Some headlines caught my eye the other day as I was perusing the latest news and hot topics. It seems like people are already talking about the PS5 and Xbox Two (I’m sure Microsoft will have a much better name than that), and that was shocking to me. I’d say we’re coming up on the halfway point of the lifecycle of this generation of consoles, so what’s the big idea? What could we possibly have to discuss at this point? As it turns out, a veteran developer (formerly of Criterion Games, the people who brought you Burnout ) by the name of Paul Ross was talking about what he imagined something like the PlayStation 5 might bring to the table.
Ross mentioned that physics engines haven’t really evolved since he worked on TrickStyle for the Dreamcast. “They’re all about rigid bodies, solid objects. This is a real paradigm shift because it’s about simulating physics at a molecular level. It’s been a really hard problem to solve for quite a while.” Well, that got me thinking: is that what we have to look forward to with the next generation of consoles? Is the x-factor going to be more believably destructive environments, and hair and clothing that flow in a more lifelike way thanks to physics engines that simulate things at a molecular level?
I don’t think that will be the x-factor. Do y’all know what I mean when I say x-factor? When you spend years playing on a PS1 and thinking that things really can’t get much better than FInal Fantasy VIII and Gran Turismo , and then you see gameplay footage running on a PS2 for the first time… that moment when you realize that so much more is possible – that’s the x-factor. Every generation it seems like graphics get a little prettier, and more things can happen on screen. Pretty soon we’ll be accommodating our 4K displays and physics engines will likely make a big leap, but that’s not what will define the next generation; not in my estimation, anyway. I think by the time we’re talking about PS5 and XB2 hitting the shelves there will be two things that set them apart and give them that x-factor.
Those two things will be ultra-immersive virtual reality and dynamically adapting artificial intelligence. How and when these two things will be possible I’m not sure, but assuming that the next generation of consoles will be produced somewhere around 2018-19, I’m thinking that at least incredible advances in our VR hardware will have been made. Your mind is easier to trick than you think; I was standing in the middle of a Best Buy with a Samsung Gear VR pressed to my face (all of those germs…) and I had moments of real immersion just from looking at 360-degree images; on a smartphone screen, no less! Come 2018, VR is going to be so immersive and so integrated into the way we consider education and entertainment that I imagine every major console will be using it to some extent.
Artificial intelligence is much trickier, but I think that truly engaging NPCs and companions are going to set the games of the future far apart from what we’re playing today. AI is tough, and I’m not even talking about trying to create something that is self-aware; I’m just talking about something that can learn and respond to dynamic and changing stimuli. Enemies that truly work together to flank and outsmart you in a shooting game, a dog or pet that reacts to everything you do, a love interest in an RPG that will actually learn to love you… these are things that will make our games more immersive and interactive than ever before, and they could be right around the corner. Keep your ears to the ground. I have a good feeling that the next generation won’t be about resolutions and framerates, and that’s an exciting prospect.