Index

About the Project and KeenGamer ….....……………………………………………………. 1

Past and Present An Introduction to the Future of Gaming ………...……………...…… 3

Chapter 1 The Future of Video Games Distribution .…...………….……………. 8

Chapter 2 The Future of Virtual Reality Games ….…………………………….. 27

Chapter 3 The Future of Gaming for Social Good ……………………………... 41

Chapter 4 The Future of Platforms ...... 51

Chapter 5 The Future of ...... 59

Chapter 6 11 Companies that May Build the Road to the Future ...... 75

Chapter 7 Additional Interviews ...... 90

Afterword ...... 106

Credits ...... 109

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About the Project and KeenGamer

I am sure that you are wondering what KeenGamer is and who wrote this eBook. And why should you read it, am I right? Firstly, you are already reading it, which is great and we thank you for your interest. Let‘s be short here and let you dive into more interesting chapters than this one.

KeenGamer is just a website for gamers, where you can find all the things you would expect: news, reviews, guides, interviews and much more around great AAA games but also about unknown indie titles.

One day, we asked ourselves with the team about what else we could do to enrich our content and differentiate us from our competitors. And because we love games and are all keen to know the future, we realized that everyone is asking all the time what the heck will happen in gaming in few years from now.

Certainly there are many theories. That is where we stepped in and tried to provide the most optimistic, pessimistic and realistic points of view on several aspects of the gaming industry. I hope that you will find our thoughts and theories, based on deep analysis and statistics, at least worth reading and, if your mind will be drifting around our ideas before you fall asleep, we did our job well.

As we wrote this eBook only for the good feelings of it, all the authors engaged would appreciate your support. If you like this project, please send us your thanks and love via PayPal. Even a few dollars would mean a lot, if hundreds of you would send them.

Our PayPal account: [email protected]

Thank you,

Karel Vik, Founder and CEO

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Past and Present

An Introduction to the Future of Gaming Written by Caio Sampaio

Credit: Irishhip (DeviantArt)

The evolution from Wolfenstein 3D (1992) to Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014). Credit: Rik Henderson ichael got on the school bus, wondering if his father would keep his promise. Wearing five layers of clothing, Michael held on to his report card and watched M the snow falling on every house that went by. He was anxious to get home and show his grades to his dad. He craved for his reward. The ride seemed to last an eternity, but when his place of comfort appeared on the horizon, Michael‘s heart raced. He was eager to walk through the front door and show the A+ he had gotten in every exam, but he questioned if his dad would stay true to his word.

When the bus stopped, Michael rushed to get out. Snow and frozen wind tried to stop him, but he was a child on a mission. He stepped inside his home and yelled for his dad, who walked downstairs holding a box. Michael`s father had already called school. He knew about the good grades and had the money to honor his promise this time. He handed the package to Michael, who opened it with voracity. Inside, he found his reward – a PlayStation. had released it in North America 15 months before, on September 9, 1995.

Michael spent the following years immersed in magical universes, defeating the greatest foes. He infiltrated Shadow Moses in Metal Gear Solid, survived the horrors of a zombie-infested mansion in Resident Evil and tamed the world‘s fastest racecars in Gran Turismo. Video games had become an extension of his self and with every new title, his passion continued to blossom. However, despite Michael`s fascination, some people opposed gaming. Even before his birth, controversy had already begun.

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In the 70s, politicians started to attack video games, saying they provoke violent behavior. For example, in 1982, Marshfield, USA, banned arcade machines in the city to reduce crime. Only in 2014, citizens voted and overturned the decision. This and other cases of politicians vs. gaming started a trend. Patrick Markey and Christopher Ferguson, in their book Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong, say that the media began to use the fear some people had of gaming to get higher ratings. This strategy climaxed in the late 90s.

FOX News reports an alleged link between video games and real-life violence. Credit: Timothy Johnson

On April 20, 1999, 2 shooters killed 12 students in the Columbine massacre in Colorado, USA. The media tried to make sense of the situation and it linked gaming to violent behavior, when news outlets discovered that the gunmen played Doom and Wolfenstein 3D. The war on gaming had begun. Over the next years, politicians, journalists and authors continued to accuse video games of creating violence. Dave Grossman is an example. In his book Assassination Generation: Video Games, Aggression, and the Psychology of Killing, he writes:

―In military training, our armed forces use psychological conditioning to help their troops turn off the safety catch inherent in most healthy human beings that produce a natural aversion to killing other members of our species. The indiscriminately applies these same techniques to the consumers who play their games.‖

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After Columbine, the media stereotyped gamers as social outcasts, who wanted to escape reality – or plan shootings. Authors also questioned the artistry of the medium. In 2010, Roger Ebert (right), American film critic and winner of the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, said that “games will never be art” and that playing them is a fool`s errand. ―But for most gamers, video games represent a loss of those precious Roger Ebert in his 2011 TED talk. Credit: TED hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic.‖ Mr. Ebert died of thyroid cancer in 2013, holding on to his belief until the end. While his accomplishments as a pundit in the film industry are remarkable, he was wrong about gaming.

