At Pure, we talk a lot about data. (Naturally.) But things get really cool when we get to talk about what data can do—how it’s fueling creativity, innovation, and fun. Video games have always been a testing ground for computer technology since a physicist invented the first game in 1958. Today, the industry is on the bleeding edge of emerging technologies, from AI and blockchain to virtual reality and leveraging some of the most sought-after, powerful GPUs in the world—including new efficient chips unveiled at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show.
The gaming industry has always been rapidly evolving, but it seems like the pace of evolution has hit another level over the last few years. Let’s look at where gaming has come from, where it’s going, and how it will get there.
They May Be Virtual, But Games Are Still Social
Video games and hanging out have always gone hand in hand. What started as a way to meet up—in department stores, pizza parlors, or arcades—came home with consoles and personal computers. Today, we can play anywhere on our phones and with people on the other side of the globe.
That’s not all. Games themselves have evolved to become community-driven “experiences,” paving the way for the metaverse and online communities of Web 3.0. It’s no longer just about playing—it’s about immersive engagement, monetization opportunities, and events, such as concerts. Delivering the same real-time experiences to millions of players online at a given time requires phenomenal latency and reliability.
At the same time, the metaverse hasn’t escaped without certain challenges. Companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Epic Games envision it as a revolutionary platform for gaming, social interaction, work, and commerce. But the journey to realize these ambitions has faced some clear hurdles. Meta’s Horizon Worlds, one of the most publicized metaverse projects, has struggled to capture users’ attention. Reports suggest limited active user numbers and underwhelming adoption rates, driven by issues such as underdeveloped graphics, clunky interfaces, and insufficiently engaging content. There are also some broader technological barriers to the metaverse, including hardware limitations, Interoperability Issues, and general skepticism over the metaverse’s practical value.
How We Pay to Play Has Come a Long Way
From waiting in line with a cup of quarters to saving pennies for cartridges, how we purchase games hasn’t just changed. Games have become their own thriving economies.
The subscription economy is everywhere these days, and Marraccini predicts gaming will be a huge use case. “It’s the evolution to as-a-service, which we talk about all the time in terms of storage,” says Marraccini. “You see it with things like Game Pass, where you pay a certain amount a month to be able to download and play any game.”
No more cartridges also means you’re not messing with the storage of, maintenance of, and investment in games you no longer need. Cloud-based streaming offered by major gaming companies like Microsoft Xbox Cloud Gaming (Game Pass), NVIDIA GeForce NOW, and PlayStation Plus are making high-quality gaming accessible without expensive hardware and removing the need to download. “The box kind of becomes more of like a transport mechanism,” adds Ronzio. “And all of the processing is happening in the cloud.”
Also, “cross-platform” compatibility, where gamers on different devices can play together (e.g., consoles, PCs, and mobile), has become an important element of the gaming experience, with games like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone leading the way.
Finally, platforms like YouTube Gaming and Twitch have become cornerstones of the gaming ecosystem, serving as hubs for live-streaming gameplay, esports tournaments, and community interaction. These platforms offer opportunities for creators to build audiences and monetize content through platforms like Patreon, NFTs, and sponsorships. More recently, platforms like Kick have entered the fray and introduced fresh competition by offering creators more favorable revenue splits and emphasizing community-driven features
AI and Tool-assisted Speedruns Take Gameplay Beyond Human Limits
Remember the kid in the arcade no one could beat? In the modern gaming world, players don’t just use skills to play—they can use AI to make inputs that execute frame-perfect decisions. The result is more like machine vs. machine, showing play beyond the human limits that beats the game as fast as possible. Creators build out tool-assisted speedrun (TAS) with the best AI tools available to show what’s possible in their favorite games.
But don’t underestimate the power of great hand-eye coordination. In the classic falling-block game Tetris, only AI had been able to reach the final “kill screen,” until now. (A kill screen is what happens when a game is pushed beyond its programming limits.) In late December 2023, a 13-year-old gamer achieved the impossible by reaching the kill screen using only his bare hands. Nobody knows which AI feat will be dethroned next, but players are getting close in Super Mario Bros.
Blockchain Gaming and Controversies
Games like Axie Infinity and The Sandbox are transforming gaming economies by introducing decentralized, player-driven ecosystems via blockchain and play-to-earn (P2E) models. These models let players own in-game assets through blockchain-based tokens, trade or sell them freely, and earn cryptocurrency by participating in the game.
This shift empowers both players and creators, reduces reliance on centralized publishers, and paves the way for innovations like cross-game asset interoperability, potentially creating a unified gaming metaverse.
Greener Gaming and Sustainability
But this transformation has also sparked passionate discussions within the gaming community about supporting P2E models while maintaining the integrity of gameplay, not to mention sustainability.
The gaming industry is increasingly under scrutiny for its environmental impact. Energy consumption from consoles, gaming PCs, blockchain and cloud gaming services contributes significantly to carbon emissions, prompting the industry to explore more sustainable practices.
