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I predict that in ten years time, photo-realism will be perfected. After all, with Moore’s Law stating that computing power doubles every 18 months we should see processing speeds of about 128 Gigabytes in a standard PC!
This raises two important questions for the gaming industry:
Firstly, imagine the cost of making a photo-realistic game; every single character, object and building has to be designed completely- without a single detail left out. I think this will lead to a number of important changes in the industry.
To begin with, middleware will become more important to the industry- and not just for use in 3D engines, physics and AI. Now developers may be forced to buy pre-made computer generated characters, simply because there is no way they can possibly make every single one of their game’s characters from scratch. And this doesn’t just apply to characters- also building, objects and textures will need to be bought “off the shelf” so-to-speak.
Also, imagine the cost of making a game like this! If we assume that the technology available to make games increases at the same speed as game complexity, the cost won’t be as high as you might imagine, but games will certainly cost more than they do now. This could easily lead to the end of the small scale development houses we see at the moment- instead all games may be made by far larger corporations.
The second question such an advance in technology raises is “how can games get any better”? After all, if you’ve generated photo-realistic graphics, you’ve hit a wall.
Well, to begin with, the way we interact with games will have to change. The limitations of the controller- a simple piece of plastic with buttons on- will hold gameplay back far more than anything else. After all, what’s the point in generating a perfectly crafter world if you can’t do anything with it?
Next, we can start to use other senses in gaming- not just seeing and hearing. Now, we could start to see rumble packs that cover your whole body- shaking as you bump into objects.
Maybe the biggest change would be transferring games from the simple 2d Television screen onto another media. Perhaps VR headsets will make a comeback? Or even more radically, maybe games will be played inside “capsules” that, as well as giving you a 3D view of everything, allow you to walk freely within the game, and could even begin to incorporate new sensations like smell. Such capsules would certainly make Arcades far more popular!
I can imagine that in several decades we will have direct brain interaction with games. So then we have perfect sights, sounds and smells of environments. No more limitations are imposed by controllers, and we are truly free to do anything….
But what then?
Sonic
This raises two important questions for the gaming industry:
Firstly, imagine the cost of making a photo-realistic game; every single character, object and building has to be designed completely- without a single detail left out. I think this will lead to a number of important changes in the industry.
To begin with, middleware will become more important to the industry- and not just for use in 3D engines, physics and AI. Now developers may be forced to buy pre-made computer generated characters, simply because there is no way they can possibly make every single one of their game’s characters from scratch. And this doesn’t just apply to characters- also building, objects and textures will need to be bought “off the shelf” so-to-speak.
Also, imagine the cost of making a game like this! If we assume that the technology available to make games increases at the same speed as game complexity, the cost won’t be as high as you might imagine, but games will certainly cost more than they do now. This could easily lead to the end of the small scale development houses we see at the moment- instead all games may be made by far larger corporations.
The second question such an advance in technology raises is “how can games get any better”? After all, if you’ve generated photo-realistic graphics, you’ve hit a wall.
Well, to begin with, the way we interact with games will have to change. The limitations of the controller- a simple piece of plastic with buttons on- will hold gameplay back far more than anything else. After all, what’s the point in generating a perfectly crafter world if you can’t do anything with it?
Next, we can start to use other senses in gaming- not just seeing and hearing. Now, we could start to see rumble packs that cover your whole body- shaking as you bump into objects.
Maybe the biggest change would be transferring games from the simple 2d Television screen onto another media. Perhaps VR headsets will make a comeback? Or even more radically, maybe games will be played inside “capsules” that, as well as giving you a 3D view of everything, allow you to walk freely within the game, and could even begin to incorporate new sensations like smell. Such capsules would certainly make Arcades far more popular!
I can imagine that in several decades we will have direct brain interaction with games. So then we have perfect sights, sounds and smells of environments. No more limitations are imposed by controllers, and we are truly free to do anything….
But what then?
Sonic
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Exactly... And I was here first
(sticks tongue out at everyone!)
Sonic
(sticks tongue out at everyone!)
Sonic
WHy is him signing his posts so annoying?
Its not as if he is swearing at you or abusing you. If it really bothers you that much you could just not read the last line of each of his posts.
Or†ega
Its not as if he is swearing at you or abusing you. If it really bothers you that much you could just not read the last line of each of his posts.
