Six groundbreaking technologies being introduced in computer games
What can players now try out with modern devices and what future do experts predict for this industry? Read about the innovations in gaming in cyberspace in this article.
When Netflix CEO and billionaire Reed Hastings says that the threat to Netflix is not other streaming media professionals but Fortnite, it is clear that PC games are already displacing common pastimes.
In gambling, we can see the popularity of the £5 deposit casino, which is also considered a novelty.
In the same vein, Matthew Ball, head of strategic development at Amazon Studios, asserts that audiences today tend to prefer PC games over TV. Apple, for example, launched its game subscription service Apple Arcade last year to appeal to its audience, while Google launched Stadia, a cloud-based game streaming service.
NPC
Among the recent innovations that stood out are the non-playable characters (NPCs), which developers have turned their attention to. Whereas NPCs previously functioned sparingly and allowed only a limited number of responses to stimuli from the main character, the actions of computer-controlled characters in Halo 2, for example, are more unpredictable.
PCG
At the heart of PCG (procedural generation) is the automatic creation of game content, which already implies an element of surprise and is also one of the real-life conditions that immerse the player in the virtual. First and foremost, PCG allows players to design the game locations, the plot and the tasks themselves and to let their imagination run wild. The most famous example of procedural generation can be found in The Legend of Zelda.
CTRL-Labs
Facebook has acquired CTRL-Labs, a startup company focused on developing a neural interface that would allow computer software to be controlled by the power of thought. It is already known that the user only has to wear a special bracelet that measures the activity of the neurons in the hand.
According to Bloomberg, developers will not close their eyes to the idea of CTRL Labs and will use the technology in VR games. This way, players will be involved in the process without having to use joysticks or other massive physical devices.
LBE
A hyper-real experience based on technology that combines physical and virtual reality. The main provider of location-based entertainment (LBE) is VOID (not to be confused with The Void, a PC-based horror game), which asks players to use its hardware at a chosen location, which is read by the software and then transported to a virtual room. This space in turn follows the story and is filled with all the features of the game. In other words: What the players see through the devices mirrors the physical space of the real environment.
Raytracing
Hardware ray tracing is another step towards improving the visual quality of games, which now offer an even more cinematic feeling. Ray tracing simulates the movement of light in real time, which was previously only possible in films. Now ray tracing is built into NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs, reducing the development workflow for each scene.
Samsung GAMS-H
It’s possible that the first exoskeleton already released, which not only helps people with mobility impairments walk but will soon allow them to lift heavy weights, will be adopted by developers as a solution to improve the gaming experience. There are already rumours that such suits will duplicate what happens in the game – vibration, shock, locking of limbs if the character has had an accident, for example.
Statements from experts
IGN reports that Phil Harrison, vice president and general manager of Google (Stadia), indicated in his predictions for the industry in 2030 that streaming over 5G will become a unifying technology, giving gamers broad access to different products. Gareth Wilson, creative director of Traveller’s Tales, agreed, clarifying that some of the best and highest quality gaming products will continue to be installed on PCs and consoles, apparently for commercial reasons.
The head of SEGA’s Sonic team (Sonic Forces), Takashi Iizuka, expressed doubt that VR games will be available to everyone by 2030. He said the single-player experience and the need to buy all the hardware could be a barrier to entry for mainstream audiences.
Greg Street, vice president of intellectual property and entertainment at Riot Games, was negative about the audio and video quality of the current period and expressed hope that the problem would be solved in 10 years.