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What gameplay enhancements will be enabled by next-gen tech?

Okay but it's not as if I'm asking for much. Is wanting a large item to react differently to a small item that much?

The funny thing is, you could find the kind of physics you want in games that are years old. Problem is, game development these days is so time limited and costly, developers will cut in every area possible they don't find necessary.
 
That's not even a hardware limitation, that just requires a lot of work. It'll be even less likely to happen next generation as costs go up in every other department, so does development time.
See, I'm not sure how much dev cost will rise. I mean, they will rise, but not necessarily at a comparative rate with graphical quality. Assets and such are generally renderred at higher quality than PS360 owners see, better hardware will simply allow those already developed and paid for resources to be seen in a better light. Kind of how PC owners get a markedly superior version with presumably a very similar dev cycle.

Imagine the core code and assets from, say, RDR, AC:R, Batman AC etc given to a studio with a PS4/720 dev kit; sure, the physics and animations may look a little incongruous, but the games could look very much next gen with little work beyond optimisation.

But the real work comes with the aforementioned improved physics and animations. Dropping a cup in Elder Scrolls 6, should make it truly drop to the floor and smash, but my lord, the work involved with that kind of tech must be astronomical.
 
more powerful behind the scenes tools and more robust real-time simulations allowing for easier and faster content creation and rapid prototyping of designs. Faster content creation means it's easier to create more content and rapid prototyping can allow for further iteration and refinement on designs.

Square Enix is already talking up a 30% decrease in dev costs on their new Luminous Engine, which is pretty sexy looking btw.
 
One load time when you start the game, would love to see a game like portal2 without any loading besides the initial set up
 
Solid 60fps gameplay.
I wish. I'm starting to lose my tolerance for 30fps console games after being spoiled by my PC.

The most obvious gains are going to be from the extra memory. So more variety, more players, a larger scale, a more common rewind feature... all those things will be possible. And maybe physics improvements as well. Although it's always seemed like that was a middleware issue rather than a performance problem. I've seen phenomenal physics on crap hardware before.
 
People are forgetting that graphics are the basis of game play and that without 'graphics' there is no 'gameplay' and that one is not mutually exclusive of the other.

The 'graphics' over 'game-play' argument is so flawed and boringly stupid that it's not funny, and flatout annoying really. Nintendo started it and it's frustratingly grrr inducing whenever you see a thread like this and everyone says "nothing can be done any more except to improve the graphics with power now".

That's just completely absurd and despite the fact that improving the graphics substantially also increases the possibilities for game-play.

Shadows, lighting, destruction, world interaction, finer smaller details, living atmosphere and immersion, more of everything going on all around you in the game. These sorts of things are taken for granted by players in most situations but it is all of these subtle details in all situations that make the difference between a good game and a great game and I didn't even mention physics or AI.

That's not even placing any basis on the FACT that GAMEPLAY is always better at higher framerates. Increase the resolution and anti-aliasing substantially and you give the player a clearer picture which improves their gameplaying experience because they can see the picture more clearly and see things in the distance better and more detailed. A prime example might be Battlefield 3 while trying to snipe someone very far away. Graphics make a huge difference on game-play and there is no argument against that.


See, I'm not sure how much dev cost will rise. I mean, they will rise, but not necessarily at a comparative rate with graphical quality. Assets and such are generally renderred at higher quality than PS360 owners see, better hardware will simply allow those already developed and paid for resources to be seen in a better light. Kind of how PC owners get a markedly superior version with presumably a very similar dev cycle.

Imagine the core code and assets from, say, RDR, AC:R, Batman AC etc given to a studio with a PS4/720 dev kit; sure, the physics and animations may look a little incongruous, but the games could look very much next gen with little work beyond optimisation.

But the real work comes with the aforementioned improved physics and animations. Dropping a cup in Elder Scrolls 6, should make it truly drop to the floor and smash, but my lord, the work involved with that kind of tech must be astronomical.

You don't play on PC do you :P
 
Boobs will jiggle like they've never jiggled before.


Wouldn't mind procedural content generation getting used more. Maybe finally with it we could do away with these pitiful cities and towns in games that consists of like 4 houses.


Daggerfall had the right idea, TES VI could do a modern execution of the same thing:

daggerfallmap1jg.jpg
 
Anything that can be done in an interactive city that isn't compartmentalized into modular repeatable sections separated by boundaries (walls, rooms, etc).
 
more powerful behind the scenes tools and more robust real-time simulations allowing for easier and faster content creation and rapid prototyping of designs. Faster content creation means it's easier to create more content and rapid prototyping can allow for further iteration and refinement on designs.
This is the kind of thing I mean, more powerful toolsets, on-the-fly calculations, global illumination etc.