Or†ega
Turbonutter wrote:
> Sonic, I like ya 'n' all but can you please stop signing your posts? It's very
> annoying. Cheers.
hey! I've been longer than all of you lot, so I'll do what I like in my forums, with my posts, and my company, and my staff...
errrrr... hold one a minute...
Sonic
> Sonic, I like ya 'n' all but can you please stop signing your posts? It's very
> annoying. Cheers.
hey! I've been longer than all of you lot, so I'll do what I like in my forums, with my posts, and my company, and my staff...
errrrr... hold one a minute...
Sonic
I think that there will be advancements in depth rather than simply graphics.
Like Turbo's GTA3 example, AI will improve bringing more life into the games. Also, if Conker's Bad Fur Day was made on an N64 (where the characters were brought to life with surperb animation), then next generation systems will also be able to bring more life to their games in character too.
Ofcourse, depth isn't the only way that things will progress.
I think that the real future is online.
This generation (From Dreamcast to Xbox) is mainly pioneering it, testing the consoles gaming online, and getting people aquainted with the idea.
Within about 5 years, I'm guessing that the online gaming business will be something major.
It's already big in America. Broadband is barely active over here although it's beginning to pick up.
As computers improve, so will the ability to cope with lots of various different users around the world, playing a game together.
Major battles might even be watched on TV's like sports...
Like Turbo's GTA3 example, AI will improve bringing more life into the games. Also, if Conker's Bad Fur Day was made on an N64 (where the characters were brought to life with surperb animation), then next generation systems will also be able to bring more life to their games in character too.
Ofcourse, depth isn't the only way that things will progress.
I think that the real future is online.
This generation (From Dreamcast to Xbox) is mainly pioneering it, testing the consoles gaming online, and getting people aquainted with the idea.
Within about 5 years, I'm guessing that the online gaming business will be something major.
It's already big in America. Broadband is barely active over here although it's beginning to pick up.
As computers improve, so will the ability to cope with lots of various different users around the world, playing a game together.
Major battles might even be watched on TV's like sports...
Sonic, I like ya 'n' all but can you please stop signing your posts? It's very annoying. Cheers.
Well, if it has anough original points, then he should go along to a game show (industry job... not expo), and show the demo to some publishers...
That's how the guy who invented "worms" got big!
Sonic
That's how the guy who invented "worms" got big!
Sonic
Meh, probably. My Mate Dangerious Dave is making an RTS all on his tod though. It's actually very good, and is well up to the quality of SimCity. It'll probably not get published though.
Turbonutter wrote:
> I dunno. There's something to be said for bedroom coders. I'm currently writing
> a new GTK calculator, basically because xcalc looks pants and gcalc, that comes
> with GNOME, is crap.
Ah, but find a published computer game that is in shops and has been writen by people coding in their bedrooms... not a chance!
You will, of course, see some people making mods for games online, but next to none of these people will make games completely from scratch as they could in the old 8bit days.
Sonic
> I dunno. There's something to be said for bedroom coders. I'm currently writing
> a new GTK calculator, basically because xcalc looks pants and gcalc, that comes
> with GNOME, is crap.
Ah, but find a published computer game that is in shops and has been writen by people coding in their bedrooms... not a chance!
You will, of course, see some people making mods for games online, but next to none of these people will make games completely from scratch as they could in the old 8bit days.
Sonic
I dunno. There's something to be said for bedroom coders. I'm currently writing a new GTK calculator, basically because xcalc looks pants and gcalc, that comes with GNOME, is crap.
Ah, but Sibs, bedroom coders are dead...
Witht he exception of GB coders, people who want to "make" games at home now work in small teams to MODIFY existing game engines (like Quake 2), making them into new games...
The mod scene is alive- the bedroom coding one is not!
Oh, and Turbo, I get you point about graphics not being everything, but what happens when we do get photo-realistic graphics, and 100% realistic cities in gaming... I should really have said that in the topic!
Sonic
Witht he exception of GB coders, people who want to "make" games at home now work in small teams to MODIFY existing game engines (like Quake 2), making them into new games...
The mod scene is alive- the bedroom coding one is not!
Oh, and Turbo, I get you point about graphics not being everything, but what happens when we do get photo-realistic graphics, and 100% realistic cities in gaming... I should really have said that in the topic!
Sonic
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