W1: The future of video games

 

Ever since the conception of computers, video games have been an integral part of many people’s lives and it even symbolizes the advancement of computing technology. In the current day, the video game industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that is highly influential within the entertainment industry worldwide. Without a doubt, the video game industry does have a great future as it seems to never stop growing. There are many types of video games such as mobile games, computer games and console games. All of them are made and developed by software development companies that specialize in the design, production and marketing of video games.

 

In the present day, video games have started to become repetitive as the concepts and stories are slowly becoming mundane in the recent years. This can be attributed to the producers of video games trying to use a “formula” that has worked for their previous games that were a hit. This causes the games to have the same feeling and similar stories and concepts which can lead the audience to think that it is just an imitation of its previous successor. Other than that, video games are also starting to be heavily monetized by their developers. When a game is heavily monetized, the players of the video games are pressured to spend money in order to progress in the game or they will be pestered by pop-ups or being constantly stuck in the progression of the game. This is becoming much more prevalent nowadays as many video game developers are owned by multi-million dollar companies that prioritize the profits of their projects more than the passion for video games. Moreover, modern video games are starting to get less immersive as most of the are played using normal video game controllers and are viewed from a monitor or television. Many video game players nowadays complain that this traditional medium of video games are getting stale and they would prefer to have more unique experiences in video games.

 

In the future, video games will be played in much more ways than in the modern era. The players may even be able to interact with a simulation of the environment of the video games they are playing. Other than that, immersion of video games can be improved by using virtual reality and augmented reality technologies in video games. Dynamic controllers can also be used for video games where it can adapt to whatever scenario the player is in the video game. Moreover, the genres of video games made in the future will lean into genres that are more creative such as sandbox games where players can express their own creativity and play the game in any way they want. Monetization in games would also be kept to a minimum as laws are implemented to outlaw the concept of lootboxes, a mechanic in video games where the player pay money to get a random item, where the item they may want is not guaranteed, which is also comparable to gambling.

To bridge the gap between the present day and the ideal future of video games, virtual reality and augmented reality should be explored by video game developers as a means to experience the video games they make. They should also be keen on investing and developing virtual reality and augmented reality technologies such as VR glasses, haptic feedback controllers and VR treadmill. These technologies allow the players to interact in elements of the game more than just pressing buttons, where they can use the movement of their body and eyes to control the game. Moreover, video game developers should also avoid repeating concepts that they have tried in the past in their video games to prevent repetitiveness and likeness in their games. They should find new ways to tell the narrative of a story in the games from visual, audio or even gameplay aspects. Other than that, they can also make games that allow the players to experience the game in any way the players themselves want to. This allows the players to not feel burnt out and bored from playing video games. Furthermore, video game developers should focus less on monetizing in-game products whereas they should focus more on garnering a loyal fanbase for their games even if they charge more to purchase their games by creating a higher quality experience for their players. Laws should also be in place to prevent in-game purchases that are similar to gambling to prevent irresponsible spending from the players. This allows video games to have higher quality and not just machines to earn money from selling in-game items.

In retrospect, the solutions were inspired by my own experiences as video game player and opinions of other video game players on the Internet. At the beginning of the exercise, I have only thought of video games as what it has been for me, a game to be controlled using controllers and viewed from a screen. After the exercise, I have found out that video games are more than just a game, it is an experience that can tell stories through various methods such as touch, sight and hearing.

 

 

 

 

 

References

HTC Corporation. (2024). Virtuix Omni: The Pioneer of VR Running Machine [Photograph]. VIVE.

https://blog.vive.com/us/5-must-know-vr-treadmills-for-your-ultimate-virtual-reality-experience/

SAR. (2016). Buying Loot Boxes in OverWatch? [Photograph]. nerdrooted.

https://nerdrooted.com/2016/06/12/buying-loot-boxes-in-overwatch/