[Slayven]

I want to play a shooter where I feel like I am being hunted. Where the enemies will set ambushes and try to flank me and shit. Last time I felt anything close to that was the first Fear game. Scripted waves of enemies bore me and kills replay.

And I want next gen Geo mod. Wouldn't it be cool play Just Cause and you can change the geography of an area and it stays changed? Like blowing up a dam to wipe out a base and you come back and the river is still there?

[Tyrax]

[Dark Octave]

Graphics is all that REALLY matters.

[darkpaladinmfc]

Unfortunately, 'awesome AI' doesn't make a great selling point to the mass market.

[disappeared]

Are you kidding? Why make AI smarter, why increase the environmental depth, and why improve upon physics when shit can just look better!? This is next-gen, son.

[Slayven]

Are you kidding? Why make AI smarter, why increase the environmental depth, and why improve upon physics when shit can just look better!? This is next-gen, son.

Why can't we have all that?

[videtonator]

I'm playing Pikmin 2 right now and sometimes I caught me thinking about that. I would rather have a better IA to the Pikmins than better graphics.

I really hope someone cares about IA and physics on the next-gen games.

[disappeared]

Why can we have all that?

You mean why can't we? I wish I knew.

[GSR]

I can guarantee you that next-gen's AAA titles will feature exhilarating examples of computer-controlled enemies trapping the hero in a well-thought out, devious trap, with your only chance to escape being use of the environment and physics in a breathtaking QTE sequence.

[Slayven]

You mean why can't we? I wish I knew.

Too bad there aren't video game investigative reporters.

[LowEndTorque]

Programming smart AI is probably a lot more hard work than figuring out a way to get the system to run pretty graphics.

In an age where Dead Space needs to sell 5 mill to be a viable franchise, I wouldn't expect pubs to allow their developers to allocate much resources to revolutionary AI unless the entire premise of the game was based on it. It will probably be up to developers that are given full creative freedom by their publishers to set the bar.

[abasm]

It's much easier to talk about game experiences relative to things like AI and world interactions. These are the things that create stories.

It's much easier to market a game with sights and sounds.

[disappeared]

Too bad there aren't video game investigative reporters.

Well they're supposed to be called journalists, but not many of them in this industry actually do their jobs, so yeah.

[onlyindreams]

I can guarantee you that next-gen's AAA titles will feature exhilarating examples of computer-controlled enemies trapping the hero in a well-thought out, devious trap, with your only chance to escape being use of the environment and physics in a breathtaking QTE sequence.

Sounds good to me.

[Radec]

We already have awesome shooter AI and Graphics, Killzone.

[Tyrax]

We already have awesome shooter AI and Graphics, Killzone.

I enjoyed killzone 2 a lot, but I didn't think the AI was anything to write home about.

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Graphics is all that REALLY matters.

A million times this. I remember when they were making a big deal out of supposedly "emergent gameplay" and advancements in AI etc. only to find AI is still as shitty as always. Given the choice between AI and shinier graphics, devs will always pick the latter, which is a shame, cause most of the games I've played this gen just felt like the same ol' packaged in prettier graphics. The recent trend in ultra linear, scripted QTE, cover shooters really doesn't bode well for the future of games to be honest

[Atolm]

AI will be worse than the scripted enemy behavior from Spectrum 48k games, that's for sure.

[udivision]

I think this goes into game design more than how powerful the AI processor is.

Metroid Fusion does a pretty amazing job of getting to player to feel hunted at points because that's how the game was designed, and it was on the GBA. Most FPS's are geared towards making the player feel powerful, so mowing down foes suits that.

[Bombadil]

Agree.

I'm playing through Deus Ex HR right now and the AI in that game is the smartest of any game I've ever played. And yet, the AI is STUPID. Yes, they flank, yes they change patrol patterns, yes, they react to noises and line of sight and all that shit, but they're a shade of intelligence. Tricking them is so easy. Even if you duck and hide inside an air vent right in front of them, they'll still say things like, "Where'd he go?" and "I guess he's gone."

And you can turn a corner and lose them easily. They don't display an evolving level of intelligence, they all sound the same, they all behave the same. There's no variety in how they move, how they look, and very little variety in how they sound. goes beyond graphics. Having good visuals hasn't reduced the number of copy paste environments in gaming.

I'd really like to see a game that has a very limited amount of NPCs, but each NPC is extremely fleshed out and has some semblance of intelligence.

