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What can we do to make games more realistic? When you're stuck into a good 1st person adventure or quake style game, you don't really believe at any time that it's actually real (well, I don't anyway) You've got so much to contend with before you even start to make a game realistic.
Firstly there's the screen. Now, most people have anything from a 14" monitor or TV to a 32" one (or if they're really lucky, then a wall mounted projection screen) Even with the largest of these you'll get glare or you will notice that there is a massive piece of glass separating you from the pixels that make up the graphics. This is made worse, rather than better, with VR headsets, that are so close to your eyes that you get a headache after a few minutes play.
Then there's the graphics themselves. Even with the current level of next-gen gaming there is a distinct lack of definition to faces and high quality detail. The next-gen consoles haven't really come on much in graphical terms over the last couple of years and it would take a lot more processor power and effort to build something that at least resembles the detail of real life.
Smell is never going to be possible to program into a game (although a small amount of pre-scented smells have been used with a trigger during tv trials - this didn't work very well!). This might be a good thing in certain games, but again adds to the realism of the experience.
Finally there is the control system. Joypads (and in the PC's case, keys), even steering wheels are still no match for limbs and there is no sense of touch to the objects you are using.
Realism could be a bad things in certain respects, you might argue that more people would be affected by the violence or adult content of some games and rating would have to be strictly adhered to, but for the most part I believe that many programmers are striving for the most realistic environments and gamesplayers would certainly like to play these games.
Firstly there's the screen. Now, most people have anything from a 14" monitor or TV to a 32" one (or if they're really lucky, then a wall mounted projection screen) Even with the largest of these you'll get glare or you will notice that there is a massive piece of glass separating you from the pixels that make up the graphics. This is made worse, rather than better, with VR headsets, that are so close to your eyes that you get a headache after a few minutes play.
Then there's the graphics themselves. Even with the current level of next-gen gaming there is a distinct lack of definition to faces and high quality detail. The next-gen consoles haven't really come on much in graphical terms over the last couple of years and it would take a lot more processor power and effort to build something that at least resembles the detail of real life.
Smell is never going to be possible to program into a game (although a small amount of pre-scented smells have been used with a trigger during tv trials - this didn't work very well!). This might be a good thing in certain games, but again adds to the realism of the experience.
Finally there is the control system. Joypads (and in the PC's case, keys), even steering wheels are still no match for limbs and there is no sense of touch to the objects you are using.
Realism could be a bad things in certain respects, you might argue that more people would be affected by the violence or adult content of some games and rating would have to be strictly adhered to, but for the most part I believe that many programmers are striving for the most realistic environments and gamesplayers would certainly like to play these games.
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I think that games should try to stay clear of reality since they are largely played for escapism. If games got too real then surely when you play, it would be just like dealing with a second life.
Also if games start getting too close to reality it might be hard to tell the difference between fantasy and reality (Like in eXistenze) and not only would this lead to people going out and killing their boss in the real world, assuming it was just a game, but it could also lead to sneaky games manufactuers releasing 'actual reality' games were you pay £40-50 for a box with an instruction book inside telling you to go to the park with your friends and kick a ball around.
Socialising?!?
Also if games start getting too close to reality it might be hard to tell the difference between fantasy and reality (Like in eXistenze) and not only would this lead to people going out and killing their boss in the real world, assuming it was just a game, but it could also lead to sneaky games manufactuers releasing 'actual reality' games were you pay £40-50 for a box with an instruction book inside telling you to go to the park with your friends and kick a ball around.
Socialising?!?
Good initial post, BTW.
I disagree, however, with the premise that games need smell to be immersive, or that they can't be due to the very noticeable fact that there's a screen between you and the action. [For one thing, I play PC games on my laptop's 14" screen, and I've felt immersed in the gameworld many times, particularly with games like Thief, where the sound is so incredible.]
To me, immersion isn't so much suddenly feeling that you're actually IN the game. Videogame immersion is sort of like meditating; it's just this feeling you get when you're no longer even thinking of what you're doing. Your hands are just skipping over the controls like mad and without any conscious effort on your part. In other words, I think it occurs when you've grown so attuned to the game's controls and its content, that you start reacting to things in the game instinctively. At least that's how it generally works for me.
I disagree, however, with the premise that games need smell to be immersive, or that they can't be due to the very noticeable fact that there's a screen between you and the action. [For one thing, I play PC games on my laptop's 14" screen, and I've felt immersed in the gameworld many times, particularly with games like Thief, where the sound is so incredible.]
To me, immersion isn't so much suddenly feeling that you're actually IN the game. Videogame immersion is sort of like meditating; it's just this feeling you get when you're no longer even thinking of what you're doing. Your hands are just skipping over the controls like mad and without any conscious effort on your part. In other words, I think it occurs when you've grown so attuned to the game's controls and its content, that you start reacting to things in the game instinctively. At least that's how it generally works for me.
They've already done it havnt they?
Some company has released a box you stick to the back of your PC... with an attachement to stick on your nose...
and hey preseto, various smell facsimilies on demand :)
Its being released very soon (if it hasnt already been) and is intended... by and large... toi be a complete flop... since... lets be honest, most things dont smell all that nice...
