Poll: What will be the improvements in gaming for 2009?

[Shurikens and Lightning]

Ok so we all no how games get steadily better over time. It just is supposed to happen. 2008 saw alot of great shooters and graphical improvements. We also alot of AAA titles.

But now its 2009 and I am wondering about what will be the future of gaming for 2009?

Will it be new plot devices, shooter RPGS?, A game were a Carmine brother doesnt die in gears of war?, Better Graphics, More AI, intelligent AI, Smarter level design, Imagine games take over, Platformers are coming back, Or they just get worse.

Whatever it is tell me what you think will be the future of gaming?

 

[Nutcase]

"More AI" is not an improvement. "Intelligent AI" is way too ambiguous.

What we need is 1) stronger AI, mostly for strategy titles and RTS, and 2) better-at-faking-human AI, pretty much across all genres.

 

[Avatar Roku]

I'm looking forward to Alpha Protocol, which is a Shooter/RPG hybrid, similar to Mass Effect (in fact, they're getting compared a lot) so I'll vote that. It might not come out until 2010 though.

 

[keithburgun]

why did you even put "better graphics" in your stupid poll? Most people take this to mean "better technology" which OBVIOUSLY is always going to be the case every single year.

 

[gamshobny]

why did you even put "better graphics" in your stupid poll? Most people take this to mean "better technology" which OBVIOUSLY is always going to be the case every single year.

Better technology has to do something with it, yeah, but there are also new things in how to generate graphics. For example, bump and normal mapping are both quite new and brought a revolution in the graphics department, while they had nothing (ok, practicaly nothing) to do with better technology.

So, yeah, Graphics will be the goal for 2009, as it has always been a goal. However, something I would like to see are turn-based games. Yes, I love turn-based strategy, and I think that somewhere in 2009, some developer will be desperate enough to try it out. And I can't wait for that to happen. And no, being able to pause the game, give orders and then resume doesn't count!

I'm hoping to see a ray-traced game somewhere near the end of 2009, but that's not likely to happen.

 

[dekuton]

I personally hope storyline and length of games improve. i seriously didnt want to beat cod 4 in like 5 hours nor did i enjoy the main questline of fallout 3.what the hell was that about?oy.
graphics for the most part are fine. we dont really need so much graphical power that i can see a nose hair at 50 yards away through the scope of a sniper rifle. better ai would also be quite grand.
oh yeah. more turnbased games would be sweet too. kudos to the guy above me. turn based rpgs like the original fallouts,final fantasy tactics, and old school shining force. maybe a 4th edition dnd game thats turnbased since the rules for 4th edition are so damn tailored for it

 

[Novajam]

If we could all get along and comply to a single, Rainbow Six: Vegas-esque cover system then that'd be just super.

 

[Praelanthor]

thanks to the onus on the casual market the market will be flooded with 4 hour long full priced games that have the depth of wafers

 

[Nivag the Owl]

I'm a bit afraid that improvement has been completely disregarded by designers. 2008 seemed to be either "lets be like this" style designing or failed projects. Although by making failed projects, they are slowly eliminating what NOT to do. I don't think 2009 is going to be a very happy gaming year for me. Diablo 3 is all I'm really looking forward to and that might not even come out this year.

 

[Outlaw Torn]

I think if it is a change in the actual games then it will be graphical somehow. Improved plots are more down to the writers and whether you like some things over others, much like level design. Better AI would be a good improvement too, all too often games with AI characters 'helping' you will have to check-in to the nearest lobotomy clinic before heading out on your next adventure. But I would like to see group AI get smarter, where the group is smarter and more effective together than the individuals alone would have been.

 

[Brokkr]

I'm hoping for better AI and Plot but I'm sure they are just going to give us better graphics.

 

[Jursa]

I can't wait until the game creators make an AI high enough to match normal humans in games. All the enemies will run away from fear of dieing.

 

[Ohlookit'sMatty]

Better graphics?!? Are you people out of your minds! Good graphics do not make a good game // Good story and plot make a good game

Tell me this, have you ever read a book cos it had great graphics!?!

-M

 

[AuntyEthel]

I voted Casual Games, because all the ads I see on TV and in bus shelters are for casual games. Though it doesn't really fit the title of "improvements in gaming".

 

[The Lawn]

Me not cringing at 90% of the titles currently out for the Wii would be a massive improvement...

I mean really... do we need 18 bajillion ripoffs of nintendogs?
And Chicken Shoot!? When did games of a poorer quality than some flash drivel browser games get onto a major console?!

 

[ROFLross]

I've picked other.
You don't seem to get any outrageous games anymore that don't make sense just because it's so random and out of the box.

 

[Or3dinator]

seriously now, better graphics? In my opinion:

- Fallout3 as a concept and genre is something I'm interested in, anything more polished comes out I'm in
- BETTER AI, this is a big one. I strongly believe that if 2008's games were re-released with a far better AI there'd be at least twice as much games I'd be rooting for. Serious turn off in every single game, since "immersion" is what gaming is all about
- Less REALISM! In the hunt for more realistic games extraordinary plots and story-telling games have been the main victims. MAKE IT IMPLAUSIBLE for this extra bit of fun!