I'd also like better destruction physics and more persistence of objects and enemies. I hate how bodies disappear in games like God of War 3. However good the game looks, it's still showing you its limitations.

[iceatcs]

AI is good enough atm. What more do you want? Maybe less stupid (better aware) but do you want them to emotional and give hand job?
Destruction physics should have some limits as always. We cannot destroy whole level to flat crumble, it will broke the game.

But I would love to see better water/rubbish/clothes/hair physics.

[Derrick01]

Yeah you'd think if we're going to be overloaded with awful linear scripted shooters that they'd at least take the time to make the enemies smarter than their average audience.

[RoboPlato]

I don't know about AI but I think physics and animation are going to be a central focus. Several developers, like Crytek, have shown how they're integrating new dynamic physics into their engine's animation systems. Havok has also commented as well. Max Payne 3 has shown how much of an effect this can have on gameplay and immersion and I would love to see other developers do something like that and see other kind of systems aside from Euphoria that can be integrated in to more games.

[Unity2012]

Ok, I know this is all wishful thinking but here:

I will settle for better Animations (enough with characters that cannot jump, take cover, run or climb);Next: better Hair (yeah, i said it: "hair" I'm tired of ugly plastic looking hair on characters and all the bald heroes); add to that No more Invisible Walls... "Oh look at this path here... Meh!! nope, can't go there either!

What good will better looking graphics do if the environments and characters are often useless... or act the same as a decade ago? It is time for an overhaul gents!

*Pros to developers who have, indeed, improved the quality of their games. You know who you are, you creative beasts!! Thank you.

[Lactose_Intolerant]

On a serious note, you will get better hair and coat flapping in the wind, that's about it.

[Poimandres]

We had a few nice showcases this generation.

On the physics side, Geomod and Euphoria are both awesome.

For AI, I really liked the idea behind STALKER's Radiant AI even if it wasn't perfect. Halo games are always dependable for solid AI, and several other shooter like Killzone were pretty good. Nothing exceptional though, unfortunately.

I really really want to see the idea behind Radiant AI expanded. A world populated by AI that randomly wanders, with different behavioural tendencies for different creatures. It really added an air of unpredictability to the STALKER games.

[Kinyou]

I don't think that the AI is really held back by the old hardware. Like you said yourself, FEAR had a good AI, but a game released far later like Crysis 2 didn't. I think it's mostly just about how much work the developer puts into the AI. After all is there never a real AI, just scripted reactions to certain actions.

[Tyrax]

I think you will have more hope for better physics in the next gen because there is more CPU and Memory to work with. Physical simulation models are already well known so developers will be able to simulate more without 'cheating' by culling calulations that are deemed 'too expensive'.

As far as AI, CPU + Memory does help too much with that. Smart developers and designers are responsible for that. Its a software complexity issue, not a hardware horsepower issue.
You could have 'better' AI in shooters today Ex: Fear, Halo, Killzone (i guess) its just more work on the developers to do, and why bother? Call of Duty is the best selling shooter with the worst AI.

So that is shooters, who cares right? When you join the PC master race and play strategy games like the Total War series, then you will definitely see the evolution and progress of AI.

[BigDug13]

I'm sure Physics will be kind of a thing. Looking at that demo of Borderlands 2 with full physics going and it looks incredible. Still really plays into the "realistic graphics" game that is "so important".

Not sure about AI.

[AdventureRacing]

AI is good enough atm. What more do you want? Maybe less stupid (better aware) but do you want them to emotional and give hand job?

Um most games this gen have fucking terrible AI. What games have you been playing to make a statement like this?

[Kinyou]

Um most games this gen have fucking terrible AI. What games have you been playing to make a statement like this?

Isn't he sort of right? What kind of genius strategy is the AI supposed to pull off in some linear corridor shooter?

[Haly]

Graphics is a hardware problem.
AI is a programming problem.
Physics is sort of both.

[Black_Stride]

I don't think that the AI is really held back by the old hardware. Like you said yourself, FEAR had a good AI, but a game released far later like Crysis 2 didn't. I think it's mostly just about how much work the developer puts into the AI. After all is there never a real AI, just scripted reactions to certain actions.

Pretty much.
Hadware hasnt held back AI this gen....devs have.

As for physics if Nvidia is providing the chip to anyone then expect Apex everywhere.
Else Havok and CryEngine are about as good as it gets.
I still expect Apex in every PC game though.

