The Industrial Revolution which started in Great Britain in 1750 and ended in 1914 changed the world irrevocably. It paved the way for capitalism, it ushered in globalism and it allowed for the emergence of a middle class.
The Digital Revolution which began shortly after the Second World War and continues to this day is similarly set to have a seismic impact on society in general. In the coming decades AI could eliminate menial tasks and solve some of the biggest problems faces mankind giving us a previously unheard of amount of time to dedicate to leisure activities.
One such leisure activity that has not been immune to the impacts of technology is gaming. In this article we take a closer look at how technological advancements could continue to influence gaming in the coming decades, read on to find out our thoughts….
Virtual Reality Destinations
Whenever VR is discussed, our minds usually jump to VR headsets that would allow us to experience all of our favourite games in intricate detail from a first-person perspective. Whilst it’s true that a lot of money and research is being invested in bringing those fantasises to life, it’s likely that VR will mean something quite different in the future.
Many industry experts are suggesting that VR technology will instead be used as a replacement for social events. One such example would be a virtual reality casino that would put any bricks and mortar casino to shame.
In it, players from all over the world would walk around a vast, glamorous casino interacting with one another and playing every game imaginable. There would be no shortage of table games and slots and there would even be dozens, if not hundreds of bingo halls where players could step into and play, listening out for the bingo calls from the virtual caller.
Players would have the chance to explore the virtual casino more and be able to watch and play other casino games where virtual dealers would be hosting the individual games. It might all sound like the stuff of science fiction but as you read this article, industry experts are busy trying to turn this into a reality.
(VR is good right now, but it’s set to get a whole lot better.)
True Open World Games
When we think of open world games in which we can explore a huge and vast map and interact with NPCs games like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption come to mind. Whilst these two gaming series have produced some of the best titles in the history of gaming, their scope and level of immersion will be dwarfed by the AI powered games that are to come in the future.
AI and procedural generation are allowing developers to come up with worlds and characters that adapt to players in real time. There’ll be no more police officers shooting you in Los Santos because a pedestrian started attacking you, or a trapper asking what he can do you for whilst you’re being chased by a bear.
Instead we will have games where you can truly lose yourself, interacting with characters in real time having unique experiences.
(The NPC encounters in RDR2 are pretty special, but AI powered NPC’s will take gaming to a whole new level.)
Cloud Gaming
As we write this we are very aware of the fact that we have written it before and will probably end up writing it again long before it becomes mainstream. One thing we are confident of however is that cloud gaming will become mainstream and when it does, it will totally revolutionise the gaming industry.
Currently our favourite TV shows, films and sports events are all available to stream whenever we want from our phones, laptops, tablets and TV’s. Technically there are similar services available in gaming now, but not to the same extent with the same level of depth and availability.
At some point in the next 10 years we will see a unified cloud gaming service that offers the vast majority of AAA games on the market and it will totally revolutionise the industry. Gone will be the days of paying £80 for a game that you’re unsure of, to be replaced by a monthly subscription that allows you to play any game you can think of.
(Cloud gaming isn’t great but we think, in the years to come, it will take off in a really big way.)
In Summary
Gaming is set to change massively in the coming decades but the thing that we’re most excited about is AI. Artificial Intelligence looks set to revolutionise a number of industries but the advancements it could have in regards to open world gaming could really set the pulses of gamers racing.