By Christopher Money
Innovation and invention is constantly playing a massive part in the revision and expansion of scientific knowledge and current technology. In a little over a century our technology limit has lifted such that we have moved from riding on the back of horse-drawn carts to sending people to other planets. Computing power has significantly jumped leagues ahead – a computer which once took up a whole room has been not only surpassed in processing power and capabilities but shrunk to the size of one’s palm, so it seems only natural that the games industry should also seek to expand and review its practices to change with the times.
Innovation and invention is constantly playing a massive part in the revision and expansion of scientific knowledge and current technology. In a little over a century our technology limit has lifted such that we have moved from riding on the back of horse-drawn carts to sending people to other planets. Computing power has significantly jumped leagues ahead – a computer which once took up a whole room has been not only surpassed in processing power and capabilities but shrunk to the size of one’s palm, so it seems only natural that the games industry should also seek to expand and review its practices to change with the times.
Within ten years, we progressed from minimal pixel graphics to sprite-heavy side-scrollers and platformers, and within another ten years we had reached three-dimensional renderings of worlds and characters. Now, in 2014, we have access to photorealistic graphics and worlds that feel so real you could reach out and touch them. But arguably, the real innovations come in gameplay. Sticking to what we know works will keep the punters happy for a time – Nintendo is a powerful example of this – but only by updating the games to match the systems will we see innovation powerful enough to draw in the audience and keep them happily occupied.
Watch_Dogs was supposed to be an example of this innovative development, but as Vanessa reported previously it was a bit of a disappointment. This isn’t to say by any means that it was a bad game. It was a great game but it just wasn’t what we were promised. The hacking and control of city systems was supposed to be the biggest thing. After a time it simply became second nature to use, but it didn’t feel new. It felt like a simplification of the things we already had; it became clear that the interactions between your hacks and, say, traffic lights, were pre-scripted, not being generated on the fly, as we were promised. The profiler would very easily show up two NPCs to be the ‘same’ person as opposed to the full and rich and diverse city we were shown before, a city where “every NPC has their own identity”.
Watch_Dogs was supposed to be an example of this innovative development, but as Vanessa reported previously it was a bit of a disappointment. This isn’t to say by any means that it was a bad game. It was a great game but it just wasn’t what we were promised. The hacking and control of city systems was supposed to be the biggest thing. After a time it simply became second nature to use, but it didn’t feel new. It felt like a simplification of the things we already had; it became clear that the interactions between your hacks and, say, traffic lights, were pre-scripted, not being generated on the fly, as we were promised. The profiler would very easily show up two NPCs to be the ‘same’ person as opposed to the full and rich and diverse city we were shown before, a city where “every NPC has their own identity”.
That’s enough critique about Watch_Dogs – I want to focus now on where we’re going with innovation. The current age of innovation, if I may be so bold as to assert it, began with Mojang’s Minecraft and its “procedurally-generated” world, and it looks to finish with the upcoming No Man’s Sky, which is currently set to blow all the other proc-gen worlds out of the water.
No Man’s Sky is, so far, an exploration game. Think a combination of Proteus and Minecraft with elements of Spore’s space stage and the original concepts for Battlefront 3. A universe that would be procedurally generated, but only once – accessible to all players as the same universe, possibly with player-to-player interactions, but with worlds the size of real worlds. Say just one million people resided on Earth, scattered all around it. How often would one man pass another? That’s the environment that Hello Games hopes to create with their new sandbox, a wide, vast universe ready to explore.
No Man’s Sky is, so far, an exploration game. Think a combination of Proteus and Minecraft with elements of Spore’s space stage and the original concepts for Battlefront 3. A universe that would be procedurally generated, but only once – accessible to all players as the same universe, possibly with player-to-player interactions, but with worlds the size of real worlds. Say just one million people resided on Earth, scattered all around it. How often would one man pass another? That’s the environment that Hello Games hopes to create with their new sandbox, a wide, vast universe ready to explore.
The game already boasts genetic variation between members of the same species, both flora and fauna, and incredible ranges of variation for generated ships, buildings and planets. The sheer size of the galaxy they are creating must be immense. For every new discovery – be it a planet, a species, an element, a faction – each player that discovers them will be remembered for discovering it. What’s really innovative, if it turns out to be the truth, is that the game will be a true sandbox – no goal if you don’t want there to be one. Of course there’ll be an antagonist force – there have been ships and fleets showcased for them in the space sections – but it’ll be your choice whether to go up against them or just hang out on your peaceful planet. Chances are you won’t be disturbed by other players for a very long time, if ever.
If they could add some degrees of Minecraft or Space Engineers to the mix; allow players to build and design their own bases and starships, this might just turn out to be the sandbox game to end all sandbox games. The release date is quite far off (31st December 2015) and will be a timed exclusive on PS4 – so that they can perfect the PC version and we don’t just get a console ‘port’.
If they could add some degrees of Minecraft or Space Engineers to the mix; allow players to build and design their own bases and starships, this might just turn out to be the sandbox game to end all sandbox games. The release date is quite far off (31st December 2015) and will be a timed exclusive on PS4 – so that they can perfect the PC version and we don’t just get a console ‘port’.
Considering all the hype surrounding what is commonly referred to as ‘virtual reality’, it seems like the news on the Oculus Rift and Sony’s Project Morpheus has died down. Is this a sign that development is actually occurring? Who knows. I have had the privilege of trying the Oculus myself in Team Fortress 2, and I can tell you it is a game-changer. One of the most bizarre things is getting used to actually looking in directions as opposed to moving the mouse. This, with the Kinect camera, I think is supposed to imply that we’re heading towards a period where games are physically played.
I don’t think it will ever take off, owing largely to the expectation of games to be played in a relaxed environment, and the scale of the things currently required to make physical games a reality. The Kinect requires a stupidly large space to function accurately. With the Oculus on you need to be aware of your surroundings so you don’t crash into anything. But, with innovation comes revision, and as I said before, we once travelled by horse and cart and spoke by way of written letters. Now we can do both of those things faster and more efficiently than ever. With time and development, what we consider outlandish today will be the norm of tomorrow.
I don’t think it will ever take off, owing largely to the expectation of games to be played in a relaxed environment, and the scale of the things currently required to make physical games a reality. The Kinect requires a stupidly large space to function accurately. With the Oculus on you need to be aware of your surroundings so you don’t crash into anything. But, with innovation comes revision, and as I said before, we once travelled by horse and cart and spoke by way of written letters. Now we can do both of those things faster and more efficiently than ever. With time and development, what we consider outlandish today will be the norm of tomorrow.
Today I’ll be happy with my classic games and television display. Tomorrow I’ll look forward to walking around my living room covered in electrodes and gadgets, maybe exploring a forgotten planet or traversing a hostile environment.
But probably, I’ll be so nostalgic for the past that I’ll just lie on the virtual sofa, hold a virtual controller, and play virtual Crash Bandicoot.
But probably, I’ll be so nostalgic for the past that I’ll just lie on the virtual sofa, hold a virtual controller, and play virtual Crash Bandicoot.
The way of the future...
What are your thoughts?
Where do you feel the next great innovation will come from?
Is Virtual Reality just another fad?
Let us know in the comments below!
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