If you are visiting this blog, it is probably because you are an avid gamer, who loves nothing more than relaxing with a good computer game during your free time. You probably have a top notch gaming PC and the latest games, and all the accessories to make sure that you are never short of something to do or play. You are also probably keen on learning about all the latest developments in the gaming industry and what the future holds. Let’s face it, technology is moving at a staggering speed these days, with new things happening every single day. It stands to reason that the world of gaming will change dramatically over the next few years. Here, we look at some of the advancements that are coming in soon, and get you hyped up for what is about to come!
An Increase In Online Only Games
Remember the days where you had shelves and cupboards full of discs (and cartridges, if you are of a certain age!)? Well, that is quite quickly going out of fashion as we have already reached the stage where the majority of game players no longer purchase physical discs. This is because both Microsoft and Sony now allow players to download the games straight to their consoles. You can expect more of that to happen in the future, but as well as that, the consoles themselves may well disappear. It is thought that over the next couple of years, PC gaming will take over, with games being developed for downloading straight to the desktop, and more of the popular games we see today being redone for PC gaming.
Streaming Services
Following on somewhat from the previous point, streaming may be the next big thing in the world of gaming, with Microsoft already demonstrating their Project xCloud game streaming service. We do not know a great deal about this service at the moment, but demonstrations at events have shown Forza 4 being streamed from an Xbox One controller connected to an Android phone via Bluetooth, showing how it will be easy to stream games from the cloud to mobile devices. They are not the only developer to look at using this technology; Sony has its own PlayStation Now service and even lets you remotely play your PS4 games from an iPhone or iPad, and Amazon has made some noises about allowing you to stream games eventually. This means more portability and flexibility when it comes to your gaming options.
Virtual and Augmented Reality Games
Most people will have seen the latest line of virtual reality headsets advertised on the TV. While they still do not always meet the standards we hold, they are going to get much better year on year and will completely revolutionize the gaming industry. Just imagine how cool it will feel in the future when you become part of the game! Not only that but augmented reality continues to be developed. For those of you who are not familiar with the concept, there is a clear difference between the two, with augmented reality integrating part of your real life into the scene. These will encourage whole body gaming, rather than just using hands. You will be able to play sports, experience rollercoasters and rides and enter a whole new dimension of gaming. We have seen this technology implemented in some of the most popular games of the past couple of years – the infamous Pokemon Go! which saw people of all ages wandering the streets in an attempt to find characters from the popular Japanese game, and of course, the very recent release of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite! The worldwide popularity of these games will surely see more and more being created.
More Social Interaction
This has really ramped up in the past couple of years, with the rise in popularity of games on social media, such as Farmville and Coinmaster. Gamers are also encouraged to work collectively on games such as Fortnite or play against one another on Forza, etc., conversing over headsets. This is only going to increase as time goes on, really changing the face of multi player games. It is also easier than ever to share scores and highlight videos across most of the major social networks, and more developers are integrating Facebook chats with standard gameplay.
This means that you can video call your friends and keep their chat window in the corner of your screen.
More Accessible Gaming
As every gamer knows very well, game controllers can be challenging for people with disabilities. Holding a standard controller can make the gaming experience so unpleasant and uncomfortable that it is no longer worth it. Microsoft, however, began to address this issue with their release last year of the Adaptive Controller, which is specially designed for gamers with limited mobility. The controller allows you to connect any type of external device you can think of– such as switches, buttons and joysticks – in order to create your own personalized gaming experience, giving players the freedom to game their way and make it much more comfortable and accessible for everyone. They are hoping to roll it out to be able to be used with all games consoles.
There is no getting away from the fact that the future looks bright. The gaming industry has made billions of dollars during the last ten years. So, it is only fair they should invest some of that money in driving technology forwards and progressing their market. Hopefully, we will all get the chance to experience these improvements over the next couple of years.