Although fresh bread is kinda cool :)
Some company has released a box you stick to the back of your PC... with an attachement to stick on your nose...
and hey preseto, various smell facsimilies on demand :)
Its being released very soon (if it hasnt already been) and is intended... by and large... toi be a complete flop... since... lets be honest, most things dont smell all that nice...
Although fresh bread is kinda cool :)
pb wrote:
Smell is never going to be possible to program into a game...
...I don't know, with Rare most things are possible, I think I know a certain squirrel who would be willing to participate...Conker - Bodily Functions - Gamecube...NO COMMENT!
The Game
Smell is never going to be possible to program into a game...
...I don't know, with Rare most things are possible, I think I know a certain squirrel who would be willing to participate...Conker - Bodily Functions - Gamecube...NO COMMENT!
The Game
I don't reall think games are made to replace real life, but rather to bring you into a world of fantasy so you can experience un-worldly things, I mean we would all love to be able to triple-jump and sonic spin, but these things are in games because we can't do them, games are all about fantasy, even the real life sims, they are just like life but enable us to do things that we would either be committed or arrested for!
I think games like shenmue are great, they take real life and put it on a disc but we wouldn't really do what the cvharachter does becuase you just don't do that sort of thing anymore so that is why Sega have come up with it. Games where you go out and do food shopping and then go to sleep would be boring because even my little sister can do that, but games where you race in a Pod or Explore as a Secret Agent are exciting because lets face it, it doesn't happen EVERY saturday does it!?
Even games like the Sims are fantasy because you couldn't really magic people out of mid-air and get them to have a bath whilst you watched them...noone in their right mind would do that! So in my opinion all games have some fantasy in them even the 'life-sims' or 'real life' games. Fantasy is what computer gaming is all about' I mean this has to be true, you try telling a 2000lb gorilla to run around bashing crocodiles, in real life you'll have a job but pick up DK64 and you shouldn't have a problem.
The Game
I think games like shenmue are great, they take real life and put it on a disc but we wouldn't really do what the cvharachter does becuase you just don't do that sort of thing anymore so that is why Sega have come up with it. Games where you go out and do food shopping and then go to sleep would be boring because even my little sister can do that, but games where you race in a Pod or Explore as a Secret Agent are exciting because lets face it, it doesn't happen EVERY saturday does it!?
Even games like the Sims are fantasy because you couldn't really magic people out of mid-air and get them to have a bath whilst you watched them...noone in their right mind would do that! So in my opinion all games have some fantasy in them even the 'life-sims' or 'real life' games. Fantasy is what computer gaming is all about' I mean this has to be true, you try telling a 2000lb gorilla to run around bashing crocodiles, in real life you'll have a job but pick up DK64 and you shouldn't have a problem.
The Game
What can we do to make games more realistic? When you're stuck into a good 1st person adventure or quake style game, you don't really believe at any time that it's actually real (well, I don't anyway) You've got so much to contend with before you even start to make a game realistic.
Firstly there's the screen. Now, most people have anything from a 14" monitor or TV to a 32" one (or if they're really lucky, then a wall mounted projection screen) Even with the largest of these you'll get glare or you will notice that there is a massive piece of glass separating you from the pixels that make up the graphics. This is made worse, rather than better, with VR headsets, that are so close to your eyes that you get a headache after a few minutes play.
Then there's the graphics themselves. Even with the current level of next-gen gaming there is a distinct lack of definition to faces and high quality detail. The next-gen consoles haven't really come on much in graphical terms over the last couple of years and it would take a lot more processor power and effort to build something that at least resembles the detail of real life.
Smell is never going to be possible to program into a game (although a small amount of pre-scented smells have been used with a trigger during tv trials - this didn't work very well!). This might be a good thing in certain games, but again adds to the realism of the experience.
Finally there is the control system. Joypads (and in the PC's case, keys), even steering wheels are still no match for limbs and there is no sense of touch to the objects you are using.
Realism could be a bad things in certain respects, you might argue that more people would be affected by the violence or adult content of some games and rating would have to be strictly adhered to, but for the most part I believe that many programmers are striving for the most realistic environments and gamesplayers would certainly like to play these games.
Firstly there's the screen. Now, most people have anything from a 14" monitor or TV to a 32" one (or if they're really lucky, then a wall mounted projection screen) Even with the largest of these you'll get glare or you will notice that there is a massive piece of glass separating you from the pixels that make up the graphics. This is made worse, rather than better, with VR headsets, that are so close to your eyes that you get a headache after a few minutes play.
Then there's the graphics themselves. Even with the current level of next-gen gaming there is a distinct lack of definition to faces and high quality detail. The next-gen consoles haven't really come on much in graphical terms over the last couple of years and it would take a lot more processor power and effort to build something that at least resembles the detail of real life.
Smell is never going to be possible to program into a game (although a small amount of pre-scented smells have been used with a trigger during tv trials - this didn't work very well!). This might be a good thing in certain games, but again adds to the realism of the experience.
Finally there is the control system. Joypads (and in the PC's case, keys), even steering wheels are still no match for limbs and there is no sense of touch to the objects you are using.
Realism could be a bad things in certain respects, you might argue that more people would be affected by the violence or adult content of some games and rating would have to be strictly adhered to, but for the most part I believe that many programmers are striving for the most realistic environments and gamesplayers would certainly like to play these games.
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