The Impact of Existing Technologies to the Future of Gaming

After a few rounds of bowling on Wii Sports or exchange of guitar riffs on Rock Band, you and your buddies would probably slump on the sofa, commenting on how each of you fared while gorging on a box of pizza. It would take a while before you notice slight hand aches caused by the uncomfortable bulk and weight of the console. Pensive, one of your friends might wonder aloud how consoles can be developed into more comfortable devices. Another might enthusiastically suggest a whole new gaming arena that brings to life Tony Stark’s science lab.  With the fast and unpredictable advancement of technology, such a future just might be a fingertip away.

Production and Interface Developments

Taking the game to the next level, true innovators are driven to deliver more than aesthetic appeal and packaging.  Futuristic, forward-thinkers think out of the box--freeing themselves from restriction. A stretched imagination has allowed them to tap into new technologies that produce streamlined, sophisticated products that are--quite literally--easy on the pocket in many ways.

How so?

Since its discovery, nanotechnology has contributed to the advancement of many industries such as medicine and engineering. So what makes nano, which means tiny, so special? Doing away with technicalities, nanotech makes it possible to create novel machines of all sorts in small sizes.  But do not get ahead of yourself by worrying about cost, because nanotech makes this affordably possible.

With nanotech, consoles won’t just be sleek and slim enough to slide into a pocket--they will be a thing of the past. If you are thinking about touch screens, what about not having to touch screens at all? Indeed, with nanotech, the future of the gaming industry would feature automated devices free of clutter. This would relatively affect other aspects of gaming: less hardware means less strenuous gestures and space consumption. Similarly, it would mean less maintenance.

Image Source: GameInformer.com

Think nanotech is so neat? Now, fuse it with immersive virtual and augmented reality.

While skeptics continue to dispute over the use of nanotech, developers have been toying around with three-dimensional and augmented reality for quite some time. After re-conquering cinema, the whole world has been raving over it. And from the silver screen, 3D finally hit the gaming industry. Immersive, it boosts up the gaming experience. The Oculus Rift promises the realization of this futuristic vision. Equipped with a headgear and console, it is a jump starter that makes the giant leap towards realizing the ultimate sci-fi dream.


Open Source and Cloud Gaming

When it comes to innovation, sky is the limit. And it is almost fair to say it lies in the cloud quite literally. Although there remains a steadfast faction rallying exclusivity, there is a growing throng advocating freeware.  Not limited to the computer industry, open source platforms used to distribute data are becoming more and more accessible and prevalent to a larger number of users. Even elite universities are exploring this venture to reach more students. Interestingly, Stanford University is a key player in this endeavor. So why not gaming?

Image Source: ThoughtsOnCloud.com

With gaming geared towards sophistication, how can developers even begin to consider free use and distribution? On the contrary, open source in the gaming arena is achievable. At present, there are a number of open source engines that offer free content in the market. The Android-powered Ouya micro console boasts off a number of features that makes it exemplary. Reasonably priced, it offers hundreds of free and affordable games. Plus, it displays high-resolution graphics. A good deal for game enthusiasts, the fun does not end there because you can practically build your own game free from the hassles of licensing.

By kicking it up a notch higher and aiming for the cloud, gamers of the future will have access to a multitude of gaming applications free from restrictions. All that will be needed is a reliable internet connection and a device to access these applications.

Powerful yet economical, existing technologies offer immeasurable potentials for the gaming industry. Adopting these technologies will benefit both consumers and businesses significantly. Affordable and accessible, the future of gaming will go beyond immersion and interactivity--it will bridge the gap between the virtual and the real.