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Back in the late 90’s, the gaming industry was taking a significant turn in its definition and scale of game play. With 3D gaming technology being fully employed into games such as Super Mario 64 (1997), the strong cinematic narrative seen in Metal Gear Solid (1999) and the scope of Final Fantasy 7 (1997), the gaming industry had stepped up its game. Literally.

The advertising tag for this was 'is your tv big enough', a great comment on how games were changing beyond the TV's they've always been played on.

At the time it could have been seen as a sign of things to come, however the immediate after-flow of games seemed only to work on what these games have done rather than completely redefine its genre such as Super Mario 64 did with the platform genre. To look back it is apparent that it is the leap in 3D graphics at the time meaning that it would actually take another huge technological leap to re-invent the games/genres we play today. Gaming technology has always driven the possibility and differences of new gaming genres and this is what I wish to explore on this article.

Likewise with both Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy 7, there was a huge leap on what these games could accomplish to their predecessors. It was the jump to CD ROM that allowed the scope of FF7 possible and the Hollywood combination of visuals and sound in MGS.

The same effect of new technology into great games can be seen also in the late 80’s where gaming had changed due to the first successful home consoles such as the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), offering something different to that of their arcade parents. Primarily the first video games ever created were basic reflex and aiming endeavours. And as technology has evolved so have the game mechanics and genres to it, as well as the audience. Only kids could have been marketed with a game like Super Mario Bros (1987) on the NES, with its cartooned visuals, which were all that was capable at the time. But as time went by, more was possible through advancing graphics technology; therefore more was possible contextually allowing for a possible older age range in gaming. The very definition of what gaming is in its time seems to reside on the technology of its time.

A glimpse into the future for Nintendo perhaps?

There is always the matter of game play over visuals, but ultimately Video games is technology and it is with new technology that we can expect the most likely groundbreaking games and new genres.

It has always been these games at the spear point of change that are often herald as the best games of all time or given that elusive 10/10 score which so many sites/ magazines hold for the best of the best. And rightly so, these games have more than the advantage of being state of the art, their usually ground breaking in content, opening up the possibilities for the ever expanding world of video games entertainment.

And now it seems we’re once again in the front line of gaming evolution. With the success of Nintendo’s Wii motion control, the physical practice of gaming has changed from its long running gamepad peripherals. The ease of use with it has also enabled the industry to expand into different age groups. Blu-ray game discs and DVD allow games to reach new heights in visual scope and scale. Gaming Graphics are getting closer to the CGI found in films allowing performance to be an attribute, such as that found in Heavenly Sword. Online multiplayer has reached a new mainstream audience with the successful online networks on consoles such as Xbox live. These are small advances compared to the jump from arcade to console, or 2D to 3D, but important ones that mould the current gaming generation into a more ’serious’ one. After all it was not too long ago when games consoles had names such as Mega Drive or Game Boy, names aimed for the toy market in comparison with the now family/adult targeted names of (DS) Duel Screen or Wii.

So what does the rest of the future hold for us? With Project Natal and 3D gaming on the horizon, we can be sure of some exciting developments in ‘what we play’, rather than the obvious ‘how we play’. Well, so long as it’s nothing like the Virtual Boy.

I personally, like to think the greatest turning point in gaming would be the implementation of full virtual reality or a Star Trek style ‘holodeck’ room in gaming. This could put gaming into a full mainstream phenomenon, even more so then it is now. And as for the first few games that are released on it, those will most likely change the ever debatable definition of video games.

-MarkBOSS