By MICHAEL MAZUR ‘14 and JAKE WOOMER ‘14
In 2005, the Xbox 360 was released and began the seventh generation of gaming. Since then, the PS3 and Wii stepped in to introduce new ideas and change gaming as a whole. Gaming has been closely tied to the internet and gamers have grown in number through the exploding popularity of smartphones. By this time, games have become mainstream and this popularity has reached Ignatius students around the school. With a lot of information about next generation gaming already known, we can look at the rumors of the next next generation and see how gaming will be changing for the world and more importantly for Ignatius students.
To have a look into the future of gaming, it’s best to see what is already known. Of course, we’ll be seeing a lot of the Wii U in 2013 with it’s big titles including Pikmin 3, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Resident Evil: Revelations, and Bayonetta 2. Nintendo has also mentioned that they would like to begin taking full advantage of the gamepad by having software that uses the NFC sensor. It’s likely Microsoft will reveal a concept shown at CES called Illumiroom. This concept consists of using a projector to expand the display beyond your television which gives you a sense of immersion by utilizing your peripheral vision. Of course, it’s great to analyze what we do know, but with announcements from big names in gaming right around the corner, rumors are causing quite a buzz.
Even though Sony and Microsoft haven’t officially confirmed their next-gen consoles, rumors and possible leaks have been flooding the internet. One rumor that is sure to gain a great deal of interest in the gaming world is the possible unveiling of the next Xbox at E3 2013. Sony hasn’t given any hints on whether they’ll reveal the next Playstation around the same time as Microsoft but they do plan on revealing something Playstation related on Feb 20th. One of their rumors is that they will be supporting 4k televisions. Several developers have been hinting at what games will look like on their new engines as well, but this can only be speculation and it is unsure if they are running them on the consoles or high end PCs. With how frequent rumors and leaks have been coming out about these consoles, it’s safe to say that at least some of these rumors will become reality soon.
The future of gaming is approaching fast. Sony is expected to announce their new console and Microsoft is supposedly following suit. After a generation dedicated to advancing who is playing by means of online connectivity and how people are playing through the introduction of motion controls, games will be stepping up their immersion through what we see when playing. After the rumors of the next PS console having support for 4k TVs, Microsoft’s Illumiroom proof of concept, and small ideas turning into big projects like the Oculus Rift, the next generation of gaming seems to be all about immersion and how we perceive our games.