Al Gore shares his opinion on gaming in the 8th Games for Change Festival. Credit: Empire Entertainment

In 2011, the American government conferred legal protection to video games under the first amendment of its Constitution, which grants freedom of speech. A Supreme Court statement said: ―Video games communicate ideas — and even social messages — through many familiar literary devices (such as characters, dialogue, plot, and music) and through features distinctive to the medium.‖ Notorious personalities commented on the topic. ―Games are the new normal,‖ said Al Gore (above), former vice-president of the United States, during the 8th Games for Change Festival, held in June 2011. Although his endorsement is encouraging, it is also an understatement. Gaming is more than just ―the new normal.‖

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Canadian network CBC shares a video showing the use of video games to solve real-life conflicts. Credit: CBC

In December 2016, UNESCO published a research conducted by Paul Darvarsi titled Empathy, Perspective and Complicity: How Digital Games Can Support Peace, Education and Conflict Resolution. The paper states that the interactivity of video games can make people more empathic and handle their emotions better. This conclusion counters Roger Ebert, but there is more to the potential of gaming. Due to the branching narratives of titles like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Life is Strange, the author Janet Murray says that video games are the next evolution for the ancient art of storytelling. As she writes in her book Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in the Cyberspace:

―Not only is the computer the most capacious medium ever invented, but it also allows us to move around the narrative world, shifting from one perspective to another at our own initiative. Perhaps this ability to shift perspectives will lead to the technical innovation that will rival the Shakespearean soliloquy.‖

The medium which the public perceived as a refuge for people who lack social skills has become the future of storytelling, thanks to the efforts of developers and the love of players. Now, more than 2 decades after Michael received his PlayStation, graphics can look almost identical to a film, narratives are as intricate as a novel and worlds continue to grow. Holding his PlayStation 4 controller, Michael saved humanity from a rogue artificial intelligence in Horizon Zero Dawn, discovered ancient treasures in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and wandered through a post-apocalyptic Boston in Fallout 4. As Michael recalls these journeys, he looks back at what video games were, what they are and wonders – what will they become?

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Credit: The Portrait Ezine

Michael is a fictional character, created for this introduction, but real discussions can come from his question. To answer it, KeenGamer hired video game journalists worldwide to discuss the future of gaming. To create this analysis, we split this project into different chapters, each covering a major facet of the industry. The writers will approach every subject in three ways. First, they will present a pessimistic prediction, describing the worst scenario for the future. They will follow it by detailing their most optimistic assessments. We believe that the truth hides in between these two, so each chapter will end with a mix of both - the likeliest future.

This eBook is the product of extensive research on the evolution of video game distribution, eSports, consoles, among other topics. To supplement these analyses, writers conducted interviews with developers, experts and players, to get as many insights as possible. The following pages are the result of this collaborative effort. If you enjoy this eBook, please consider supporting KeenGamer, by liking us on Facebook and Twitter or by sending us a donation through PayPal to [email protected]. We hope this eBook will give you a glimpse of how the industry you love will change. Have a great reading and game on!

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Chapter 1

The Future of Video Game Distribution Written by Nick Banks

Credit: Epic Power Gaming

Recent changes in the industry have put physical stores in jeopardy. Credit: GameStop discussion on where the games industry is going is often a heated one. Many gamers remain optimistic, while an equal proportion expresses concern. The A gaming audience is split. From one side, there are older generations, who have experienced how retailers deliver games for decades. At the same time, younger players only know an industry embroiled in the power of the internet and what it can offer. The former of the two parties, me included, is naturally worried, because an inevitable shift is coming and, no matter how it plays out, the way we get our games will change.

