Future trends in PC technology will impact PC games. Advances like always-online connectivity, increased specs like graphics processors, next-gen AI, and hyper-real physics simulations will shape gaming. While always-online restrictions faced issues, more reliable WiFi could enable this. Developers should focus on multiplayer until connectivity is stable. Faster GPUs will lead to faster processor development. Advanced AI like in The Last of Us and Bioshock have given games depth, and mistakes are helping AI improve. More accurate facial capture combining detailed emotions with physics engines could further boost realism.

1. Assess future trends & highlight likely
advances in PC technology. Discuss
how these advancers will be reflected
in the PC games of the future:
LATEST INNOVATION FUTURE PREDICTION
ALWAYS ONLINE
• constant high-speed internet access
INCREASED SPECS
• super-fast graphics processors
NEXT-GEN A.I.
• responsive / adaptive systems
HYPER-REAL PHYSICS
• accurate real-world simulation
Microsoft tried out always online DRM restrictions with the
Xbox One, shortly before removing them due to players not
quite always being able to rely on their WiFi. Players would
have to be connected, even to play offline games but this
just didn’t function as many WiFi connections are not
consistent enough to enable such a online presence all of the
time, without fail.
With further development in effective methods of connectivity
via WiFi, further innovations would be more successful.
Developers and publishers should develop the multiplayer idea
exclusively until it is stable enough to withstand the pressures
faced with consistent connectivity and can uphold its duty
fully. Once these foundations have been fully secured,
innovations can rest on them comfortably and successfully.
In terms of gaming, the PS4 specs make room for much faster
graphics rendering than the Xbox, boasting 1.84 teraflop GPU
that's based on AMD's Radeon technology. Xbox upgraded their
GPU very last minute, right before the Xbox One’s release date.
The more consoles compete regarding graphics specs, the
faster the development process of their processors will be.
Technicians will find faster methods of developing processors
and could even innovate the design and shape of them to be
more practical, both to their creators and their consumers.
Triple A games such as The Last of Us and Bioshock:Infinite
have used unique character AIs (that enable respective
companions to act effectively and realistically around the
protagonist and enemies) to give their games a more natural
approach and more importantly, a sense of depth. Many of the
best games of the past 5 years have featured exquisite AIs,
the Left 4 Dead series being an example, with their AI director
really adding a sense of unique, intelligent, adaptation.
Mistakes have been made in the past. AIs have featured bugs
and holes that have humiliated them (Far Cry 2s lack of control
of predators). With AI, however, developers always seem to
learn from their mistakes and now, the technology is beginning
to grow again. As long as developers learn from not just their
own but fellow companies mistakes and downfalls, more games
will soon have faultless AIs.
A recent Innovation is the facial motion capture used most
notably in LA Noire. Actors are tracked speaking their lines with
full expression, so that the game features as much character
as possible. Two of the most successful physics engines of
recent times include Rockstar Games’ RAGE engine and that of
Naughty Dog’s. Both of them smoothly animate their
characters, who are built up from dense, virtual muscle.
A true development of this field would be to effectively and
fully collaborate a detailed facial motion capture process with
an upgraded version of one of those engines effectively. Tiny
details, such as blinks, could soon seem even more real by
just adding a few more processes into the facial motion
capture production.