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Todays Topic: The Future Of Videogames
If somebody asked you what videogames would be like in ten years time, chances are, you would reply that they'd be pretty much the same as today, except with better graphics, and more levels made possible by a new larger storage medium. But if you were asked what videogames would be like in fifty, or a hundred years time, Im sure the answers would be a little more diverse. Will virtual reality be a believable and realstic possibility, will we have 3D TV's or Holographic rooms, and most importantly, what will the role of videogames be?
If I was asked about the technology that we'd be using, my mind would run wild, as not only is there a hundred years of innovation, design and exploration ahead in which completely new ideas and possibilities will doubtless be revealed, but also right now, today, there are a number of proprietary technologies that could change the way we view computer games forever.
Next year, Sharp Electronics will reveal for the first time to the public their 3D Monitor technologies, which allows the viewer to view a 3d object on a monior screen. While you do have to sit directly infront of the monitor to get the effect, this is only stage one, and further enhancements may mean that in the near future a monitor that will present 3d images to the viewer from any angle, the first window into a virtual world will be created. Imagine looking through a screen the size of a large window at the world of resident evil, pacing about as you try to work out what to do, and seeing your view of the character change as you move, as if you were looking through a window into their world, there would be one less degree of seperation between you and the character. If a zombie pounced and killed your character, the terror and horror of it will be ever more vivid and effective.
Another possible solution for removing the boundry between you and the actions on the screen is a new holographic technology akin to the one seen in the star wars films, that create a viewable 3d object, that you can walk around 360 degrees and view from all angles (well, except in the line of sight of the projection equipment). I know very little about this technology, other than a brief article posted today on IMDB's news. Thinking of playing games on a small table with the action moving from place to place on the table sounds unique, but it hardly removes the degree of seperation between the gamesplayer and the game, but imagining the evolution of this technologies, its possible to think of rooms filled with virtual objects like in the star trek shows, but obviously, as this is only a visual technology, you would not be able to feel the virtual enviroment, so there would still be some degree of seperation.
The third and final of the traditional visual technologies is the evolution of 3D glasses. At the moment, to be able to get a realistic perception of depth on 3d glasses, you have to wear large headsets, with thick screens, that weigh quite a bit, but if technology continues to progress at the rate that it currently is we could be seeing thin lightweight glasses, or even contact lens that present high quality images and can truly imerse the gamesplayer in the visual enviroment. If you told someone in the 1950's that TV's could be high resolutin, less than 10 cm thick, and over 60 inches diagnally, they would think your making it up, but today we'd say it a plasma screen.
For all three of the above technologies there are still degrees of seperation between the gamesplayer and the game, and while technlogies such as surround sound and advanced sound immersion (two earphones that present surround sound direct to the ear) can help remove the degree of seperation by providing realistic directional sound, and possibly body suits providing the sensation of touch, you still wouldn't be able to smell or taste the enviroment, and there would be a lot of different technologies used together to present the enviroments, one possible alternative, that could solve the problem with seperation, is the most radically different to traditional technological thinking, instead of creating the enviroment to fool the mind into thinking the persons there, fool the mind directly. Probably the best example of this idea would be the film The Matrix, electrical impulses are fed directly to the brain, stimulating certain responses, tricking it into beleving certain things, experiencing certain things, making you be in that enviroment. Of course, such a technology, would appear to be more than a hundred years off, neuroscience is relatively new, and knowledge of the brain is certainly nowhere near advanced enough to even contemplate designing an interface between the brain and the computer. The mere idea of doing so raises various ethical and political issues. Should we do it, what if there was a fault in the system, or a hacker. The ammount of problems, and the resulting action of the problems is a disturbing thought indeed.
So while it seems to be technically possible for virtual enviroments to become more realistic, a burning question is what will it be used for? Certainly, it would not only be games that could benefit, the same technology that presents interactive enviroments could present non interactive ones for films and television, although even our definitions would have to be changed of what these are, as if we are given the freedom to interact with a realistic enviroment in a game, why would we settle for anything else from other forms of entertainment. It would be less experiensing a media text, and more experiencing a situation. The roles of actors and actresses could be made obsolete, as anyone could look like anything and do whatever they wanted to in a virtual world.
The only real question you should ask yourself is how far should we go, where should mankind stop and say, its OK we've got what we wanted, lets not go any further. Think about it, and for everyone who would stop and keep that degree of seperation, there is that person who is willing to risk going a step too far.
So the future of videogames, and all technology rests solely in the consumers hands, so who will stop - and say "its OK, we've got enough."
That was sundays sermon, and a collection plate will be passed around shortly, please be generous.
