Most of us remember playing Mario at the age of 12 in the late 80s’. There was nothing like it – that infectious, upbeat personality, colourful graphics, iconic music and Mario himself, as he allowed to guide him through the Mushroom Kingdom to save Princess Peach from the turtle Bowser.
Gaming has evolved so much since then. While we can’t yet predict what the future holds, we can take our cue from the boom that is happening right now. Here’s what we think the future of gaming is.
Augmented reality (AR)
AR is a powerful tool when it comes to visualizing data, and it has played a critical role in the gaming industry. It’s an amalgamation of the virtual images and the real world created by the computer.
It’s not just images, but intense sound, graphics, video and even smell. All the real-world objects can be added using the camera of the user’s device. Pokémon Go has proved to be a game changer.
Stimulation games are big in this space. Microsoft’s HoloLens, a mixed reality smart glass can scan the player’s room and will accordingly construct the environment. Even casinos are offering AR online games with 360-degree camera tech and eyewear that can double up as the speaker and microphone.
Facial recognition
Facial tracking in gaming has picked up after its success in the pilot law enforcement programs and social media.
Cubic Motion, a British company in advanced facial tracking, is widely credited with developing the first tech that can mimic a human’s facial movements in real-time and translate it into a game setting.
Some mind-blowing examples include Hellblade, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, and Batman: Arkham VR & Batman: Arkham Knight.
Virtual reality (VR)
VR has been making waves in the gaming industry since it was introduced. Once we had the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, or PlayStation VR on, we forgot about the surroundings and immersed ourselves in the virtual world.
VR doesn’t keep a player confined to a screen; instead, they can control the characters and surroundings using just their hand gestures and body movements.
If you are in a virtual casino, enjoying online gambling for real money, you can walk in as James Bond and interact with other real-life players, all while sitting on your couch, munching popcorn. NetEnt’s recently released Gonzo’s Quest VR slot game is already a hit.
Voice control
Voice technology in our smartphones, cars, workplace assistants has spawned another wave in the gaming industry – speech technology.
Amazon is offering its Alexa Skills Kit to third-party developers to create apps and games. Warner Bros. successfully utilized the kit to develop “The Wayne Investigation.” You need to use these five words to start the game – “Alexa, open The Wayne Investigation.” Players can make decisions using voice commands throughout.
Other advance versions are in the works.
Conclusion
The above four are not the only advances in gaming technologies. There is portability, improved consoles, dedicated VR and AR spaces, mind-blowing graphics, and much more.
It’s such an amazing time for the tech right now. Perhaps in ten years from now, all these advances will be stale already, and we would be on the cusp of another revolution. Keep Up!