The current state of distribution has been in the making since the seventh generation of consoles ( and PlayStation 3) became fully compatible with the internet. Before this, online distribution platforms, like and GOG, meant the sudden death of PC titles finding their way to store shelves. As soon as that happened, it appeared that consoles were lagging in how efficiently they delivered games. When seventh gen consoles arrived, they introduced the idea of , as an answer to Steam, but they still provided incentives for you to buy physical copies, such as preorder bonuses. This strategy gave to the brick and mortar game stores we see struggling today more time to enjoy success. The entire run up to this state of the market was sudden and complex, encompassing more than just how games reach our devices. The internet also changed the business model of the industry.

In under a decade, shipping a game in parts, after taking a full payment, has shaped how developers make our titles. This strategy has affected everything, from game design principles to consumer expectations. Again, we have the two halves of the gamer audience. The older of which laments the idea of not having a complete package after the initial purchase. While the younger, having known no other form of distribution, will get disappointed to buy a game and notice the lack of content in the years after the release. It is the second of those two halves that will see to the ultimate success of this trend that has us older gamers worried.

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Thanks to these changes set forth by the internet, AAA game publishers are leaning towards multiplayer formats. With these, companies like Electronic Arts (EA), Activision and can focus on long-term profits per title, by adding content in the future and implementing microtransations. Online marketplaces within games further bolster the hunger for a growing revenue. These have become the norm, but for how long is this practice sustainable?

The Most Optimistic Future

s we have learned, consoles are lagging on the logistics of how to distribute games. Providers like Steam and GOG seem ahead of the curve, when it comes to A more of an ―instant gratification‖ kind of purchase. It‘s that same consumer satisfaction that has led to the success of microtransactions, regardless of how many of us may lament their existence.

Although, when breaking down the buying process, digital marketplaces have many advantages, not just to the consumer but also to the developer and publisher. They can save serious money, when taking into consideration the portions of game profits that go to brick and mortar stores. On average, 27% of your game purchase goes to the retailer. Then, a portion of the revenue pays for boxes, the artwork upon them and the creation of the disc within. For a rundown of where your money goes after buying a game, check out ’s exhaustive investigation. As much as we may like or hate the idea, the death of physical stores would be a plus for the people who create and deliver games to us.

Take all the brick and mortar formulae out of the equation on a worldwide scale and game developers can save plenty of resources, allowing for a higher quality in the games they deliver. Studios can invest more in polish and functionality - two aspects that have taken hits under the pressures of publisher deadlines and the sudden wishes of investors. Mass Effect: Andromeda (below) is a perfect example of this. With BioWare Edmonton working with the Frostbite Engine for the first time, deciding to specifically handle all facial animations turned out to be too colossal a task for the team. As a result, EA’s deadline loomed, and the team had already wasted time and resources on a bespoke facial animation plan that never came to fruition, leaving us with the infamous robotic faces of today‘s game. Former BioWare employee Jonathan Cooper shed plenty of light on this terrible hindsight after Andromeda’s release.

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Mass Effect: Andromeda received the worst score in BioWare’s history, 71 (PS4 version). Credit: EA

With fluctuations in money made by developers and publishers because of brick and mortar stores going extinct, the pricing of our future games is going to change. Although it is unclear in which direction it will go. Games could be more expensive because of their higher quality. At the same time, they could be cheaper, after finding themselves on an all-in-one kind of streaming service with a monthly subscription. This kind of popular Netflix culture has already penetrated videogames with MMO subscriptions on PC, PlayStation Now and Xbox Game Pass.

As the current generation already flirts with these methods of delivering older titles through subscription, it begs the question: How long will it be until we go fully-digital and what form it will take? Further down the line, with no need for disc drives, current technology like the Amazon Fire Stick makes me wonder how long it will be before all we need is a Smart TV and a clever USB to ―download‖ our console and monthly subscription tied into cloud computing gaming. Although, in the here and now, many smaller time developers use the services of publishers as a necessity.

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Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass is an example of this type of service. Credit:

These development studios rely on deals with publishers to fund the marketing and distribution of their titles. An example of this that sits more favorably in the public eye is developing God of War and Sony Interactive Entertainment partnering as an exclusive publisher to fund the project. This is a happy example that will lead to the continued success of the franchise. However, things do not always go so swimmingly between developer and publisher.

Proof of how relations can come crashing down is Hideo Kojima’s departure from Konami upon the completion of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (right). After spending upwards of $80 million dollars, Konami insisted enough was enough, slapping Kojima with a sudden deadline. He had to round up the troops at Kojima Productions and edit the events of the Metal Gear finale to comprise a tangible ending. Players who finished Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will know first-hand the grim realities of publishers yanking on the chain of Credit: Konami developers.

