Stunning video games that combine cutting-edge graphics with reality are set to arrive within three years. That was the prediction of CEDIA vice president (emerging technologies) Dave Pedigo in his presentation yesterday, “The Future of Video Gaming in the year 2020,” part of the CEDIA Talks programme.
“The video games industry is incredibly strong and getting better. Video graphics are getting so good that you can’t tell the difference between real life and the game,” said Pedigo.
The next big leap in video gaming will be virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), according to Pedigo. VR involves wearing a special headset that isolates the player from others, while AR combines computer graphics with reality – the gaming sensation Pokémon Go is a good example.
The popular image of a typical gamer is a teenager sitting alone in a bedroom, but Pedigo noted that “gaming is very sociable – more people watch others playing games than play themselves. Around 100 million people watch other people play video games online every month.”
As a result, Pedigo, expects AR to grow much faster than VR, because it can offer a more sociable gaming experience, “In 2016, the VR market was worth around $4.5 billion globally, while AR was virtually nothing.
But in 2020, the AR market will be worth $90 billion, compared with $30 billion for VR.” However, over the next few years, games that combine VR and AR will emerge. “We are going to get a mixed reality,” said Pedigo, who demonstrated an exciting VR/AR fighting game developed by Modal VR.
Pedigo warned that AV installers need to plan for the future, “This new generation of gaming is going to have huge bandwidth requirements, so that means using fibre.”
Pedigo told the ISE Daily that consumers should be excited about the new games coming down the track, “By 2020, there will be virtual video arcades. We are going towards a really immersive experience when it comes to gaming,” he said.
