The Future of Gaming is Now

28-Jan-2017

Recent advances in technology have spread to the gaming world. This has created new ways to play games, as well as improvements to existing avenues of play that have revolutionized gaming.

However, even now limitation exist, especially in regards to the controlling of VR games. As people push for more immersion, the need for a controller that matches the immersion created through audio and video has become dire. This is the new frontier for virtual reality, truly immersive controls, a technological fantasy that may be achieved through motion controls. A developed genre like this one is perfect for the Horror game industry as companies like Zeenoh probe the depths of VR possibilities. However, just like how the technology of motion controls and Virtual Reality seemed to be far off fantasy when video games were first created; the true future of gaming and VR is likely found not in current technology, but instead in science fiction. But fear not, for just as the future seemed to come early for video games before, the technologies that will revolutionize gaming are likely not as far off as they seem.

Another major technology that has vastly improved in the previous years is Virtual Reality, which has grown massively in popularity and scope. By blocking outside stimulation and providing direct audio and visual stimuli, Virtual Reality headsets – the current iteration of the technology– creates the illusion of being “within the game”. Early Virtual Reality suffered from basic graphics and nonexistent head tracking technology that prevented full immersion for the user. However, as graphical and motion tracking technology improved, the truly immersive VR changed from fantasy to reality. The result of this advancement was a boom in public interest, and as a result many technology companies have released their own Virtual Reality headsets. The simplest models simply act as goggles that allow a display to be placed directly in front of the eyes, while upper end models include sophisticated motion controllers that increase immersion and alter the way games are played.

Of the fantastic technologies currently making waves in gaming, the most popular are motion controls. In a nutshell, motion control technology translates a user’s movements into inputs that interact with the game. Motional controls have been around since the 1980’s, however they were crude and ineffective. However, the 2006 launch of the Nintendo Wii marked a breakthrough in motion control technology. The systems landmark feature, the Wiimote, featured infrared sensors and accelerometers that allowed for motions to be translated more effectively. The 2008 release of the Wii Motion Plus improved the Wiimote, which with this new technology could now translate movements to a game at a 1:1 ratio. Success of the Wiimote prompted mass development of motion controls by competing game companies, which has resulted in more sophisticated controllers and motion capture systems. This, in turn, has prompted more games to utilize this popular technology, adding an additional dimension to games in the form of higher user involvement.

January 25, 2017 – Video games have come a long way since their invention in the 1940s. Back then, they were simple light displays that allowed to users to play tic-tac toe with one another, an astoundingly simple start to the beloved pastime many enjoy today. From this technologically basic origin, videogames have grown into a behemoth of an industry, and as such cutting edge technology is created in order to improve the gaming experience. And while some of these advances– such as 4K graphics and increasingly realistic models– seem to be natural progressions of existing technologies, others appear to be right out of science fiction. These fantastical technologies tap into technological fantasy in order to meld the virtual and real worlds, opening new possibilities for the video game industry.