This is when games development gets really exciting to me; developing a set of rules and values within the game, that allow assets and other interactions to be simply allocated a set of parameters that work logically within the rules set out in the code.

I have no idea about coding, not even at a base level, but certain games just have the feeling that every interaction is a binary, "cause and effect" line of code, rather than an organic extrapolation of a comprehensive and fully formed game engine. Most games seem to follow:

"If 'X' happens, then react in 'X' way"

Rather than:

"If 'X' happens, then apply the given values and any applicable paramaters and react accordingly"

I'm probably not articulating myself very well, but I basically want more games that allow for more emergent gameplay, rather than games where you learn the rules and apply a strict set of actions to continue.
 
Daggerfall had the right idea, TES VI could do a modern execution of the same thing:

You're absolutely right - they could. And critics could immediately pounce on them for having samey-looking dozens or hundreds of buildings with a handful of models, houses that serve no real purpose, redundant shops, etc. Is it more realistic to have two of the same shop in one town? Sure. But when the items are identical and will likely have identical prices, why?
 
Local lan type gameplay from 1 console. I think Durango and PS4 should have the power to run up to 4 tablet controllers and each player can have their own screen.
 
Okay but it's not as if I'm asking for much. Is wanting a large item to react differently to a small item that much?

Are you saying that you want a large item to fall faster than a small item? Because there's a little bit of a problem with that, if so.

You're absolutely right - they could. And critics could immediately pounce on them for having samey-looking dozens or hundreds of buildings with a handful of models, houses that serve no real purpose, redundant shops, etc. Is it more realistic to have two of the same shop in one town? Sure. But when the items are identical and will likely have identical prices, why?
This. A sense of scale is *wonderful*, but it's mostly cosmetic. It can also be detrimental if the scale is intimidating or confusing. Focus on things that *matter*.

The only thing that strikes me as reasonable is framerate. Most other things I can think of would significantly increase the workload for little more than cosmetic gain.
 
Physics and AI (hopefully).
A lot of games this gen just feel like big scripted rollercoaster rides.
That can be fun, but its getting old and repetitive.

Im hoping that dynamic physics and improved AI will at least give the illusion of games that aren't just scripted theme park rides that look cool but play out the same way every time.
 
People are forgetting that graphics are the basis of game play and that without 'graphics' there is no 'gameplay' and that one is not mutually exclusive of the other.

The 'graphics' over 'game-play' argument is so flawed and boringly stupid that it's not funny, and flatout annoying really. Nintendo started it and it's frustratingly grrr inducing whenever you see a thread like this and everyone says "nothing can be done any more except to improve the graphics with power now".

That's just completely absurd and despite the fact that improving the graphics substantially also increases the possibilities for game-play.

Shadows, lighting, destruction, world interaction, finer smaller details, living atmosphere and immersion, more of everything going on all around you in the game. These sorts of things are taken for granted by players in most situations but it is all of these subtle details in all situations that make the difference between a good game and a great game and I didn't even mention physics or AI.

That's not even placing any basis on the FACT that GAMEPLAY is always better at higher framerates. Increase the resolution and anti-aliasing substantially and you give the player a clearer picture which improves their gameplaying experience because they can see the picture more clearly and see things in the distance better and more detailed. A prime example might be Battlefield 3 while trying to snipe someone very far away. Graphics make a huge difference on game-play and there is no argument against that.

I don't think anyone denies the inextricable link between graphics, physics and gameplay. I'm just wondering to what ends the improvement in those technical elements will engender - and by extension, how the industry in its current state will put that new technology to use.

It's not a question of either gameplay OR graphics. What I wanted to hear other opinions on was how gaming might become a more interesting, innovative, smarter, more challenging medium with the promise of new technology.

The reason I ask is because the things you've mentioned sound a lot like the same old same old: gaming as a competitive sport, gaming as a twitch-fest, gaming as something light and fun. That's fine - I love Uncharted and Gears as much as the next person - but it's not the only thing I want.
 
PHYSICS!

Big

Fat

Meaty

Believable

Physics.


Edit: Just re-read OP. What I mean is, physics that much more closely replicate real world weight and inertia. Things "float" too much at the minute, nothing feels as heavy or substantial as it should, although dev's like Bungie, R*, Polyphony, DICE, etc get somewhere close.

I want things to fall faster.

I want things to hit harder.

Couldn't have said it better myself. If we only get one huge upgrade for next gen, I hope it's in physics.
 
Environmental interaction would be my guess, fully destructable environments or at least alot more destructable or more believeable than current
 
Boobs will jiggle like they've never jiggled before.


