Over the last years video games have become increasingly realistic and detailed. The reasons for this are better hardware and, coming along with that, faster CPU/GPUs which when using modern engines can simulate a virtual reality that feels very close to the real one. Powerful engines for physics, natural motion or wide open detailed landscapes can now be used to make the gaming experience very realistic. This all seems great. Every time I see a demo of a new game engine, shader or particle system I am stunned and begin to think: What would that look like in a modern game? The answer is simple: Like no game before. Think of FarCry, GTA 4, Crysis or Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 2. Each of these games raised the bar in terms of realism and visual impression.

As many other writers already pointed out, most genres are maxed out. Modern shooters for example look quite alike when compared to each other. Snap-on targeting, health restoration or damage indicators are only a few examples. They only differ slightly in their visual appearance, their motion capturing or their storyline. I can't help but think that the industry has reached a point where new ideas are rare and game studios only concentrate on making the next game more detailed and more adrenaline pumping than its predecessor using the techniques mentioned above. This leads us to the question: What's next? What will the next generation of games be like? They will undoubtedly become more realistic but does that satisfy gamers on a long-term basis? I think not. I think there are other aspects which will pop up in upcoming games that will give the gamer a whole new way to look at video games.

Here are a few aspects I find very interesting and I hope that we will see more of these in the future.

A commonly used way to create something new is to simplify it. Just think about Picasso and his impact on modern art. Simplification is always a very good way to focus on the key points of anything. In our case: The gameplay experience. Who would have thought that games like Little Big Planet would be that successful? It narrows gameplay elements down to a basic set of actions and rules, giving every person access to this medium without having to practice. You can jump right in and have fun.

Another way to simplify is to reduce the visual complexity. I am thinking of cell shaded games like Prince of Persia (2008) or Street Fighter 4 (2009). By taking a step backward, these games actually take a step forward, introducing new ways to create a unique atmosphere and  look of a game.

One game that was brilliant not only because it featured some great monologue lines but mostly because of its revolutionary gameplay is Portal (2007). Using very simple visuals and only a minimum set of design elements, it challenged the player in a discipline no other game had focused on before: Using the laws of physics and two controllable portals to solve a puzzle. It made the gamer think of space and mobility in a whole different way. If you wanted to go to the other side of a room, you just created a portal on the opposite wall and the other right in front of you instead of walking all the way. In it's sequel Portal 2 (about to be released 2011) there will be even more complex puzzles which will challenge your grey matter a lot more than the original game. This game doesn't need photorealistic explosions or particle waves to reach its goal. It will be challenging for many years to come and as I see it, has written video game history.

As the average gamer transforms more and more from a nerdy competetive guy eager to aquire a certain skill in gaming to a casual gamer, games themselves try to deliver satisfying gameplay experiences to a wider audience. Most of the games accomplish this by focusing on telling a story rather than encouraging the player to master a certain repetitive task requiring more and more skill. Back in the early days of video games, games were all about skill. It was all about pushing the right button at the right time. With increasing difficulty, the feeling when beating a level became more significant. There are only few people who know what I mean when talking about an epic win. It is the feeling you have when you have invested so much time and training into a game and all the effort pays off when you beat it on the highest difficulty. This emotion is hard to describe. Nowadays, games also trigger emotions but not in that particular way.

I remember the ending of Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 2 very well. It was one of the most emotional moments I have ever experienced during gameplay. For those of you who don't know: It is a very cinematic half scripted scene where the bad guy has rammed a knife into your guts and is just about to beat your team captain and role model to death. You then have to pull the knife out of your own body and throw it at your enemy in order to save your teammate's life. The whole process of pulling that knife out of your bleeding chest takes so long and is so awkward to imagine that I as a player amost felt the pain myself. Afterwards captain Price lies there lifeless and you think that all efforts were futile. After a very long period of time when the screen already starts to fade to black he starts moving and the whole picture brightens up again. Never before was I so happy to see a bunch of polygons moving.

Another very useful element to glue the player to a game is tension. I experienced this tension for the first time in Fahrenheit (2005). It puts the player into situations where timing is crucial to success and your decisions have impact on the further development of the story. In one scene there is a police officer at your appartment door and you have obviously committed a murder without remembering anything about it. You have to hurry to hide as many clues as possible before opening the door or before the policemen kick it in. This creates a sensational mixture of fear, uncertainty and also curiosity for the events you undoubtedly took part in but have no memory of. Alan Wake (2010) has perfected this approach.

I would love to see more diversity and more of these aspects in future games rather than just better visuals because after all, visuals will continue to improve while a good idea might be timeless. I want more joy, fear, surprises, innovations and unconventional game design elements.

PS: This is the first article I wrote here on bitmob and I am looking forward to your comments.