If somebody asked you what videogames would be like in ten years time, chances are, you would reply that they'd be pretty much the same as today, except with better graphics, and more levels made possible by a new larger storage medium. But if you were asked what videogames would be like in fifty, or a hundred years time, Im sure the answers would be a little more diverse. Will virtual reality be a believable and realstic possibility, will we have 3D TV's or Holographic rooms, and most importantly, what will the role of videogames be?
If I was asked about the technology that we'd be using, my mind would run wild, as not only is there a hundred years of innovation, design and exploration ahead in which completely new ideas and possibilities will doubtless be revealed, but also right now, today, there are a number of proprietary technologies that could change the way we view computer games forever.
Next year, Sharp Electronics will reveal for the first time to the public their 3D Monitor technologies, which allows the viewer to view a 3d object on a monior screen. While you do have to sit directly infront of the monitor to get the effect, this is only stage one, and further enhancements may mean that in the near future a monitor that will present 3d images to the viewer from any angle, the first window into a virtual world will be created. Imagine looking through a screen the size of a large window at the world of resident evil, pacing about as you try to work out what to do, and seeing your view of the character change as you move, as if you were looking through a window into their world, there would be one less degree of seperation between you and the character. If a zombie pounced and killed your character, the terror and horror of it will be ever more vivid and effective.
Another possible solution for removing the boundry between you and the actions on the screen is a new holographic technology akin to the one seen in the star wars films, that create a viewable 3d object, that you can walk around 360 degrees and view from all angles (well, except in the line of sight of the projection equipment). I know very little about this technology, other than a brief article posted today on IMDB's news. Thinking of playing games on a small table with the action moving from place to place on the table sounds unique, but it hardly removes the degree of seperation between the gamesplayer and the game, but imagining the evolution of this technologies, its possible to think of rooms filled with virtual objects like in the star trek shows, but obviously, as this is only a visual technology, you would not be able to feel the virtual enviroment, so there would still be some degree of seperation.
The third and final of the traditional visual technologies is the evolution of 3D glasses. At the moment, to be able to get a realistic perception of depth on 3d glasses, you have to wear large headsets, with thick screens, that weigh quite a bit, but if technology continues to progress at the rate that it currently is we could be seeing thin lightweight glasses, or even contact lens that present high quality images and can truly imerse the gamesplayer in the visual enviroment. If you told someone in the 1950's that TV's could be high resolutin, less than 10 cm thick, and over 60 inches diagnally, they would think your making it up, but today we'd say it a plasma screen.
For all three of the above technologies there are still degrees of seperation between the gamesplayer and the game, and while technlogies such as surround sound and advanced sound immersion (two earphones that present surround sound direct to the ear) can help remove the degree of seperation by providing realistic directional sound, and possibly body suits providing the sensation of touch, you still wouldn't be able to smell or taste the enviroment, and there would be a lot of different technologies used together to present the enviroments, one possible alternative, that could solve the problem with seperation, is the most radically different to traditional technological thinking, instead of creating the enviroment to fool the mind into thinking the persons there, fool the mind directly. Probably the best example of this idea would be the film The Matrix, electrical impulses are fed directly to the brain, stimulating certain responses, tricking it into beleving certain things, experiencing certain things, making you be in that enviroment. Of course, such a technology, would appear to be more than a hundred years off, neuroscience is relatively new, and knowledge of the brain is certainly nowhere near advanced enough to even contemplate designing an interface between the brain and the computer. The mere idea of doing so raises various ethical and political issues. Should we do it, what if there was a fault in the system, or a hacker. The ammount of problems, and the resulting action of the problems is a disturbing thought indeed.
So while it seems to be technically possible for virtual enviroments to become more realistic, a burning question is what will it be used for? Certainly, it would not only be games that could benefit, the same technology that presents interactive enviroments could present non interactive ones for films and television, although even our definitions would have to be changed of what these are, as if we are given the freedom to interact with a realistic enviroment in a game, why would we settle for anything else from other forms of entertainment. It would be less experiensing a media text, and more experiencing a situation. The roles of actors and actresses could be made obsolete, as anyone could look like anything and do whatever they wanted to in a virtual world.
The only real question you should ask yourself is how far should we go, where should mankind stop and say, its OK we've got what we wanted, lets not go any further. Think about it, and for everyone who would stop and keep that degree of seperation, there is that person who is willing to risk going a step too far.
So the future of videogames, and all technology rests solely in the consumers hands, so who will stop - and say "its OK, we've got enough."
That was sundays sermon, and a collection plate will be passed around shortly, please be generous.
why god did you put such a long message in to this topic. :D
love the idea of holografic rooms, kinda reminds me of star treck.
love the idea of holografic rooms, kinda reminds me of star treck.