Considering the horror stories we bear witness to, like the Konami/Kojima relationship or the often unfinished feeling Final Fantasy XV has (FFXV will still have DLC releases in 2019!) we have to keep in mind how things would shape up if these publishers were suddenly not necessary. After all, going fully digital would replace them in almost all services they offer. Online advertising is much cheaper and a link to a buying page is all you need to sell your

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game. At London‘s EGX Rezzed, April 2017, I caught up with Tom Betts, the lead programmer at Big Robot who was developing a game called The Signal From Tölva (below) at the time.

An open world FPS game, it has received positive reviews on Steam. Credit: Big Robot As a small development studio of 5 people, it would be easy for them to succumb to the pile of gold offered by a big publisher, on top of the chance to break out onto consoles. In the end, Betts and his team decided not to take the plunge with the marketing and distribution assistance a publisher could have provided.

―We thought about this a lot when we started off. We’ve even had people offer us publishing deals. But we were looking really, to be able to self-fund. I think if you can do that, it’s really worth thinking about. It just means that you don’t have deal with whatever restrictions might be placed on you by publishers. I know a lot of people can’t be self-funded so at that point, publishers are a viable option. Yet, getting involved with a publisher means devs have to be careful. Some publishers have much stricter ideas about what your game needs to be. Some of them are a lot more flexible.

There was a weird thing recently whereby if you were funded by one of the European publishers you had to put overly British things in your games. Like red telephone boxes or the Union Jack. Yet here we are making games about alien planets and we can’t really put British-ness on that. One advantage that smaller teams like ourselves do have is that they don’t need as much money. So a lot of studios have to go to the big publishers because they’re dealing with really big overheads. Getting the money for those projects is a far more daunting task for them. Not like us - a team of around five people.

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We did think about going with a publisher for the sake of things like future returns. And the kind of publicity you get from a publisher. Or without that, you can hire your own PR or do it yourself. But then that’s extra workload to worry about. In the end it’s a case of looking at other publishers and seeing if what they offer is worth it for you.‖

Anyone would assume, with a bit of context, that not going with a publisher was a wrong move, but with this information, it‘s easy to see the stress his team would have gone through, had it chosen to seek one. 2017 was a year when game developers started to push away from the sense of necessity with big time publishers. They began to learn that success in delivery of their game was not necessarily synonymous with uncomfortable deals with EA or Activision. We can find a prominent example of this in Ninja Theory‘s self-published Hellblade: Senua`s Sacrifice (below). After three months, it sold half a million copies.

The game received praise for various reasons, including its take on psychosis. Credit: Ninja Theory This was not the only pushback against the AAA publisher machine. An important bit of game development activism happened in late 2017 and barely anybody noticed. The result was the beautifully designed Echo, released in September 2017, by Ultra Ultra, on PC and later in October for the PlayStation 4. The reason it is worthy of this topic is that, like Hellblade, it arrived in the market independently, released at indie price, but it leans closer in presentation to an AAA title. How it came into existence; however, is far more important, when considering the hypothetical ―no publisher‖ future as part of a fully digital landscape. Martin Emborg, CEO of Ultra Ultra created his game studio along with a core group of eight developers from IO Interactive. The team, having built Hitman games for IO Interactive under the watchful eye of publisher Square Enix, decided they just wanted to do their own thing.

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According to developers, “gameplay revolves around Stealth and action, as you face off against the strange workings of the Palace.” Credit: IO Interactive So we come back around to the concept of self-publishing leading to total creative freedom. Again, this shows in Echo - a game clearly designed for a niche stealth gameplay loving audience. Its environs consist of beautifully endless hallways inspired by 19th Century Venetian architecture. This kind of game design would not go over well in a meeting with a potential publisher looking for a product to appeal to a mass market. To quote UltraUltra themselves:

―The studio was born out of a longing for stranger horizons. The hardboiled realism of IO is something the team greatly appreciates, but their true passion is to create something not of this world. Holding senior positions, it was no easy choice to leave, but in the end we had to make it happen. We are proud of our heritage and hope that will shine through.

Leaving behind the enormous machinery of mainstream AAA - and the astronomical cost that comes with it - UltraUltra focuses on a product that is much more personal, and not based on market trends and user research. We believe that this will be felt in the game, and hope for like- minded players to make this a viable strategy.‖

From this statement, we can begin to see an optimistic future forming for videogames distribution. Both Ultra Ultra and Ninja Theory have proven that, when developers are left to their own devices, they are capable of great and original things. Of course, publishers won‘t disappear altogether when we go fully digital. But their lessened presence will likely see the microtransactions and DLC bubble burst after so long. Games will once again have to be sold on their merit alone and profits will grow as a result of sheer undeniable originality and the word of mouth that brings, as seen with Hellblade.

