What Is In Store for Gaming?

Gaming, as we know it, is changing and advancing at a rapid rate. Everything from consoles, to PC’s, cloud gaming, gaming titles, VR, AR, and even mobile apps. Compared to gaming as little as 5 years ago, it has advanced quicker than anyone expected.

What does the future of gaming hold? Where will we be in 5 or 10 years, and what will the world of gaming look like?

One of the most exciting advances is the streaming of games. Something that will not necessarily replace consoles or gaming PC’s, but rather complement them, allowing you to play your favorite titles wherever you are.

There are already these services in place, allowing gamers to connect a controller to their smartphone or laptop, and stream a game to their device like you would stream a movie on Netflix.

Not only are these titles the full versions of the particular games, but they aren’t shrunk down, you get the full experience of the game, much like you would on a console or PC.

VR and AR are also making huge strides. The worlds created by VR are getting bigger, and every passing day brings us closer and closer to being fully immersed in a game, without even knowing it.

There is technology in the works that will allow for you to feel things, smell things, possibly even taste things, giving you a holistic experience that is miles away from what VR is today. Very soon, you will be able to step into the world of Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, or any number of other titles.

Artificial Intelligence is also going to be a major influence in gaming. We already know all about it, it created the world of No Man’s Sky, has been the “person” behind all the NPCs in games, and is used in multiple other ways.

Now, however, AI is on the path to make games feel and play differently. It can be used to change games completely, give players a different experience each time they start a new game, and even be used to make games by itself.

Developers have already used AI to make levels for a game, by simply inputting parameters and an end goal, the computer then creates the level. This is still in its infancy, but the possibilities of AI can be incredible.

Mobile gaming is also becoming more and more advanced. Gone are the days where Snake was the most advanced game available, the technology in smartphones is allowing developers to make mobile games bigger and better.

Call of Duty Mobile is a prime example of this, it is by no means a like for like copy of the console and PC versions of the game, but it looks like and plays like the games, with the same modes, variety of weapons and characters, and gameplay.

As mentioned, mobile game advancements do work hand in hand with the advancement of smartphones, but both are moving forward very quickly, and the levels it can reach may be unknown at the time, but incredibly exciting.

One thing that many experts believe is the possibility of home consoles and gaming PC’s becoming obsolete. In a way, they can actually hold back game development if they aren’t as advanced as developers need them to be.

This in turn will increase the need for higher resolution screens, and more powerful input devices. On the other hand, this could force console developers to improve their devices, but will also raise the possibility of new input devices being made.

There is also the possibility of console or device specific titles becoming a thing of the past. Experts believe a more unified gaming ecosystem is on the cards, with games, devices and and everything in between being interchangeable and therefore more accessible to more people.

Gaming subscription services will also make major strides. The need to buy games one at a time may become a thing of the past as instead gamers will be able to pay for subscriptions that give them access to far more games.

How we watch games could also change. Hyper Scape may not be that popular, but it did introduce a system where viewers on Twitch were able to vote for certain in game events that affect the game the streamer is playing.

This could easily become more commonplace, enabling viewers to not only watch the game, but also have a direct influence on how it plays out. You can make it easier or harder for the player, think about how different a football game would be if the viewers were able to decide which plays to use, or which player to substitute. Once again, this is still very new, but another exciting possibility.

Gaming is moving forward so quickly that it is very hard to predict where we will be at the beginning of the next decade. No matter how you package it, gaming as we know it is going to change, and all things considered, the changes could be advanced that will struggle to believe what we are playing or doing in game is even possible.