[Haly]

Hopefully, Apex will become standard soon.

Dem colliders.

[bounchfx]

Given the choice between AI and shinier graphics, devs will always pick the latter,

uh, not exactly. and you should also be wise enough to not lump all 'devs' into the same bunch. People will focus on different things, as people are different. The majority of major publishers focus on graphics because not only is it what customers clamor for the most, but it's the most obvious thing to show off the game easily to potential buyers.

Graphics will of course improve, but so will ai, physics, animation, etc.
I mean hell, look at the UE4 video they just showed... the lava? Real time fluids. Yeah, and it's awesome as hell. There's also a tremendous amount of particle and other fluid tech that can be used for a lot of new game experiences.

Oh, and for the record, I feel that animation trumps graphics 100 times over when it comes to making believable worlds and characters. It's hopefully where a lot of devs will spend time going forward.

[Poimandres]

Isn't he sort of right? What kind of genius strategy is the AI supposed to pull off in some linear corridor shooter?

It might have just been clever scripting, but FEAR sure did a good job of selling its AI. The entire game pretty much took place in small spaces.

Isn't real AI meant to be quite resource intensive?

[charsace]

Graphics is all that REALLY matters.

I know you're joking, but sadly this is the truth. Are to be more specific the polygon count of character models and art style is what matters most.

I still think we will see a big jump in physics at least.

[SquiddyCracker]

I think you will have more hope for better physics in the next gen because there is more CPU and Memory to work with. Physical simulation models are already well known so developers will be able to simulate more without 'cheating' by culling calulations that are deemed 'too expensive'. As far as AI, CPU + Memory does help too much with that. Smart developers and designers are responsible for that. Its a software complexity issue, not a hardware horsepower issue. You could have 'better' AI in shooters today Ex: Fear, Halo, Killzone (i guess) its just more work on the developers to do, and why bother? Call of Duty is the best selling shooter with the worst AI. So that is shooters, who cares right? When you join the PC master race and play strategy games like the Total War series, then you will definitely see the evolution and progress of AI.

I agree with you no physics probably being the main focus next gen.
On the Wii U for an example, there is this tank game called Tank! Tank! Tank! that has fully destructible environments:



I hope we see more stuff like above on the next-gen machines.

[GarthVaderUK]

I think we'll see big improvements on the physics front, but AI I'm not so sure.

[Poimandres]

I agree with you no physics probably being the main focus next gen. On the Wii U for an example, there is this tank game called Tank! Tank! Tank! that has fully destructible environments. I hope we see more stuff like above on the next-gen machines.

Tank! Tank! Tank! is an arcade game from 2009, so probably not a good example to judge next gen trends from. It IS a lot of fun though.

[Derrick01]

I agree with you no physics probably being the main focus next gen. On the Wii U for an example, there is this tank game called Tank! Tank! Tank! that has fully destructible environments: [IMG]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4HgcXdIcbUo/T86O2JuumlI/AAAAAAAAStE/aJLxIV76uMw/s1600/Tank_Tank_Tank_Wii_U_Screenshot_03.jpg[/IMG I hope we see more stuff like above on the next-gen machines.

With a game that looks that bad it better be able to support fully destructible environments. I do agree though we need more of that next gen.

[depward]

No no, what I want from next gen is zero to nil load times.

[ReyBrujo]

Why AI when you can make your games online and/or multiplayer?

[RedSwirl]

AI probably doesn't have as much to do with hardware power. How much has AI really improved since Half-Life 1? Physics maybe.

As for what I want other than graphics, next gen I want to play more shooters with a sense of scale similar to ArmA 2.

[Dragonzord]

I don't want phsyics more improved.

The best part of Skate. is breaking the game.

[Axalon]

Developers are kind of buttheaded. AI programming can be very difficult while graphics just require you to read shader documentation. Additionally, AI is still a heavy research topic. Graphics, meh, not as much.

[coopolon]

I sincerely doubt graphics will even be that much better to anyone who's played on a pc built in the last 4 years. I think we'll probably see incremental improvements in physics and AI, but nothing groundbreaking.

[CielTynave]

I'd prefer better animations.

[bloodforge]

I just want lots of cloth simulation, so sick of unmoving rigid clothing.

[DimmuBurgerKing]

I sincerely doubt graphics will even be that much better to anyone who's played on a pc built in the last 4 years. I think we'll probably see incremental improvements in physics and AI, but nothing groundbreaking.

Pretty much this.