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The Most Pessimistic Future

s with all things in life, not all is peaches and roses. While there is the chance that a fully digital marketplace could poke and prod publishers out the door, there is A one big problem that still needs attention on a global scale. It is part of a wider issue about the internet itself, which will be the foundation pillar to prop up our digital gaming mecca.

The problem I refer to is lawlessness. Worldwide, laws exist to prevent us from descending into a Mad Max world. That in itself is testament to how important regulations are, whether we agree with them or not. Consider for a moment that no extensive legal works exist for the digital world. The internet is still a criminal‘s haven, be that a videogame pirate or EA. We can find in Hawaii a perfect example of this problem beginning to rear its ugly head. State Representative Chris Lee (below) has been the most outspoken politician on the culture of lootboxes and microstransactions. He began his path against predatory practices in games as a result of the Battlefront II furor.

Chris Lee speaks against loot boxes at the Hawaii State House. Credit: Chris Lee

House bill 2686 and Senate bill 3024 would restrict retailers from selling games featuring purchases of ―a randomized reward‖ to anyone under the age of 21 in the state. This is a unique situation as it is the first wide-scale attempt at enforcement of something that only exists in the online space. The problem that awaits us is that laws like these will not be instantly global. Potentially, some countries could have restrictions on in-game purchases, among other online attributes that may yet develop and need to put in check, where others do not.

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While this segmentation of the market would affect the logistics of a fully digital space less than it would a disc distribution space, it could ultimately lead to some countries being totally deprived of certain titles. As it stands, Australia restricts some extreme games like Manhunt or II from being sold due to their graphic nature. In this new world of unfolding legislation for videogames as part of a policed digital space - many more countries may have to adopt Australia‘s attitudes, albeit for wholly different and inescapable reasons.

Another potential problem that sits threateningly closer in our gaming timeline is the survivability of single player titles. 2017 was the year of lootbox controversies, yes, but that eventually made us pay attention to the waning profits of narrative driven experiences. The ones that can only find continued revenue in one or two DLC expansions. As far as a big publisher can see, this pales in comparison to the long-term profits brought in by microtransactions. With EA disguising the language of microtransactions with the phrase ―live services,‖ it‘s clear to see the heights of success EA is experiencing.

A graphic shown by EA to its investors breaks down its sources of income. Credit: EA After all, Wolfenstein II, Prey and The Evil Within 2 each suffered underwhelming sales figures for Bethesda Softworks last year, while the newly rising figures surrounding the Battle Royale style of game cannot be denied. According to SteamCharts, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) has lost a little of its player base, likely due to the banning of so many cheaters, but

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its concurrent player count, at the time of this writing, still sits pretty at 787,545 players. Meanwhile, Fortnite has beaten PUBG’s record, reaching 3.4 million players. Is this a phase? Only for as long as microtransactions are profitable. As Mark Hamill famously said of Star Wars ―Be careful, kids. They don’t care about the story. They only care about the money‖. The same rings grimly true of the games industry.

Again, I can see a generational divide that major publishers are taking serious advantage of to bolster this growing corporate environment for videogames. The older generations come from a time when single player games were the only way to play. We shared the same wonderful experiences through fantastically written stories and, at the time, writing for videogames was generally better, as there were fewer features to be distracted by in development. Monkey Island and Discworld Noir spring to mind. However, the younger generation is attracted by the allure of simple premises offered by Fortnite, Call of Duty’s multiplayer and PUBG. There are no complications here, no stories to pay attention to, but much less creativity to enjoy. The younger generation is the future of videogames‘ success and the wider industry knows this. How many 12 year olds do you know, who not only played Dishonored 2 (below) but also finished it? Without the allure of all their friends texting to jump on for another match of Fortnite? I rest my case.

