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The Future of Computer Entertainment, 2005-2050
Tuesday, 19th April 2005 Ernest W. Adams, Game Design and Production Consultant, working independently and as a member of the International Hobo game design consortium, former Lead Game Designer of Bullfrog Productions This lecture discusses the future of computerized entertainment in three particular dimensions: technological advancement; demographic and market changes; and the aesthetic development of the medium itself. Of these, technological advancement is the easiest to predict, but in its early stages has the least influence on game design. Demographic and market changes include not only expansion into unserved markets, but also new markets arising out of new distribution technologies such as broadband and mobile devices. The way in which games are sold will soon change forever. Aesthetic development, the third dimension, is the least predictable but offers the most potential for interactive entertainment as a creative medium. Academic research and artistic experimentation are important sources of innovation that lie outside the conventional commercial field. Finally, the lectures discusses the problems and promise of succesfully integrating interactivity and narrative into true storytelling games. This is simultaneously our most difficult conceptual challenge and our most important line of research. The lecture ends with some light-hearted speculation about the long-term future of games and gameplay. |