be scared even more,
we need more!!!
Anyway, I'm done.
Thank you for reading
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"That may not make any sense to you, but I was thinking - will effects in gaming ever be as good, or even surpass those in real life?"
I think it will come to the point in gaming where we can't distinguish the difference between it and real life. I played a racing game a matter of YEARS ago in an arcade and you would think you're were driving a real car! I mean, I think they had recorded some video footage and put it onto the game - it was that good! Next Gen consoles really do present some great opportunities for games developers and I hope that they capitalise and take advantage of it. The future certainly looks good for gamers.
Excellent post Dan!
I think it will come to the point in gaming where we can't distinguish the difference between it and real life. I played a racing game a matter of YEARS ago in an arcade and you would think you're were driving a real car! I mean, I think they had recorded some video footage and put it onto the game - it was that good! Next Gen consoles really do present some great opportunities for games developers and I hope that they capitalise and take advantage of it. The future certainly looks good for gamers.
Excellent post Dan!
I remember writing an 'arcade revival' post a while back, and so I agree with what you say Meka_Dragon. I wouldn't recommend that these Super Chairs be in the living room, but indeed in large gaming arenas.
At present, the arcades are something of an inbetween extra - something you go on and spend a few quid before either watching a film, or going bowling. Overhaul the whole concept of arcade gaming, even have a dress code and we'd find that this go between would soon be in competition with these other entertainment activities.
Good thinking. However - consoles should evolve and home gaming must improve, yet if the new age arcade arenas (arena sounds better), are so much better then perhaps it would encourage more socialising, gaming would have a new image, and everyone would be happy!
Possibly!
At present, the arcades are something of an inbetween extra - something you go on and spend a few quid before either watching a film, or going bowling. Overhaul the whole concept of arcade gaming, even have a dress code and we'd find that this go between would soon be in competition with these other entertainment activities.
Good thinking. However - consoles should evolve and home gaming must improve, yet if the new age arcade arenas (arena sounds better), are so much better then perhaps it would encourage more socialising, gaming would have a new image, and everyone would be happy!
Possibly!
Meka Dragon wrote:
"So arcades need to evolve to bring us the latest in gaming, and multiplayer tournements. One of my major gripes with online gaming is that it's a social event with no atmosphere. When you finish playing you'll find yourself alone in a darkened room. If arcades were the place to go for multiplayer gaming you could meet real people, and maybe go for a drink or something afterwards. Much more pleasant!"
250% agreed. Online gaming does get very dull... playing against people with no conversation skills.
And the most used arcade machine, well, in Pembrokeshire anyway, are those four linked Daytona machines. Mulitplayer, you see.
If only somebody up there made a proper multiplayer experience...
"So arcades need to evolve to bring us the latest in gaming, and multiplayer tournements. One of my major gripes with online gaming is that it's a social event with no atmosphere. When you finish playing you'll find yourself alone in a darkened room. If arcades were the place to go for multiplayer gaming you could meet real people, and maybe go for a drink or something afterwards. Much more pleasant!"
250% agreed. Online gaming does get very dull... playing against people with no conversation skills.
And the most used arcade machine, well, in Pembrokeshire anyway, are those four linked Daytona machines. Mulitplayer, you see.
If only somebody up there made a proper multiplayer experience...
The trouble is keeping gaming affordable. Imagine really having to by a 'special chair' to get the most from each game. Imagine the amount of room it would take up!
Could this possibly be where arcades get a bit of a revival?
Right now you could wander into an arcade, and play a handful of games that are available, or will soon be, on home consoles. Why bother? Rent it and you can get the best of the game, without having to stand in the same spot, and get more 50p's.
So arcades need to evolve to bring us the latest in gaming, and multiplayer tournements. One of my major gripes with online gaming is that it's a social event with no atmosphere. When you finish playing you'll find yourself alone in a darkened room. If arcades were the place to go for multiplayer gaming you could meet real people, and maybe go for a drink or something afterwards. Much more pleasant!
Also, whilst you're wearing your virtual reality helmet, or whatever, there will be staff there to check everything is alright, and it will me in a suitable environment. If you were wanering around your house wearing a VR helmet anything could happen, youmight step on your cat, or gash your shins on a coffee table.
Imagine going into an arcade, and not seeing row upon row of fruit machines, and desperate, dirty peopel shoving coins into them like their fortune is awaiting them. Imagine instead finding a number of cubicles containing the latest in virtual reality games. Super sound systems, with speakers placed ideally for maximum impact, other features could include smells, and heat and cold, maybe even wind effects.
Now imagine that each of these pods are linked, and you're playing with a bunch of people. Maybe you could be space travellers, exploring a strange new planet together, and fighting off aliens.
Combining asuch a level of emersion with the social factor too would be really popular, I would imagine.
Could this possibly be where arcades get a bit of a revival?
Right now you could wander into an arcade, and play a handful of games that are available, or will soon be, on home consoles. Why bother? Rent it and you can get the best of the game, without having to stand in the same spot, and get more 50p's.
So arcades need to evolve to bring us the latest in gaming, and multiplayer tournements. One of my major gripes with online gaming is that it's a social event with no atmosphere. When you finish playing you'll find yourself alone in a darkened room. If arcades were the place to go for multiplayer gaming you could meet real people, and maybe go for a drink or something afterwards. Much more pleasant!
Also, whilst you're wearing your virtual reality helmet, or whatever, there will be staff there to check everything is alright, and it will me in a suitable environment. If you were wanering around your house wearing a VR helmet anything could happen, youmight step on your cat, or gash your shins on a coffee table.
Imagine going into an arcade, and not seeing row upon row of fruit machines, and desperate, dirty peopel shoving coins into them like their fortune is awaiting them. Imagine instead finding a number of cubicles containing the latest in virtual reality games. Super sound systems, with speakers placed ideally for maximum impact, other features could include smells, and heat and cold, maybe even wind effects.
Now imagine that each of these pods are linked, and you're playing with a bunch of people. Maybe you could be space travellers, exploring a strange new planet together, and fighting off aliens.
Combining asuch a level of emersion with the social factor too would be really popular, I would imagine.
Basically do we need more noise etc... if the game sucks us so far in ala Zelda.
I disagree slightly, Feelings are generated by what you see in a game, you are talking about Virtual reality is it neccessary to create these feelings and emotions through virtual reality?
Yes when i went on the Honey i shrunk the audience thing i thought it was great VR at its best but i believe immersion is the way forward.
I got immeresed by Zelda both of them, i felt sad when i left Saria i felt wonder when the sun rises over Hyrule field, i felt anger against Gannondorf. These emotions, feelings are not created by VR or even flash graphics, if you are immeresed by the game you except what you see and when Link leaped over the wall of lon lon ranch i felt generally delighted at the Epona's accomplishement.
I was immeresed for hours i would spend in this world and i am amazed i do belive what I see yes something is there telling me it is only images but the same will occur with VR. Immersion that is the way forward for me.
Yes when i went on the Honey i shrunk the audience thing i thought it was great VR at its best but i believe immersion is the way forward.
I got immeresed by Zelda both of them, i felt sad when i left Saria i felt wonder when the sun rises over Hyrule field, i felt anger against Gannondorf. These emotions, feelings are not created by VR or even flash graphics, if you are immeresed by the game you except what you see and when Link leaped over the wall of lon lon ranch i felt generally delighted at the Epona's accomplishement.
I was immeresed for hours i would spend in this world and i am amazed i do belive what I see yes something is there telling me it is only images but the same will occur with VR. Immersion that is the way forward for me.
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