For the last discussion of this week following up on last week’s Develop Conference I want to ask one simple question. It was the final question asked to the panel of Ben Hebb, the Art Director at Zoe Mode, John Nash, the Studio Design Director at Blitz, and Neil Thompson, the Studio Art Director at Bizarre Creations and a very simple one. If you had one wish for the future of gaming what would it be?
To be honest I’m going to keep this discussion short and sweet, because there isn’t a huge amount for me to say, I want to know what you have to say on the topic. All three members of the panel agreed that they wanted more acceptance of gaming. Each wanted slightly different kinds of acceptance, but in general they just wanted acceptance of gaming, and I’d have to agree with them on that.
Neil Thompson wanted more acceptance of gaming by the government, something that seems to be slowly coming the industries way. In particular with a wealth of new, younger MPs coming in at the general election maybe we’ll see this acceptance from the government. Hopefully the new intake of politicians ‘get’ gaming on at least some level, and we’ll see a real acceptance of the industry as a ‘real’ business in the next few years.
Ben Hebb asked for acceptance of social gaming as ‘proper’ games by the industry and gamers alike. I think he’ll certainly get his wish in the next few years, with social games and gaming exploding ‘core’ gamers will be vastly outnumbered and probably already are. It won’t be a question of social gaming needing to get acceptance, in all likelyhood it’ll be the exact opposite.
Finally John Nash just wanted to have everyone playing games. I think this is as likely as Ben Hebb’s wish, and may be something we’ll see within the next twenty years. Last year Lorcan reported that this was pretty much already true over in Japan. This is the wish I’d like to see come true the most and if I have to make my wish narrower than just acceptance of gaming this would be it.
I want to walk down the street and see people playing on their phone or their DS or device of choice. I want home consoles to be as pervasive as DVD players. I want to be able to strike up a conversation with a random stranger about games, in the same way I can with TV shows or movies.
So let’s ask again, what’s your one wish for the future of gaming? All I ask of you is that you think big.
ProjectJAY
For it to be accepted as a major contributor to the economy and a highly regarded source of entertainment, not as some kind of serial murderer training program.
I’m still miffed about that Daily Star guy :)
PoorPaddy89
Or regarded as something solely for lonely nerds with no girlfriend. That may be true for me, but let’s get rid of the stereotype, eh? :P
Ryan1991
I know Kris said think big but I assume he still meant realistic :P
ProjectJAY
a man can dream… *sniff*
teflon
Get rid of all the dicks in the world, and I’m sure that gaming and everything else will be about 70 bajillion times better.
I’m looking at Kotick… Oh and some newspaper guy nobody’s ever heard of, who’s enjoying his 15 minutes of infamy.
Yahavage
Big gaming tournaments! With prizes and whatnot! It’d be a great chance to actually meet up with people and have some fun :D That’s what I would love to see happening next in the U.K.
3shirts
I absolutely agree with your last (but one) paragraph. I have a best mate who barely gets to play on his 360 because his wife views it as a complete waste of time… She watches X-Factor, Britains got talent, Katie and Peter, all the absolute dregs of TV. She cannot appreciate that gaming is a way to relax and have fun just like watching TV or movies.
I want a world where everyone has a favourite game or genre and discuss their relative merits or chat about upcoming titles around the office, just like they do with films or bands
3shirts
In fact, as I think about it, the problem seems to be that a lot of people think they don’t like games. This is based on the ignorance of the mass population that all games are Halo or GTA.
If someone said they don’t like music or films you’d think “how can you not like ANY, there is such a wide variety.” I think this is already true of games but people allow their ignorance to perpetuate and so never actually try any of the massive range of less well known titles like Braid, Flower, Joe Danger or Peggle which they might actually love!
bajere
yea i was thinking along the same lines. I just think that certain people just wont let go of the ‘games are for kids’ attitude. maybe in time it will change
Sevchenko
Well of course it’ll change in time. Gaming is only becoming more popular and soon the generations of people who don’t get it will be dead… That’s evolution
Rocket_345
Well said. i know people who hate the games that i play so they wont try anything out. Then when i recommend something like Joe Danger they assume that its going to be the same. People dont try things to see if they like them
Nauraph
Full simulation gaming. Where you can actually look over your shoulder to see what is behind you. Inside a globe with 3D screen all around. Walking on a all-direction treadmill to track your movement. Full body tracking and all.. Or something like that. =P
DRCD1
I don’t think that would be too difficult, just very expensive. You’d just had to have something that would only allow you to see the screen, some kind of special glasses, have your movements mo-caped and the game camera in the head of your character.