Todays Topic: The Future Of Videogames
If somebody asked you what videogames would be like in ten years time, chances are, you would reply that they'd be pretty much the same as today, except with better graphics, and more levels made possible by a new larger storage medium. But if you were asked what videogames would be like in fifty, or a hundred years time, Im sure the answers would be a little more diverse. Will virtual reality be a believable and realstic possibility, will we have 3D TV's or Holographic rooms, and most importantly, what will the role of videogames be?
If I was asked about the technology that we'd be using, my mind would run wild, as not only is there a hundred years of innovation, design and exploration ahead in which completely new ideas and possibilities will doubtless be revealed, but also right now, today, there are a number of proprietary technologies that could change the way we view computer games forever.
Next year, Sharp Electronics will reveal for the first time to the public their 3D Monitor technologies, which allows the viewer to view a 3d object on a monior screen. While you do have to sit directly infront of the monitor to get the effect, this is only stage one, and further enhancements may mean that in the near future a monitor that will present 3d images to the viewer from any angle, the first window into a virtual world will be created. Imagine looking through a screen the size of a large window at the world of resident evil, pacing about as you try to work out what to do, and seeing your view of the character change as you move, as if you were looking through a window into their world, there would be one less degree of seperation between you and the character. If a zombie pounced and killed your character, the terror and horror of it will be ever more vivid and effective.
Another possible solution for removing the boundry between you and the actions on the screen is a new holographic technology akin to the one seen in the star wars films, that create a viewable 3d object, that you can walk around 360 degrees and view from all angles (well, except in the line of sight of the projection equipment). I know very little about this technology, other than a brief article posted today on IMDB's news. Thinking of playing games on a small table with the action moving from place to place on the table sounds unique, but it hardly removes the degree of seperation between the gamesplayer and the game, but imagining the evolution of this technologies, its possible to think of rooms filled with virtual objects like in the star trek shows, but obviously, as this is only a visual technology, you would not be able to feel the virtual enviroment, so there would still be some degree of seperation.
The third and final of the traditional visual technologies is the evolution of 3D glasses. At the moment, to be able to get a realistic perception of depth on 3d glasses, you have to wear large headsets, with thick screens, that weigh quite a bit, but if technology continues to progress at the rate that it currently is we could be seeing thin lightweight glasses, or even contact lens that present high quality images and can truly imerse the gamesplayer in the visual enviroment. If you told someone in the 1950's that TV's could be high resolutin, less than 10 cm thick, and over 60 inches diagnally, they would think your making it up, but today we'd say it a plasma screen.
For all three of the above technologies there are still degrees of seperation between the gamesplayer and the game, and while technlogies such as surround sound and advanced sound immersion (two earphones that present surround sound direct to the ear) can help remove the degree of seperation by providing realistic directional sound, and possibly body suits providing the sensation of touch, you still wouldn't be able to smell or taste the enviroment, and there would be a lot of different technologies used together to present the enviroments, one possible alternative, that could solve the problem with seperation, is the most radically different to traditional technological thinking, instead of creating the enviroment to fool the mind into thinking the persons there, fool the mind directly. Probably the best example of this idea would be the film The Matrix, electrical impulses are fed directly to the brain, stimulating certain responses, tricking it into beleving certain things, experiencing certain things, making you be in that enviroment. Of course, such a technology, would appear to be more than a hundred years off, neuroscience is relatively new, and knowledge of the brain is certainly nowhere near advanced enough to even contemplate designing an interface between the brain and the computer. The mere idea of doing so raises various ethical and political issues. Should we do it, what if there was a fault in the system, or a hacker. The ammount of problems, and the resulting action of the problems is a disturbing thought indeed.
So while it seems to be technically possible for virtual enviroments to become more realistic, a burning question is what will it be used for? Certainly, it would not only be games that could benefit, the same technology that presents interactive enviroments could present non interactive ones for films and television, although even our definitions would have to be changed of what these are, as if we are given the freedom to interact with a realistic enviroment in a game, why would we settle for anything else from other forms of entertainment. It would be less experiensing a media text, and more experiencing a situation. The roles of actors and actresses could be made obsolete, as anyone could look like anything and do whatever they wanted to in a virtual world.
The only real question you should ask yourself is how far should we go, where should mankind stop and say, its OK we've got what we wanted, lets not go any further. Think about it, and for everyone who would stop and keep that degree of seperation, there is that person who is willing to risk going a step too far.
So the future of videogames, and all technology rests solely in the consumers hands, so who will stop - and say "its OK, we've got enough."