Wouldn't mind procedural content generation getting used more. Maybe finally with it we could do away with these pitiful cities and towns in games that consists of like 4 houses.


Daggerfall had the right idea, TES VI could do a modern execution of the same thing:

daggerfallmap1jg.jpg

YES! Procedurally generated content has been ignored for far too long. If used well, it can enable essentially unlimited replay value, which is something I find absolutely amazing.

You're absolutely right - they could. And critics could immediately pounce on them for having samey-looking dozens or hundreds of buildings with a handful of models, houses that serve no real purpose, redundant shops, etc. Is it more realistic to have two of the same shop in one town? Sure. But when the items are identical and will likely have identical prices, why?

Verisimilitude. If a city is home to thousands of people, why does it only have two dozen buildings in it? Things like that can make a game a lot more believable.
 
Boobs will jiggle like they've never jiggled before.


Wouldn't mind procedural content generation getting used more. Maybe finally with it we could do away with these pitiful cities and towns in games that consists of like 4 houses.


Daggerfall had the right idea, TES VI could do a modern execution of the same thing:

daggerfallmap1jg.jpg

Hmm.. I tend to think that the larger towns in M&M6 were the perfect size.. several shops, side-quests/upgraders/shoppes in every other building. So good.

(I need to do my bi-yearly replay..)
 
Personally, I'm excited to see what indie studios will do with higher base specifications at their disposal. Like a high-end indie scene which rivals AAA development to some degree, outside of the usual 8-bit fare. It's already happening now on PC with Natural Selection 2, Hard Reset, Dear Esther and Hawken.
 
I find the recent chatter over choices of cpu/gpu etc in next-gen systems fascinating, and I can't wait to see what Sony and MS come up with for PS4/Nextbox.

But though I love the visual upgrade that comes with a new gen, I'm more concerned about how greater processing power could be used to do novel, interesting things in games.

So my question is this: beyond the graphical enhancements, what specific elements in gameplay will be enabled by the next generation of technology.

Note, what I mean here is not generic statements like "improved AI" or "more characters on screen". I'm talking actual (if totally speculative) examples of how greater processing power will allow for experiences that either aren't possible today, or will be much better with more power.

Generally, I'm curious to find out what greater processing power will do for games as a cultural form - and, potentially, whether or not the emphasis on new tech is a concern of markets and economics more than it is the creative potential of gaming (to the extent you can divorce those two things).

Games could be more ambitious - Avalon Code, for example, could have benefited from more power.

It's a game wherein instead of saving the world, you set out to record it and change the new world. To this end, you can scan most any in-game object or enemy and manipulate its essence to your ends - flaming sword, sick enemy... cake, etc. That concept could have gone much further.

Same goes for games like Scribblenauts - more imaginative worlds and gameplay types would be possible.
 
I want the individual leaves and branches in crysis to sway with the wind. When you step in gravel I wanna see each pebble move under your feet. When youre shooting a chain gun, I want the physics of each bullet realistically affecting its target.

I remember saying this in jr. high to my friend. That was probably around 2001. I said we'd see it in 15-20 years. A few months ago, he called me up, saying he remembered me saying that and at the time thought it was a ridiculous prediction, but that now, he thinks it's plausible to happen within that time frame.
 
I remember saying this in jr. high to my friend. That was probably around 2001. I said we'd see it in 15-20 years. A few months ago, he called me up, saying he remembered me saying that and at the time thought it was a ridiculous prediction, but that now, he thinks it's plausible to happen within that time frame.

I would not be surprised if a game did it as a visual trick. Not simulating all the pebbles but doing it like racing games do tire tracks in mud now.
 
Boobs will jiggle like they've never jiggled before.


Wouldn't mind procedural content generation getting used more. Maybe finally with it we could do away with these pitiful cities and towns in games that consists of like 4 houses.


Daggerfall had the right idea, TES VI could do a modern execution of the same thing:

daggerfallmap1jg.jpg
No thanks. It is not fun walking into the same inn 100x in Skyrim, why would you want to make every building the same in the next?
 
The activity log thats in the 3DS.

I'n sure it'll be in the Wii U since Nintendo had it in 3DS and a limited Wii in the form of the Nintendo Channel.

I hope the Xbox 3/PS4 has one. Seriously this is the reason I did not buy the Vita.
Not really but it would be cool.

Thats my most wanted feature. I'm don't really care about graphics (even if I do love good graphics) so I am content with graphics as they are now on the HD twins. Whatever graphics jump they do have will just be an extra feature. Exept Wii U. HD Nintendo franchises @_@
 
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