It is incredible to think how far first-person shooter gaming has evolved over the years. It all started with Battlezone in 1980, but the big game changer was Doom released in 1993. To play it now you would question the dodgy controls and questionable graphics but back then it really put FPS on the map.
We’ve gone a long way since then with Duke Nukem, Half-Life, Quake, Halo and Call of Duty bringing use into the 21st century with amazing weaponry. But, with the number out there at the minute, how can the genre evolve positively? The key is creativity. Maybe you prefer strategy pc games where outcomes change and it isn’t a generic storyline that you can predict.
Or, maybe you think that these games need to lose the regeneration of health, a restrictive weapon selection and the pick up and play element that seemingly caters for the current casual generation that we have.
Gaming accessories have come in all shapes and sizes recently. From chairs to glasses, the new technology that allegedly aids the playing experience of gamers is all the rage. With consumers spending close to $25 billion on accessories, video games and hardware in 2011, it continues to be a rich, developing market.
With headphones allowing use to become more immersed in the gaming, new screens giving us a brighter view of the action and hand-eye coordination continually improving we have the tools if the publishers have the creativity. Huge online communities are waiting. What could we see in the future?
- Careers – OK, so it might not be football, but why don’t we see an offering where you can begin your career in the military and have twists of fate along the way depending on the route taken from start to finish.
- Originality – Both Borderlands games have been given two thumbs up by gamers for originality but while Call of Duty continues to improve, there are still walls to climb.
- Freedom – Originality of campaigns is one thing but the freedom to choose your own path would be a breath of fresh air.
- Bigger maps – Your typical match on Tribes or Battlefield is brilliant to look at but the maps are left wanting at times. The bigger picture would be a great addition and give you more scope for random spawning.
Some expert gamers pointed to Planetside 2 as a look into how future FPS games should be. A free-to-play offering with huge maps and gameplay that saw your characters level up while taking territories. The freedom that Journey gave us – albeit not a FPS – was a good indicator of how games liked to be masters of their own destiny. The problem is, whichever route the FPS takes, it will certainly improve overall gameplay but there will always be gamers left wanting more.