Tuffcub
Jerry Lawton fired.
3shirts
Out of a cannon
scaramanga1973
In a side quest in the next GTA.
I am hanging on to this idea as it is the only good idea I have had all week :)
3shirts
It is a good idea, but they should do it in RL too
Sevchenko
into the sun. to quote Futurama
STILLCANTTHINKOFAGOODPSNNAME
i would wish that game developers have full creative control at all times with no exceptions
seedaripper1973
1 wish? to be able to comment, on that prick Jerry lawton! I really cant believe TSA has disabled the comments?? why?? freedom of speech and all that has gone out the bloody window, and effectively it’s made the smug git untouchable due to his media related position…terribly bad show :(
3shirts
I win!
colossalblue
Don’t be ridiculous, it’s nothing to do with limiting freedom of speech. The comments are disabled because there was a very real risk of them going too far and getting people in real trouble.
You’re still free to say whatever you like about whoever you like but TSA doesn’t have to fund it or allow our property to be used for it. That’s like saying we’re not allowing you to leave the coutry because we won’t pay for your flights.
We don’t want our members to overstep the mark and end up being sued for libel or arrested for incitement to violence, claiming that we’re influenced by his “media related position” is without grounds. If we wanted to protect him (we don’t) we would have just not bothered writing the story.
seedaripper1973
To be honest though Colossal, theres been plenty of storys published on TSA within the same vein, and they werent pulled or comments disabled, i really cant see anything that anybody would write that would be grounds for libel?? after all what are the chances this ‘journo’ would even be interested in reading about ‘grown men sitting around all day playing computer games’ (or even writing on blogs for that matter?) i’m still dissapointed mate :(
colossalblue
Yep, there’s nothing wrong with the story. It was some of the comments that we were getting on it that were edging towards dangerous territory. So I disabled them. My judgement tells me that is better than letting people assume they can say what they want and ending up in trouble.
seedaripper1973
To be honest, if this was the case, i doubt any of the fellow TSA’ns could match Jim Sterlings vicious attack on the ‘git’ over at destructioid…makes for funny reading! (better hope he’s donning his anti libel suit) ;-)
CrawFail
I wish people outside of gaming would stop looking down their nose at it and treat it with as much respect at film and print.
Gaming is a legitimate form of entertainment and I would argue has more artistic credibility (as far as story telling elements go, at least) than the movie industry.
bunimomike
Same here, fella. For the industry to mature (a bit) and for people on the outside, looking in, to realise it’s an incredible part of entertainment and is here to stay.
For fanboyism to stop. That would be nice. Sure, rivalry and healthy competition is good but for the true fanboyism which makes the industry immature and an ugly place to be, just to stop.
I’d like for all the console manufacturers (and all developers) to pay attention to what the masses actually want, not what they think we want. Customer feedback is everything.
Foxhound_Solid
Proper established gaming leagues. EG: Building a team and entering pro tournaments with televised airtime, prizes and bragging rights to be won.
I think gaming has become much more accepted in the mainstream [looks at the wii] so we should reap the rewards of what can be enjoyed, you know other gaming avenues and such…
Also,
Wheres our Gamesmaster TV show… loved the original, its where I learnt the cheat for SF2T on the SNES. You know the one to get 10 Stars worth of speed, was the same cheat for same character battles on sf2!
seedaripper1973
I too loved Gamesmaster , but if they did bring it back, DON’T invite that bellend Dominic Diamond back (i can’t stand his right wing views)…Patrick Moore on the other hand is a bloody legend! ;-)