The future of gaming as we know it?

[JDGameArt]

Go back 2000 - 3000 years ago and many wars, and control over land was based on where the water supply was. Since then we've figured out how to plum, and pump fresh clean water right into peoples homes. For most of planet Earth supplying the masses with water is no longer a problem, thus removing the power struggle over it. Now fast forward to 2010 where humans have enough luxury where we can sit in from of a machine, and enjoy video games and communications in comfort. Which leads me to my topic about this thread.

 

Whats the future of games and development?

Since the late 1970s through today almost all cutting edge game development has come from medium, to large companies with hundreds of employees. Companies like Microsoft, Adobe, AutoDesk and so on. These companies along the way have made a fortune developing, and selling powerful tools like 3ds Max, and Photoshop along with many others. But could these industry leading giants shoot them selves in their own foot?

 

Ten years ago, the ability to design a web site was in big demand. Any major company wanted, and had a website. But they needed a staff of artists, and programmers to make that happen. Now any "Joe Blow" can buy, or download powerful software, and make a completely professional looking, and functioning website in a relatively short period of time.

 

Not too long ago I saw a T.V. advertisement from a local college trying to get people to sign up for an associates degree in graphic design. One of the lines in the advertisement was "you don't even need to be an artist any more". This is so true. But doesn't that leave you're highly skilled, and trained workers out of a job? Are we making such advanced tools that it will lead to not needing any higher educated workers?

 

We already (the United States) have managed to outsource most of our manufacturing jobs to other countries. Could you imagine outsourcing game design. Software so powerful an unskilled worker could just "drag-and-drop" models, textures, maps, sounds, all the elements that make up a video game compile it and bang you have a working game. A small team of people could compete easy with industry giants on AAA game titles around the globe. Good bye Blizzard, Microsoft, EA, among others as major industry leading companies. We now have plumed everyones home with water. So to speak. Or it appears to be heading in that direction.

 

The video on the next page In the Next Industrial Revolution, Atoms Are the New Bits isn't about video games but talks about almost the same thing. Maybe on the other side of this new wave of technology will be amazing products we can only dream of today. On the other hand it might lead to the Wal-Mart effect leaving millions out of a job. Or at least the job they thought they were going to do.

 

As of now things are as they always have been. But as these "drag-and-drop" programs get better, and better I wonder how the gaming industry will be in 10 years.

[ub3rman123]

The major companies are trying their best to keep open-source and user-generated content down, from what I've seen. They don't like getting outdated.

 

It is nice to be able to make good games while sucking at art. I can't draw more than a stick figure, but I can do some fairly nice things in the CS, Blender, and GIMP.

[DarkNinja13]

This will never happen for one simple reason. What you forget is that these games need to be play-tested for production to even begin. These "corporate giants" understand one thing and one thing only - the bottom line. So, you are a software megapower about to unleash the next "must have" game - are you going to use people who don't understand what you want, or pay extra to make sure they can do what you say? The answer is obvious, you are going to spend the extra bank on getting the game programmed and tested by people who can understand the things you say. Where you cut corners is customer and tech support - outsource those jobs so that you use your money to still make quality products (even though tech support will suck big time). So you pay someone, say $20/hour to make top-notch games and another someone $5/week to try to solve problems that crop up, and you still get to be a big shot on the gaming scene. Why? Because you focus on the product you are making more than profit.

 

If you doubt me, think on this: There are credit cards that charge 18% interest and have $29 annual fees (that's if your credit is okay). Now, in addition to you, this credit card company has 50,000 other cardholders who have the same "setup" on their cards. This means that the company generates $1,450,000/year in just annual fees - this does not count the interest charges (which for the sake of neatness, we will say is $1.55 million making a $3 million dollar profit just for your demographic - remember, there are those who have worse rates and higher annual fees). Of this, $300k goes to overhead, wages for application centres and such. Another $500k goes to advertising and promotions, and so forth. Now we're down to $2.2 million of which the CEOs and their lackeys gobble up 2 million of for themselves leaving a measly $200k for customer support - outsource and it works. Now keep in mind, there is no "product" only a service - this is why greed is so rampant in banking.

 

As long as the game companies keep making a disc one can hold in the hand, quality of product will always overcome greed. The moment they stop making, THAT is when the greed will kick in.