In episode 2 of "The Biggest Podcast," host Christopher Caen, Strategic Growth Marketer, sat down with Rashid Mansoor, CEO of MetaGravity, and Mark Jacobs, President and Creative Director at City State Entertainment, to discuss the future of gaming. The conversation covered a wide range of topics, from the evolution of loading screens to the potential of complex systems in game design. This summary highlights the key points, offering a glimpse into the exciting future of gaming.
Game developers are continually working to create more seamless experiences for players. One trend involves incorporating loading sequences into the gameplay, such as having players run through tunnels while the game loads new areas in the background. This approach aims to maintain player immersion by reducing visible breaks in the gameplay. Rashid Mansoor shared his thoughts on this trend, referencing the "Overland" map in the upcoming game Dune:
"Working on these transitions and the ability to make travel between zones less jarring is interesting, especially if it serves a purpose from a gameplay standpoint. In the long term, I believe we can eliminate all of these things entirely and have it all very smooth and seamless. That's the end goal."
Mansoor acknowledged that current solutions, like the Overland map, are clever design choices that serve as stepping stones toward a fully seamless experience. He emphasised the importance of making these transitions as invisible as possible to maintain player immersion. Indeed, such a future may be closer than expected, thanks to the ongoing evolution of gaming technology.
The gaming industry is in a constant state of transition, always pushing for the next big thing. This drive for innovation is fueled by player demand for more ambitious and immersive gaming experiences. As Mansoor observed:
"You've heard VCs and industry analysts talk about 'oh, that's big enough,' but you never hear that from the actual players participating in the game. It'll never be enough."
This observation highlights players' continuous demand for bigger and more engaging gaming experiences. In turn, this drives the industry to innovate and push technological boundaries, constantly seeking to make games ever more engaging.
Maintaining player engagement in long-running games, particularly in MMOs and live service games, is a significant challenge for developers. Various strategies have been employed, such as using in-game events to reset progress and prevent early players from gaining an insurmountable advantage.
MetaGravity's approach to this challenge with their game Edge of Chaos offers an intriguing perspective. Mansoor explained:
"Edge of Chaos is named after a concept from complex system science and chaos theory because our view is that the world itself should remain fresh. Our brains are the most powerful pattern-recognition systems in the universe, and we love patterns. But when we get used to the patterns, we get bored."
He went on to explain how non-linear systems found in nature could be applied to game design:
"There is this non-linearity in the systems we see in nature. When we talk about something feeling lifelike, organic, novel, fresh, and interesting, we're talking about a nonlinear system. We have a physiological and cognitive neurological reaction as human beings to these non-linear patterns. They're elusive, they defy explanation, but they feel like they're just outside of reach.
But could such systems and patterns be applied to gaming?
Applying complex systems theory to game design offers exciting possibilities for creating more engaging game worlds. Mansoor elaborated on this concept:
"Building a living world means creating a space where player interactions constantly evolve, mimicking the dynamic nature of the real world. This is achieved by ensuring that player-to-player and player-environment interactions drive continuous change. It simulates the real world in a simplified but essentially purified sense."
He emphasised that while this is the long-term goal, the journey to get there involves careful consideration of game design elements to keep players engaged in the short term:
"To achieve this, we must carefully consider game design elements that keep players engaged throughout development. This allows us to focus on creating the core, compelling aspects of the game."
Ultimately, such an approach might be able to make games more than carefully curated and presented mere illusions.
Traditional game design often relies on carefully crafted illusions to create immersive worlds. These illusions include pre-scripted events, static environments, and game mechanics that give the appearance of a living world but are fundamentally limited in their ability to respond dynamically to player actions. This approach has been necessary due to technological constraints and the complexity of creating truly responsive environments.
However, technological advancements pave the way for more dynamic and responsive game environments. Mansoor envisions a future where games transcend these limitations:
"Games thus far have been illusions. But when we talk about the kind of tech that we're building, it becomes possible to design games that are no longer the illusion, the facade. It's the real deal."
This statement encapsulates the ambition behind MetaGravity's work - to create game worlds that are truly dynamic and responsive rather than carefully crafted illusions. The goal is to move beyond the current paradigm where game developers must constantly release expansions and updates to keep their worlds feeling fresh and alive. Mansoor elaborates on this concept:
"Continuously releasing expansions to maintain a game's appeal can create a cycle of building static worlds. This can expose the artificiality of the game's design, undermining the sense of immersion."
MetaGravity’s HyperScale Engine aims to enable the creation of worlds that evolve organically based on player interactions and complex systems inspired by nature. Instead of relying on pre-scripted events or periodic content updates, these new game worlds would respond dynamically to player actions, creating unique and unpredictable experiences. They would feel like living, breathing ecosystems rather than static, predetermined environments.
The ultimate goal is to design games where player actions have lasting, meaningful impacts on the world and where the environment evolves in ways that continually surprise and engage players. This vision represents a significant shift from the current game design model and has the potential to revolutionise how we think about and interact with virtual worlds.
The future of gaming promises significant innovations that will reshape player experiences. From ongoing efforts to create more seamless, immersive experiences to the potential application of complex systems theory in game design, the industry is on the cusp of a new era.
As gaming technology advances, we can look forward to worlds that feel more alive and responsive than ever. The constant demand from players for bigger and better experiences pushes the boundaries of what's possible in game design and technology.
The future of gaming promises to be one where the lines between game worlds and real-world complexity begin to blur, offering players unprecedented levels of immersion and interactivity. It's an exciting time for both developers and players, and we can't wait to see what the next technological leap will bring to gaming.
Let’s shape the future of hyperscale gaming together.
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