As a result, game studios are also adopting carbon-neutral practices, offsetting emissions through reforestation projects and investing in renewable energy. Console manufacturers like Microsoft and Sony have made strides in designing energy-efficient hardware, such as the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, which feature low-power modes and improved energy management systems to reduce their carbon footprint.
Cloud gaming platforms, which rely on massive data centers, are also addressing their environmental responsibilities. Companies like Google Stadia and NVIDIA GeForce Now have committed to using renewable energy to power their operations, reducing the environmental toll of streaming games. By shifting to cleaner energy sources, these platforms aim to make cloud gaming a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional gaming setups. Sustainable data storage technology is a critical way for data centers to reduce e-waste and use less power and space.
Next-Gen Visual Effects
Even though we just talked about the staying power of Tetris, you can’t ignore how far games have come in terms of visuals and performance. “The arcade was the place to play. Games looked the best and sounded the best. Then, over time, the consoles just got better and better. You could play them at home and they looked exactly the same.”
Things kept evolving. Sam adds, “From 8 to 16 to 32 bits—we stopped talking about bits at some point because they don’t matter once you get to a certain place.” Rendering engines and GPUs have transformed visuals, even those that pay homage to retro, pixelated styles.
Now, advances in real-time ray tracing, spearheaded by technologies like NVIDIA RTX, have revolutionized gaming visuals by delivering lifelike lighting, reflections, and shadows, creating more immersive environments.
AI is also helping with game development as AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E revolutionize game design, enabling developers to create worlds, characters, and narratives much faster. The integration of AI into non-playable characters (NPCs) is redefining in-game interactions, making characters more dynamic and responsive. AI-powered NPCs can adapt to player behavior, engage in natural dialogue, and exhibit nuanced decision-making, enhancing realism and deepening storytelling. Together, these innovations are pushing the boundaries of what games can achieve, blending stunning visual fidelity with richer, more interactive gameplay experiences.
Behind the Scenes, Player Experience Has Improved, Too
Hyper-realistic worlds aside, Ronzio says being able to save your place still might be the best improvement over the old days: “It changed everything to be able to go in and load your progress and start off where you were—that was the coolest in the world. When you pick up right where you left off, that’s all data, kids! With NES, when you powered that thing off, you were done—unless you had a cheat code.”
Gameplay and competition are more sophisticated, too. We used to watch over other players’ shoulders to gauge their skills. Now, AI and analytics can match you with players of similar skill sets, while apps like Porofessor.gg harvest data to give you an idea of the players you’re up against.
In-game Transactions, NFTs, and Pay-to-Play Models Are Driving Monetization
We’ve come a long way from cups of quarters. Revenue is generated long after the initial purchase with microtransactions like in-game assets and upgrades. On the flip side, players can earn real-world value with play-to-earn models. Using virtual wallets, assets could be transferable between games.
”Imagine in Zelda when you earned items like bombs or swords,” Ronzio hypothesizes. “The value wouldn’t be transferable to another game, like Mario Bros. But with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and tokens, once you buy an in-game asset, it’s yours to use in other games.”
An example: Say you defeat a certain creature. The game could mint that as a unique NFT you can own in your collection. Ultra-rare enemies would be worth more and can be valuable additions to NFT collections.
Data Is Driving the Future of Gameplay and Game Development
Video games and data go hand in hand. Today, that means a slightly different thing than bits and bytes—it’s more like petabytes and rapidly distributing that data on a global scale.
“The more bandwidth you have, the more data you can push. When you can access more information, you’re going to be able to provide real-time experiences where you can almost change the game on the fly,” says Ronzio. It will continue to make games incredibly responsive and personalized. “There’s so much data. You’re collecting information about where the character is, what it’s doing, what’s its level, what skills the player has,” he says.
That requires a powerful data infrastructure.
Many games leverage containers, which allow developers to update modules and improve bugs on the fly. In the days of consoles and cartridges, “They had to take chips out and put new chips in,” Ronzio says. “The likelihood of them wanting to do that was pretty low, and it might even cost the arcade operator money to put the new chips in.”
Today, games can be shipped that aren’t even technically finished. “When it arrives, they’ll do a day zero or day one update and patch the game before someone even plays it. It immediately makes a connection and downloads that update. You couldn’t do that with a cartridge.”
A Future of Infinite Possibilities
The evolution of gaming is a perfect microcosm of the evolution of technology and computing. Notes Ronzio, “If you look at some of the documentaries about technology in general, a lot of it started as gaming. But where do things go from here?”
Gaming is evolving faster than we can imagine and in so many different ways. Accessibility tools like Microsoft’s Xbox Adaptive Controller and AI-driven in-game features like visual cues for hearing-impaired player are making gaming more inclusive for all, and personalized AI has the potential to adapt gaming experiences to player preferences, making every playthrough unique.
Augmented reality, virtual realities—we’re stepping into a world Ronzio and Marraccini say is like a virtual arcade. Gaming could be a testing ground for how these technologies play out in our day-to-day lives, and we’re here for it. There are now games like Beat Saber being played competitively and companies like Meta pushing for immersive esports arenas.
“I don’t think we can stop the train of innovation,” says Ronzio. “And that’s good.”
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