So I figured I'd ask the question here - where do you think the games industry will be in say 20-30 years ? Will we have virtual reality ? Will it be far away ? Will we all have 3D display contact lenses and mind-control interfaces ? Or will we be playing on a Playstation 6 in a similar way than we do today ? Will there even be such a thing as a Playstation 6 ? Perhaps everything will happen in our browsers ? Will we still have browsers ? Will they look like the Minority Report interfaces ? And so forth... I really could use some helpful insights as I only have a couple of weeks left before the thing needs to be ready
20-30 years? I would say direct to drive gaming via digital distribution seems likely. It's something that has been pushed alot with consoles and has worked fairly well for PCs for some time now. It will also kill second hand game sales I would think. 3D will most likely be a standard within the industry by then, aswell as motion control as it becomes more refined over the years. Virtual reality may be a possibility, it was tried before but didn't take off that well at least not over here anyway) though technology has come a long way since then (some cool looking shades with earpieces for surround sound instead of those big and bulky headsets of the past, just make sure there's a power switch on the shades for moments of nausea).
Unless some incredible pitfall happens within the companies I can see the big contenders like Microsoft and Sony still going, along with Nintendo (who have been going longer than both), and I think Apple will likely get more involved aswell as some other companies who want a bite into the market, though their success will depend on what they can bring to the table that current companies don't already deliver (PSP2 seems like a massive contender against iPad).
I don't see mind control interfaces happening any time soon, at least not for the casual market. Not that it's not possible (stuff like that is used for prosthetics to a degree though it utilizes bonding with nerves etc) just that it will take alot to bring it on a casual level at any rate where it becomes mainstream. As for Minority Report interfaces, that was the first thing I thought of when I saw Kinect (Natal at the time) in action. I think we'll still have browsers but they will have been radically developed further beyond todays standards by then.
Assuming the planet hasn't been nuked by some tyrannical dictator who wants to achieve global domination beforehand. Game of fallout anyone?
