Thanks to new technologies and a rapidly evolving world, the gaming industry is set to change in the years ahead. As esports and other kinds of gaming become more popular, it’s interesting to look ahead at what is in store.
While there are many different perspectives about the future of gaming, there are several key themes that are being talked about across academia, the public and game developers. Regardless of where you stand, there is no doubt that it is exciting times for the gaming industry. In this post, we’ll cover just five of the some of the main gaming developments that are being discussed right now, that make us excited about the future of gaming.
5 Gaming Developments That Make Us Excited About the Future
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
As in many other industries, the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emergent technologies is a hot topic of discussion in the development of games right now.
When it comes to AI, there is a lot of talk about the way in which automation can be used to make game development more streamlined. While implementing AI into a game can be tricky, as developers still want there to be a degree of predictability, the use of AI is becoming ubiquitous when it comes to creating games across the world, especially at scale.
In this way, gaming development will evolve in many different ways, including being able to create more complex worlds more efficiently, without having to create every single element individually, as was done in the past.
2. Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality
Other emerging technologies, like VR, are also being discussed in the gaming industry, and there are definitely opportunities for this kind of technology to create more immersive gaming experiences.
However, the cost of headsets means that VR is not as accessible as it could be, which leads many experts to think that the future of gaming lies more in AR, where players can see both the “real” world and the gaming world at the same time, and not have to wear a completely isolating headset.
Mixed reality, therefore, seems to offer many opportunities for gaming, including the exciting possibility of having many players being able to interact in the same space together, without headsets.
3. Culture
One of the most exciting aspects about how gaming is going to evolve in the future is the way the culture of gaming is changing.
No longer do gamers have to take on negative stereotypes of being isolated people escaping into a fantasy world by themselves. Thanks to the evolution of technology, gaming has now even become a spectator sport, which flips all of these ridiculous stigmas and stereotypes on their head.
In fact, the way in which esports stars are making a name for themselves and earning millions of dollars is certainly going to change the nature of gaming in the future. In fact, some experts even suggest that esports could become an Olympic sport in the years ahead.
4. Changes in Business Models
Thanks to developments in cloud computing, games are also being played differently online and on different devices. This means that the business model of large gaming corporations having the monopoly on gaming development, and game distribution, is changing.
In fact, the innovation coming from indie game developers shows that there is a lot of talent out there, and that games don’t only need to be played on PCs or consoles. Gaming also doesn’t always have to be large scale and immersive fantasy world experiences to be enjoyable, as many simple games have shown.
However, the truth is that gaming corporations have the budget to produce the kind of popular, immersive and engaging gaming experiences that most people are looking for. While this doesn’t seem set to change anytime soon, some experts envision an industry where players can easily play across different gaming houses online, without having to worry about which console they own.
5. Contribution to Social Change
While gaming in the past may have been stereotypically associated with violence and first person shooter scenarios, the way gaming is evolving from a narrative perspective shows many opportunities to contribute to social change.
For example, certain games allow players to immerse themselves in certain scenarios that can teach them empathy, for example in the case of games where the main character is dealing with some kind of trauma throughout the game.
At a broader social level, the gaming industry is also evolving to include developers from more diverse backgrounds, which will also contribute to a different gaming landscape in the years ahead, where various perspectives and social scenarios can be explored.
In the post above, we have explored just five of the many gaming developments that make us excited about the future. Of course, there are many other factors that we haven’t included, especially the fact that gaming is going to change purely because those coming into the industry have been playing games their whole lives.
However, we have covered some of the main points which are being discussed at the moment across the world, and which will have no doubt made you excited about the future of gaming too!
