What is the next step for gaming?

[Ayen]

With Nintendo experimenting with 3D gaming and Microsoft with motion sensor gaming, developers pushing the boundaries of what games can be with such examples like The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls on the PS3, the release of this generation major consoles and not to mention more variety in games thanks to Steam and the release of the Steambox and work going into the Oculus Rift, what do you think is the next step gaming will take? Who will be on top (if anyone) in the future and will virtual gaming one day become a reality

Discuss.

[Hollycat]

The next step will be a crappy version of VR, followed by true VR with a helmet that intercepts nervous signals.
Then SAO happens.

Then who cares, that'll be awesome.

[Botchmun]

The next step will be a crappy version of VR, followed by true VR with a helmet

a crappy VR headset? Like the virtual boy?

I think that the games companies will keep going the wrong direction for at least one more generation, more focus on getting nothing but pixels and polygons over story and design dominating triple A development. We'll see a lot of vapid shooters and sequels churned out, and innovation will be how many interns you could get to bump map a grizzled army guy's abs. I'd make some statement about how the Wii U will do something innovative and fun but they're... yourwebsitewontletmepos.gif
...Busy with the 3DS.

[Pete for President]

I tried an Oculus Rift last month in Japan. I was impressed. A jetpack demo was a ton of fun. Unreal Tournament made me noxious.

[Slothy]

The Occulus rift and Valve's plan to release low cost upgradeable PC's to compete with consoles are the two biggest things happening now, and I expect those will continue to develop and take hold in the market. Nothing else is happening on the hardware front that's even remotely interesting to me.

Consoles are basically becoming PC's but completely closed off and without any of the actual benefits of being a PC. Motion controls are a complete dead end and always have been.

[Pike]

Still waiting for my Holodeck.

[Dr Unne]

We haven't exhausted the possibilities of games on a flat screen with a keyboard/mouse/controller for input. There doesn't need to be a next step.

We use our hands to manipulate things, we've pretty much evolved to do it. When you need precision, you use your hands. It's going to be hard to beat button-based input devices. Things like voice input and waving your hands in front of a camera still feels like a gimmick. They aren't pushing the boundaries of anything, they're taking away precision instruments and replacing them with flailing your arms around and yelling at your TV like a monkey.

Steambox seems nice, for people without a gaming PC or who want a second PC to throw in the living room and hook up to the TV.

[Pike]

In all honesty the thing that excites me the most about gaming's immediate future is that thanks to SteamBox and Steam for Linux there's a good chance we'll be seeing a LOT of games that run natively on Linux and this makes me happy.

[Old Manus]

We can be sure of one thing.

Whatever happens in the future, whatever amazing new nth^-1 dimension console suite falls into the hands of consumers, Nintendo will make Mario games for it.

[Dr Unne]

In all honesty the thing that excites me the most about gaming's immediate future is that thanks to SteamBox and Steam for Linux there's a good chance we'll be seeing a LOT of games that run natively on Linux and this makes me happy.

Yeah, that's a good point. I installed Steam on Linux one day and I was shocked how many games are already available. Does anyone remember when your choices for games on Linux were Solitaire, Nethack and Tuxracer? We've come a long way already. Breaking the Windows monopoly on PC gaming can only be a good thing.

[Bolivar]

I see games having more social focus with just how easy and immediate it is to stream and share this generation.

I also anticipate the return of small teams executing visionary concepts on a broad commercial scale. The indy revolution is over and with many of these games beginning to become serious game of the year contenders, I think the golden age of downloadable non-retail titles is about to take place. Unrestricted self-publishing on Steam and PSN opened the door for this.

Microconsoles (ouya, vita tv) will be every where and there will be many players entering the game. There will be articles on how traditional consoles are on the endangered species list, but like mobile gaming, it will coexist, as obviously nothing can erase the enthusiast community we are apart of. I think cable providers will start to ship you a controller with your digital box. There's talk of microsoft making a deal with a cable provider for subsidized xbox ones to come as your cable box but I suspect they'd rather just have the Google Play store accessible from your on demand menu.

[Slothy]

Still waiting for my Holodeck.

I want a direct neural interface. Holodecks would he too tiring for long term play. Not bad for exercise though.

I'm going to have to disagree with you that the indie revolution is over Bolivar. On the console side of things, aside from companies trying to make it a bit easier for indies to release titles for them (and in the case of the Xbone I'm not even convinced that's true so far), nothing else has really changed. It's still business as usual for the console makers, the AAA publishers are still spending all of their time chasing financially risky blockbusters and yearly franchise releases, and don't seem to have learned anything from the success of indie titles. And in a lot of ways chasing those hits and franchises is becoming very bad for the industry, and will get worse as development costs climb.

I don't think we've seen the end of indie values changing the industry. Not even close.

[Bolivar]

Big pubs will always chase AAA dollars.

When I said the revolution is over I didn't mean their values will cease to influence the industry.

[Greatermaximus]

The first step for gaming is to play it if you like it. Especially your own game. I don't know where next step even came from.