What's the next popular setting?

[Karoshi]

From what I remember, most RPGs in the 90s were set in some sort of Tolkien inspired fantasy world. Over the years less and less these kind of games were being published. Now, the focus has shifted to post-apocalyptic or zombie-infested settings. Maybe it has something to do with the gaming industry trying to look all mature and hardboiled, or maybe people are more interested in dystopias than utopias.

Whatever the reason, even those setting are going to fade away eventually.

What's the next big thing? Steam-punk? Sci-fi? Something else? What's your opinion?

I am praying for a sci-fi boom, however distant it may be.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

Steam-punk.
It just seems like it's been... picking up steam, lately.
[sub][sub]I'm sorry that pun was not intended, it just happened.[/sub][/sub]

 

[Smertnik]

Well, there do seem to be a few sci-fi games in the making, like Watch Dogs, the new Star Wars shooter or that one with a Hispanic(?) woman who makes people kill themselves.

 

[Genocidicles]

I think (Or hope) it'll be Cyberpunk.

We've had Deus Ex: HR and the crappy Syndicate reboot, then we've got Remember Me, CD Projekt Red's new game, Watchdogs.

 

[AT God]

Depends on the genre. I think the military FPS genre is going to start pushing in to the immediate future like Black Ops is doing.

I think shooters other than CoD, MOH, and BF are going to start going in to Central America and capitalize on the whole drug war thing.

I hope things to steam punk, I love steam punk.

 

[Esotera]

Not really a setting as such, but I think open-world games are going to become much more common. I'd say FPS games are heading for near-future games as others have said, and that all other games are heading for greater variation than we have right now.

 

[Paflick]

I sincerely hope it's Steam/Cyberpunk. I love those settings.

Other than that, it's a safe bet that many of the mainstream titles will be going to near future, following in Black Ops 2's trail.

 

[Silkyn]

Well 0x10^C, Star citizen and whatnot seem to be bringing Space back into the spotlight which is pretty awesome

 

[CannibalCorpses]

I want more greek mythology based scenarios and settings...just played rise of the argonauts and the setting was amazing.

But i don't think either sci-fi or fantasy will win out in the end, it depends if you prefer magic or technology...or both.

 

[TehCookie]

Steampunk or cyberpunk, they're not as common so it makes things feel different and they go along great with the grimdark tone everything has nowadays. I won't start caring til things are all bright and happy again.

 

[Jason Rayes]

Yeah Steampunk for me too, we need a Steampunk RPG, its been too long since Arcanum

 

[Kopikatsu]

I'm noticing a lot of space games lately...

 

[Xdeser2]

it it were my choice,

it would be a move away from medieval and tolkeinesque fantasy worlds and into a more bronze age aestethic for RPGs

IE greek polis' and Hoplites, Crazy egyptian myth creatures, etc, theres a plethera of great ideas there that noone so far has tapped. heres hoping...

 

[IBlackKiteI]

I think we may see more alternate universe type settings, what if scenarios and the like, in the coming years, or original settings which are heavily based on specific places or periods in time, similarly to Dishonored being based on post-Renaissance Britain.

Sci-fi and fantasy (in games at least) typically doesn't veer a whole lot away from the already heavily established archetypes and tropes of their genres.
Then comes along Dishonored, which has been very well received and features a setting which is independant from sci-fi with it's ships and colonies and fantasy with it's magic and creatures. A bet a lot of guys are now seeing the potential in having similar settings, or rather similar ideas to a setting, as this game.

Also this post isn't a stab at sci-fi or fantasy. I'm just saying in games they have commonly used themes and aspects and whatnot across a lot of what we play.

 

[DanielBrown]

Cyberpunk would be my guess, especially since cell phones has gotten more rediculous than ever. If Watch Dogs, and that other game that looks exactly the same, does well I reckon we'll see plenty of that type of games. Personally I want more greek/roman, Nordic and Egyptian setting games.

 

[Reece Stevens]

I personally think things will go to every kind of punk, not just one, while steam and cyber will be the main ones, I would love to see some clock punk and maybe even make up some new art styles

 

[ResonanceSD]

I think (Or hope) it'll be Cyberpunk.

We've had Deus Ex: HR and the crappy Syndicate reboot, then we've got Remember Me, CD Projekt Red's new game, Watchdogs.

Says hi.

I'm loving the near-future stuff such as DE:HR and XCOM lately =D

I'm fucking sick of fantasy. We get it. Dragons = bad.

 

[teh_Canape]

I personally hope to see a space Steampunk setting, that'd be boss

I think (Or hope) it'll be Cyberpunk.

We've had Deus Ex: HR and the crappy Syndicate reboot, then we've got Remember Me, CD Projekt Red's new game, Watchdogs.

Says hi.

I think he's talking about modern games

 

[Blunderboy]

it it were my choice,

it would be a move away from medieval and tolkeinesque fantasy worlds and into a more bronze age aestethic for RPGs

IE greek polis' and Hoplites, Crazy egyptian myth creatures, etc, theres a plethera of great ideas there that noone so far has tapped. heres hoping...

That would be awesome. Shame it'll never happen.

And Hey! Given that the Ancient Greeks invented the steam engine we could have a steam punk game set during that period.

 

[uchytjes]

Here is how i see it going down.

1st, we have a rush of near future games that are kinda "warnings" against robots taking over or being misused.

2nd, A rush of steampunk/roguelikes. Steampunk to go against the near future look before and roguelikes because with the success of FTL, some indies will likely try to do that more.

3rd, IDK, maybe a return of the space setting and actually getting some good space combat simulators out there?

Also, I now kinda want an open world space sim now... Something that combines ship-building with exploration of new solar systems and galaxies.