Gaming has evolved considerably since the 1970’s Atari 2600 and Pong consoles of a long-forgotten times. Today, gaming graphics rival the beauty of real life. And the mechanics of some games are so complex that pilots use them to train for real-life flights. For example, there is an enormous trend to use the best racing simulator to teach pilots these days.
Even soldiers use Xbox controllers for all sorts of things, from piloting drones, to configuring their laser cannons and so forth. But what about us average Joes? What will the future gaming trends look like and how will they impact the way we play? Let’s see some theories.
Gaming as a Service
With everything seemingly coming together in the cloud and with the slow but sure disappearance of optical media storage, one possibility is that we will play games on other people’s computers in the relatively near future.
What we mean by this is that you might no longer need a physical gaming console or even a powerful PC. All you’ll need will be a fast internet connection and you’ll be able to play games at high framerates with the details set at max. So far, there have been a few similar services that have been tried out, such as Google Stadia, OnLive, Nvidia ShadowPlay, and PlayStation Now.
More Power to the Mobile Crowd
Ever since the rise of the first iPhone back in 2007, mobile games have started evolving significantly compared to their initial Java counterparts. With that said, the evolution hasn’t been really all that exciting for hardcore gamers. Casuals, on the other hand, have found a new form of on-the-go entertainment.
But that doesn’t mean hardcore gamers will be completely left out. There’s always room for improvement, and if game developers have proven something, it’s that they can evolve and adapt to new environments. We’re already seeing platforms offer dynamic 24/7 gameplay possibilities to niche developers. It’s just a matter of time before more niches benefit from such things.
Virtual Reality Nosedive
Half-Life: Alyx might not have been the sequel that long-time fans were expecting, but it’s a game that has manage to subvert expectations, nonetheless. It managed to bring the iconic HL experience to a new dimension – both literally and figuratively.
While VR is a current trend, it’s still far from achieving its full potential, as technology keeps evolving and new VR accessories come into play. We’ll have to wait and see how the new generation of consoles and PCs will handle future VR games and how much virtual reality graphics can be improved without sacrificing performance or a huge chunk of the gamer’s wallet.
The Rise and Fall and Rise of Motion Controls
Remember back in 2006 when the Nintendo Wii made headlines with its innovative Wii-Mote? Well, if you recall, Playstation and Xbox both tried to copy that same concept with the Kinect and PS Move respectively.
However, their success story wasn’t so… successfully. Still, new trends seem to indicate that along with the rise of VR, motion controls might make a definite comeback into the hardcore gamer’s hands. Yeah, we know the DualShock already has motions sensors built-in, but apart from a few exclusive titles, we can’t think of a game that uses this concept to its full potential.
The Bottom Line
What are the trends you’re looking forward to seeing in the future of gaming? Let us know in the comment down below.