The Dishonored franchise receives praise for the depth of its gameplay. Credit: Bethesda Softworks Of course, the outcry for how publisher treat single player games these days was finally brought about by EA’s cancellation of their upcoming Star Wars game, codenamed Project Ragtag. It was to be a single player action adventure experience like Uncharted in the Star Wars universe. To be fair, the project was cancelled due to EA’s splitting of the team to work on Battlefield: Hardline DLC and writer Amy Hennig unwittingly taking on the role of Creative

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Director just to keep the team solid. Where the story became truly relevant was how it ignited a discussion on just what the heck was going on with single player games. Amy Hennig was the lead writer in the first three Uncharted games. Since leaving the franchise, she has yet to be part of a shipped project. It‘s a shame, as she is one of the most talented videogame story writers of today. With these trends going the way they are, other storytellers aspiring to reach similar heights suddenly find themselves in a tougher career environment. In a recent interview at , Hennig had this to say on the current state of single player games:

―I think we’re in an inflection point right now. Obviously what happened with our Star Wars project didn’t come out of the blue. A lot of too-dramatic articles were written about it — the death of linear story games and all that kind of stuff — but look, there is a real problem: this line we’ve been running up to for a lot of years, which is the rising cost of development, and the desires, or the demands even, of players in terms of hours of gameplay, fidelity, production values, additional modes, all these things. Those pressures end up very real internally. If it costs you, say, $100 million or more to make a game, how are you making that money back, and making a profit?

And the $60 price point can’t change, right? There’s a lot of negative press around monetization, loot boxes, games as a service, etc., but these things are trending now in the industry, especially for larger publishers, as an answer to the problem of rising development costs. Budgets keep going up, the bar keeps getting raised, and it starts making less and less sense to make these games. There is also this trend now that, as much as people protest and say, ―Why are you canceling a linear, story-based game? This is the kind of game we want,‖ people aren’t necessarily buying them. They’re watching somebody else play them online.‖

From this set of observations, it‘s easy to start wondering if the games industry will become segmented in a new way. Will single player titles ultimately go to the indie space, while AAA becomes a smörgåsbord of multiplayer exclusivity ever bolstered by money hungry, predatory and unchecked publishers to play out their game of greed? After all, that‘s the space where the money is, which means it won‘t be going away soon. For that AAA space to stay in check and for consumers to not be mercilessly taken advantage of, we‘ll need more politicians like Chris Lee to introduce some law and order and possibly balance things out.

Indeed, things are looking grim for our brick and mortar gaming stores in the wake of… ―progress.‖ Even now, the signs here in the can be seen at our main gaming store, simply named GAME. The staff always asks you at the end of a transaction ―would you like to preorder anything today, maybe get this game with a Prima guide?‖ The need to push further for sales has left GAME (below) no choice but to implement this asking policy. You could argue that this is just typical sales stuff. But what is a preorder if not a guarantee of a

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future deal? It makes up for the loose grip keeping game stores in play now and that grip will slip yet further when the next generation of consoles arrive without disc drives.

Video game retailers have reported a decrease in profit. Credit: GAME Brick and mortar stores also appear to be getting less relevant. Not only do they have the growing digital marketplace to contend with but also other retailers like Amazon. It is doubtless the reason why Gamestop had to close 150 stores in America early last year, due to a sharp decrease in customer footfall. Some stores offer purely traded-in products which has always been a great money saver for the gamer on a budget. These will likely last longer based on their main business idea allowing them to continue the fight for ongoing sales of what will later be retro games for retro console owners. Although that on its own does not sound like a sustainable business plan alongside the impending digital takeover. The fact that technology exists even now for emulators to run old titles from different consoles on PC also has to make you wonder if even the retro corner of the market will go fully digital. Karl Slatoff, President of publisher Take Two Interactive, is a big believer in the transition to fully digital and even feels the takeover could happen in the next five to ten years. Depending on when that plays out, brick and mortar game stores will quickly become extinct.

The Likeliest Future

f we were to round things off now, I‘ll start by saying how unpredictable the future is. While I hope that what I‘m about to discuss bangs the nail on the head, who knows what I will happen? If you‘re old enough, think back to a time when you picked up a PC game and it came in those massive A4-sized cardboard boxes. They were filled with the stuff we expect to pay or retrieve online today. Things like uniquely stylized manuals with game lore or

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concept art booklets. Travel back to who you were at that time and tell yourself ―In ten years, games will only come halfway completed and you‘ll have to pay for the rest afterwards… What`s that? Oh yes, the game will still be at full price, same as always.‖ The past you would have laughed in your face. Regardless, it has become reality and what once would have been considered scandalous has become normal. A video by Jim Sterling on YouTube highlights this effectively as he discusses how Sea of Thieves will only have microtransacations and no lootboxes… and players applauded. The past you goes ―what the hell?!‖.

