In a strange way, I can sort of understand why some people believe that the US government traded people for technology with aliens in the 1940s. Technology has changed the world in unprecedented and sophisticated ways since the end of World War 2. In fact, I believe that 21st century humans have never had it so good. At no point in human history has the majority of the world been so comfortable, and technology has been a huge factor in the comforts we enjoy today.
As well as making the average human’s life significantly easier, comfortable and more secure compared to 100 years in the past, technology has created things which humans of the past could never have even imagined – the internet being arguably the most unbelievable thing humans have ever created.
Of course, the first several years of the internet were nothing compared to how it is today, but with that in mind we can take a lot of inspiration. Imagine, 50 years from now, how much may have changed? A good deal of foresite is certainly required. With that being said, I would like to try to predict how further updates in technology may improve the online world, and more specifically, online gaming.
Online Gaming; A Comfort, Entertainment or a Waste of Time?
Perhaps all three mixed into one? Online gaming isn’t for everyone, but for some people it is a hobby and even how they earn their living. I do not want to go into whether gaming is a good use of time or not, because everyone is different. However, online gaming is certainly entertaining for those who play it – this cannot be denied.
The video gaming industry is unsurprisingly worth billions of dollars. Valued at 217 billion in 2022, the value is only expected to increase. I do not think we can really attribute continued advancements in technology to the popularity of video games in 2023 as video games were immensely popular 20 years ago too. However, I do think that such advancements certainly help to improve the quality of video games in general and if you cannot agree with that statement then you can certainly agree that video game graphics are of a higher quality than ever before.
Style Over Substance?
You know it and I know it; there are plenty of holier than thou gamers out there who despise modern video games with excellent graphics. Those people seem to think that developers need to pick between average graphics and incredible gameplay or incredible graphics with average gameplay. What they don’t seem to realise is that we are at a stage in gaming now where we can have both without one detracting from the other.
Some quick examples include Elden Ring, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor and Starfield. Of course, there are plenty of games out there which look much better than they play and vice versa, but we shouldn’t become gaming snobs. I think that we should all embrace the future of video gaming and this doesn’t mean that we must forget games of the past.
Advancements in Graphics
Some of the best video games ever made came with blocky graphics, which at the time were incredible, but now not so much – Goldeneye being a great example. Incredible graphics do not make a game incredible, but they are certainly a component of a great game. Even in the world of online slots, improved graphics have recently become somewhat synonymous with improved gameplay. Take it from me that ten years ago, online slot machines were as basic as they come, but now they look exceptional and they offer much improved game mechanics and features.
No matter whether you are looking upon an alien world for the first time or taking in the vivid colours of a Megaways inspired game, sometimes graphics can turn what could be a mediocre game into a classic.
Improved AI
Improvement in AI technology means that we do not have to play online in order to have a challenging and realistic experience.
Take a game like Call of Duty, in order to get the best experience, it really is necessary to play online as that’s where the challenge is. However, if improvements in AI continue, we may see the AI behaving like a real human player; in which case there’s no reason why we cannot play offline games and have just as much fun.
Call of Duty has already utilised AI to moderate voice chats so that they are more user friendly and safer.
So… Here’s to the Future
I think it goes without saying that as we continue to advance into the future, modern technology will only improve online gaming. Nostalgia notwithstanding, I expect the future to take us into a gaming world which none of us could ever imagine possible. A brave new world perhaps? We will have to wait and see.