In terms of technological advances, are videogames hitting their limits?

[MJC]

Just something that occured to me. How long will it be before videogame consoles are advanced to the point that people lose interest in getting new ones? I mean, the current generation of consoles are amazing, especially compared to what was around, say, a decade ago. But how much better can they really get?

Current consoles can produce games that look pretty realistic. Sure, the framerates could be higher, the graphics could be a little sharper, some games have minor slowdown, etc., and we can still easily imagine something better. But with the next generation of consoles about to come out, I'm wondering if we might soon get to a point where the technology is as good as anybody wants. Will that happen? What effect will this have on the industry?

Thoughts?

[Speedy Boris]

I've thought about that. Like the graphics get so good that they basically mimic real life. Then can't you see it?

Dad: Son, get off the TV and get outside! It's time to mow the lawn!
Son: Not now, dad- I'm up to level four on Lawnmower 2000!
Dad: It's the SAME THING! :mad:

Wait... that was a joke from a Simpsons episode. :sweat:

[Chad Bonin]

I'd say "yeah", and Nintendo does as well. Hence all their talk of innovation, not improving what can't be improved much.

[Captain Harlock]

I think after a few more years of refining current technology in efforts to create the most realistic physics and graphics possible, gaming will evolve to be completely 3D. I imagine that eventually we'll have fully immersive 3D worlds, much like the game in .Hack.

[Fresh V]

I do believe that one day the technology of video games will get so advanced that they can't andvance them any further. I've thought about this too, and I think that even though the full capability of the game systems right now are extrememly realistic, it won't reach it's limit any time soon. I think Murphy's law will continue to be true until one day when VG technology has reached its limit.

[Romey]

Games still have a looong way to go (maybe a couple decades) before reaching the quality of current software renderers, but the percieved difference between now and then still won't be nearly as big as between now and ten years ago. Essentially, we are reaching a point at which better graphics no longer contribute directly to better gameplay. From here on out, everything else is just polish.

However... have games reached the limit of technology? Heck no. Consoles still have relatively little memory, even in the upcoming generation. The use of physics in games is still in its infancy. AI is practically stillborn. Development tools have yet to made that can allow designers to fully express their visions.

And technology aside... publishers still have too narrow a view to fund "riskier" game ideas (anything that hasn't already been proven in the market) from anyone other than their larger developers.

There's plenty of ground to break, outside graphics.

--Romey

[Martianinvader]

I think this next round will produce graphics that go as high as they can and still have the advancement noticed. Beyond that, we go into rendering individual hairs on Snake's head and junk like that which no one using even a hi-def TV is ever going to notice.

There may still be upgrades, though they'll serve a different purpose: as newer technologies for playing music and movies and faster online connection speeds are continually invented, people will want those things in their consoles as well. That may be the only reason upgrades happen in the future. It WILL get to a point where companies will try the five-year-rule practice yet again, and nobody will care because the games look exactly the same, and the rule will have to be retired. At that point it'll come down to extra features...just like all cars drive, yet the biggest selling ones have the most options in 'em.

And by the way, people who keep envisioning virtual reality goggles and interactive holograms and games that plug into your brain are about as accurate as Hanna-Barbera assuming all our cars would fly by the 1990's. Virtual reality was TRIED, people, it did NOT WORK!

[Romey]

And by the way, people who keep envisioning virtual reality goggles and interactive holograms and games that plug into your brain are about as accurate as Hanna-Barbera assuming all our cars would fly by the 1990's. Virtual reality was TRIED, people, it did NOT WORK!

Virtual reality was merely tried much too soon... and it still is much too soon. :p However, it will eventually have its day.

Flying cars are simply inefficient and impractical as a means of travel, and probably always will be, no matter how far technology goes.

--Romey

[Zach]

It will be a eon before video games reach their limits. When that happens, developers will just make games for the systems like they would normally do.

[Master Moron]

And by the way, people who keep envisioning virtual reality goggles and interactive holograms and games that plug into your brain are about as accurate as Hanna-Barbera assuming all our cars would fly by the 1990's. Virtual reality was TRIED, people, it did NOT WORK!

I don't think the virtual boy counts, as it sucked, and it really wasn't virtual reality at all...

Actually, now that I think about it, I remember my school had a special event where they had virtual reality machines and stuff, like they had this hangglider thing where they had air blow on your face and stuff. That was actually really cool, but probably couldn't be replicated in the home.