The point I‘m trying to make emphatically clear is that it‘s one thing to predict the future. It‘s another altogether to predict the next years of this chaotic, corporate and vicious industry. The two points I made throughout this chapter that absolutely will happen are the death of brick and mortar game stores and the arrival of a fully digital marketplace. Let‘s bear in mind the current existence of a digital marketplace and how that has had a direct effect on how studios make games; how developers must have discussions at the start of development about how the game will be distributed. From the mere existence of a separate and easily manageable selling platform, games like Battlefront 2 and Shadow of War undergo massive development decisions that shape the final game, all in the name of money, long-term profits and the survival of a studio. So, when we think about predicting the future of videogames, it‘s basically synonymous at this point to be predicting the future of the internet, its structure and how it is delivered to users (with the ―we‘re going fully-digital‖ thing).

At the dawning of the internet, its inventor, Tim Berners-Lee, envisioned an information delivery system that would self-sustain on a Mesh Network Topology. Bear with me here. This is the idea that every technological item of today, like smartphones, laptops and computers, would act as a node through which information could travel. A little like being the host server for a multiplayer game, only every player is the host and the overall network connection is flawless as the load is shared between everyone. The idea of Mesh Network Topological information delivery systems applied to today‘s widely used tech is possible, strictly speaking.

We always have at least one item in our possession that has either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The only problem that Berners-Lee did not foresee was the quick arrival of Internet Service Providers (ISP). These corporations of today, like then, added structure and usability for all under an easy to understand payment system. It seemed like progress but, with your ISP having the power to decide what you have access to and the good old idea of business competition, the free-flowing Mesh Network Topology suddenly had a big brick wall put in front of it.

Of course this boxing in and structuring of the internet is the form of delivery we still have today. It is my belief that, after a long time, the ISPs will go the way of the brick and mortar games store. With them out of the way, a question remains concerning how a Mesh Network

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Topography would be sustained financially. The most likely outcome would be: each time a block of data passes through a person‘s device, it incurs a toll that would need to be balanced by a separate and automated token system. A kind of intelligent tax. Readily accessible internet as a basic right, blanketed equally across the planet for users to enjoy. Free of buffering, lag and slow load time. How long will it be until the undeniability of Mesh Network Topology can be denied no more?

This ties into videogames and their near future. As it stands, cloud streaming for games has had a go with platforms like OnLive and Gaikai, but they never really gained enough momentum due to the limitations of today‘s internet structure. They just never really stuck, a bit like the old UMD discs for the PlayStation Portable. Unlike other past technological gimmicks however, failure feels unjustified for these platforms as only a select few people have internet speeds suitable to get a smooth gameplay experience. At this point, it is becoming easier to envision a future I mentioned earlier, when we have the equivalent of Amazon Firestick for gaming and titles get streamed to us. Although, with the existing problem for cloud gaming not seeming to go away any time soon, a pessimist could say that cloud gaming‘s chance has come and gone. That could well be the case, if we circle back around to Mesh Network Topology.

Let‘s get back into the idea of sharing the load with Mesh Network Topology. We can natively download files and information now to our one specific machine, yes. Imagine if every device on the planet already owned a segment of that game to be delivered to your ―whatever machine of the time‖ on demand as you play the title? It would remove loading screens, online match lag, processor stress etc. All that hard work is no longer the sole responsibility of your machine but shared across every machine on the planet. As Sam would say to Frodo ―Share the load‖. I think I‘ve hammered the benefits of this Mesh Network Topology enough now.

What is frustrating is that it‘s already here at the technology party waiting to build up the confidence to get up on the table and dance, instead of lurking in a dark corner with an empty beer can. When it does arrive, and hopefully it will, we will experience a second renaissance on this planet. What‘s scary is how well or how badly it will be regulated for the safety of all. What‘s a lot less scary is the incredible incline we‘ll see in gaming technology that will, more than it has ever has been, become truly accessible for all.

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Insights from Inside

reached out to Associate Producer at ThroughLine Games, Ingvi Snædal (below, left), for his thoughts on the future of videogames distribution. He and his team are close to I releasing their labor of love, Forgotton Anne. The hand drawn side scroller gives off a Studio Ghibli vibe and I personally wish Ingvi and the rest of ThroughLine Games every success. For now, Ingvi was good enough to get back to me with some insightful remarks on where we stand and where we‘re heading with videogames distribution

. Credit: Nick Banks

What are the business positives to consider when releasing a game digital only? Any temptations to go for a boxed release?