That was sundays sermon, and a collection plate will be passed around shortly, please be generous.
If somebody asked you what videogames would be like in ten years time, chances are, you would reply that they'd be pretty much the same as today, except with better graphics, and more levels made possible by a new larger storage medium. But if you were asked what videogames would be like in fifty, or a hundred years time, Im sure the answers would be a little more diverse. Will virtual reality be a believable and realstic possibility, will we have 3D TV's or Holographic rooms, and most importantly, what will the role of videogames be?
If I was asked about the technology that we'd be using, my mind would run wild, as not only is there a hundred years of innovation, design and exploration ahead in which completely new ideas and possibilities will doubtless be revealed, but also right now, today, there are a number of proprietary technologies that could change the way we view computer games forever.
Next year, Sharp Electronics will reveal for the first time to the public their 3D Monitor technologies, which allows the viewer to view a 3d object on a monior screen. While you do have to sit directly infront of the monitor to get the effect, this is only stage one, and further enhancements may mean that in the near future a monitor that will present 3d images to the viewer from any angle, the first window into a virtual world will be created. Imagine looking through a screen the size of a large window at the world of resident evil, pacing about as you try to work out what to do, and seeing your view of the character change as you move, as if you were looking through a window into their world, there would be one less degree of seperation between you and the character. If a zombie pounced and killed your character, the terror and horror of it will be ever more vivid and effective.
Another possible solution for removing the boundry between you and the actions on the screen is a new holographic technology akin to the one seen in the star wars films, that create a viewable 3d object, that you can walk around 360 degrees and view from all angles (well, except in the line of sight of the projection equipment). I know very little about this technology, other than a brief article posted today on IMDB's news. Thinking of playing games on a small table with the action moving from place to place on the table sounds unique, but it hardly removes the degree of seperation between the gamesplayer and the game, but imagining the evolution of this technologies, its possible to think of rooms filled with virtual objects like in the star trek shows, but obviously, as this is only a visual technology, you would not be able to feel the virtual enviroment, so there would still be some degree of seperation.
The third and final of the traditional visual technologies is the evolution of 3D glasses. At the moment, to be able to get a realistic perception of depth on 3d glasses, you have to wear large headsets, with thick screens, that weigh quite a bit, but if technology continues to progress at the rate that it currently is we could be seeing thin lightweight glasses, or even contact lens that present high quality images and can truly imerse the gamesplayer in the visual enviroment. If you told someone in the 1950's that TV's could be high resolutin, less than 10 cm thick, and over 60 inches diagnally, they would think your making it up, but today we'd say it a plasma screen.
For all three of the above technologies there are still degrees of seperation between the gamesplayer and the game, and while technlogies such as surround sound and advanced sound immersion (two earphones that present surround sound direct to the ear) can help remove the degree of seperation by providing realistic directional sound, and possibly body suits providing the sensation of touch, you still wouldn't be able to smell or taste the enviroment, and there would be a lot of different technologies used together to present the enviroments, one possible alternative, that could solve the problem with seperation, is the most radically different to traditional technological thinking, instead of creating the enviroment to fool the mind into thinking the persons there, fool the mind directly. Probably the best example of this idea would be the film The Matrix, electrical impulses are fed directly to the brain, stimulating certain responses, tricking it into beleving certain things, experiencing certain things, making you be in that enviroment. Of course, such a technology, would appear to be more than a hundred years off, neuroscience is relatively new, and knowledge of the brain is certainly nowhere near advanced enough to even contemplate designing an interface between the brain and the computer. The mere idea of doing so raises various ethical and political issues. Should we do it, what if there was a fault in the system, or a hacker. The ammount of problems, and the resulting action of the problems is a disturbing thought indeed.
So while it seems to be technically possible for virtual enviroments to become more realistic, a burning question is what will it be used for? Certainly, it would not only be games that could benefit, the same technology that presents interactive enviroments could present non interactive ones for films and television, although even our definitions would have to be changed of what these are, as if we are given the freedom to interact with a realistic enviroment in a game, why would we settle for anything else from other forms of entertainment. It would be less experiensing a media text, and more experiencing a situation. The roles of actors and actresses could be made obsolete, as anyone could look like anything and do whatever they wanted to in a virtual world.
The only real question you should ask yourself is how far should we go, where should mankind stop and say, its OK we've got what we wanted, lets not go any further. Think about it, and for everyone who would stop and keep that degree of seperation, there is that person who is willing to risk going a step too far.
So the future of videogames, and all technology rests solely in the consumers hands, so who will stop - and say "its OK, we've got enough."
That was sundays sermon, and a collection plate will be passed around shortly, please be generous.