The average game fanatic, there is very little that I could tell you about gaming that you do not already know. However, were you aware of just how awesome modern technology has made gaming? Gaming, without the advances of technology, would simply be a relic of the Atari days (although let’s be honest, the Atari is awesome). Technology has changed the world for the better, and even more so for the world of gaming. Gaming is not a way to kill time. It is a way of life. It has its own cultures, traditions and norms. Gaming may be frowned upon by non-gamers for some of the ills of society, but what do they know? Gaming is an institution and should be treated as such.
Steve Jobs changed gaming for the better. He declared that his new fangled invention, the iPod, was here to change the world. It was an internet device; a way to game, as well as a mobile phone. People were amazed and astounded and rightly so. The iPod changed the way that we game for the better. Technological advances have achieved so much in such a short space of time; they have changed our lives for the better, but the real advances and changes have been towards gaming. Of course, the humble iPod is not the only device that has changed gaming in the last five years. Who would have thought that a mere matter of five years ago, we would be where we are now with the world of gaming? Who can predict what is going to happen in the next five years? If your mind is not blown, it will be.
Game companies are utilising the internet to unlock even better video games for the masses. The chances are, and I am no clairvoyant, that gaming in the next two to three years will see another dramatic change in terms of graphics, usability and expense. There has never been a more exciting time to be a gamer; the gaming world is innovative and in a constant state of perpetual evolution. Gaming is going to get bigger and better, and we have technology to thank for that.
Think about your favourite game. While thinking about your favourite game think about the locations and the settings of the games and think about how dramatically the imagery and graphics have changed within such a short space of time. The gaming locations are beautiful, atmospheric and often transform us to another place. We yield to their magnificence and are utterly captivated by their awe-inspiring beauty. The scripts of the games are wonderfully written, as if we are watching an epic Hollywood action movie. The characters of our games are believable, loved, and, what is more, kick-ass. (This, of course, may not entirely be applicable to our beloved Echo the Dolphin)
Now think about games from a decade ago. Clunky. Uninspiring. Poor graphics and an even poorer storyline. The characters helped us whittle away the hours, but they never had us hooked.
Modern technology has enabled us to do so much more with gaming. The internet has expanded to allow us to play high definition games. What we view is constantly evolving. Our eyes do deceive us. One of the most brilliant things about this is that some of these internet games have a comparable quality of console games. Don’t believe me? Try them out for yourself and be the judge.
Think about the cost of gaming, and then think about the positive effect of how evolutionary technology has driven down the cost of video games. Games are dirt cheap. Previously, games have cost a small fortune, in excess of $60. Now, you can download your favourite games via an app for free or less than a dollar. How incredible is that? Cost efficient gaming is a direct result of the developments of technology. Low prices do not mean compromising on quality. Look at Infinity Blade, a game on the iPhone. The graphics on the game seriously rivalled that of many new consoles.
Technology has proved to provide many more great benefits when it comes to the world of gaming. Think about the way that you play, and how that evolved over the course of the last decade. Think of gaming ten years ago. Friday nights meant smashing your friends during another round of Street Fighter, while you both played a multi-player game at the same time. Now, think about how you game; you play strangers. You game against faceless individuals. You have never met them, but you know them. You do not have to even play the game at the same time to whoop their asses. The advances of the internet and the subsequent technological advantages that are a direct result of this are proof that the modern gaming world has changed indescribably for the better.
What is so utterly fantastic about gaming that it is no longer just a game. The narrative behind the game has become more compelling than the actual game play itself. Games have been turned into epic adventures; so not only are you completely engrossed in playing the game, you also enraptured by the accompanying storylines. Franchises like Mass Effect, Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed all set the standard with stunning graphics, plausible storytelling and fabulous voice acting. In short, we have been given the chance to direct our own mini-movies within the world of gaming. Who would have thought that from the humble Commodore 64 that we would be here today, with these major technological changes and advances that have enabled gaming to be taken to the next level.
Where will gaming go next? What is planned for the worlds of gamers? I do not think anyone can predict where the next five years will take us in terms of games, gaming and gaming advances. I could never have predicted that gaming, as an institution, would be in this amazing place, right now. Gaming is in a fantastic and exciting place, and I would not have it any other way.