―There's something about the haptics of holding a physical copy of a game you've made in your hands that makes it more real. I don't think anyone starts developing a game without imagining themselves holding a boxed copy of it one day. For most of us indies, though, that copy will be a home-burned Blu-ray disk in a store bought case, the box art of which we printed out of a photo printer at home.

Some of us are lucky, however. Some of us make it big and our games become so popular (or our players so passionate) that they demand boxed copies or collectors editions of our games. In those cases, we are more than happy to oblige.

Starting off determined to go for a boxed release, however, makes little sense for an indie studio. Your publishing and distribution costs will be sky high and all that extra money could have gone into making the game better, and in this competitive market, that's all that counts. At

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the end of the day, digital only allows you to take a better product to market at a lower cost and retain more of the profit as well.‖

What kind of marketing processes do indie games adopt when not riding the coat tails of a big publisher?

―Anything that works. Most of the indies that hit it REALLY big do so under the power of word-of-mouth. There's no better sales pitch than the opinion of a personal friend who you trust. The only way to get that doing is to make a good game that people want to talk about.

Of course, if you make the Citizen Kane of indie games and no one knows about it, you might as well not have bothered. This forces every independent developer to be creative. The marketing approach really depends on the type of game you're making. A grand strategy game like Europa Universalis would probably not benefit from a super over-produced YouTube trailer, but might get eyes on the brand by reaching out to blogs and even going the Early Access route of getting the game in the hands of interested players as they iron the last few kinks out. Physics based games like Goat Simulator and Stick Fight, on the other hand, look super fun on video, so sharing lots of funny clips and Gifs works wonders for them. More artistic or story driven games benefit from longer form content, such as let's plays, extended previews, and streams - which is why you tend not to see much from them until they're almost out.

If you have some money to throw into marketing, and your game is visually appealing, you could try Facebook ads. They do work, if you catch the audience's eye, but if your game looks 'just okay' they'll most likely just keep scrolling. If the hook of your game requires explanation, the long form pieces mentioned above (and written previews) are the way to go. Never, ever pay for media coverage, though. Readers don't take anything written up as "sponsored content" seriously, and they may even hold it against you for trying to sneak one past them. Of the magazines and websites, indie focused websites are going to get you exposure. Readers there will comment and share the articles among themselves at much higher rates than an article on GameSpot or IGN would. Engagement is everything.‖

Looking at the wider games industry, how long would you say before we go fully digital?

―Never. There will always be a drive to collect physical copies of the games we love - not to mention collector's editions. Even though the store fronts are disappearing (GameStop devotes less and less space to boxed copies of games and more and more to merchandise and other goodies) online pre-orders of popular games are going strong. The trend will continue toward the digital for the next decade or so, but after that it'll plateau and, barring another unforeseen game distribution revolution, come to some kind of balance.‖

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What's your personal opinion on the price point of AAA videogames today? Are they justified? And in turn, would you say microtransaction culture has a fair place among these kinds of prices?

―My personal opinion: no, they are not justified. AAA games should be a lot more expensive. The amount of work, R&D, and tech that goes into making them is simply staggering. The microtransaction culture is an attempt to get back some of the money lost after giving you a $200 product for $80. It's kind of analogous to the printer market. Do you think a new printer costs $50 to make? Of course not. The manufacturer takes a net loss on each unit sold with the hopes of getting it back in ink cartridge sales. Star Wars Battlefront II is a printer. Microtransactions are ink cartridges.

The problem, in my mind, is not the developer or publisher of the game, or their clumsy attempts to regain their investment. The problem is our expectations of what a game should be. Not only do they have to surpass everything that came before them in terms of visuals and sound, but they have to have more and bigger maps, more weapons, more character models, more accessories, more animations, better gameplay, and they have to run smoother. If the same group of people were given the same amount of time and the same budget to make the sequel to a popular game, they would make a more polished game every time, simply because technology moves on - but that is not enough for us. We need them to push everything as far as they possibly can, but we're not willing to pay them to do so.

I stopped playing AAA shooters when all of the official ranked servers took expansion pack maps into rotation. This meant that, if you didn't have the expansion pack and the map they were switching to, you'd be thrown off the server and have to find a new one. To me, this was unacceptable. Until, that is, I read about how much the game cost to make and that this was a way for them to encourage players to buy the expansion. I totally understand this, but I won't be a part of it. I prefer a tighter, more fast-paced, and fair and balanced gameplay experience anyway - which is why I play Insurgency.‖

There seems to have been a greater leaning toward indie titles the last few years and a lower price has to be something to do with that. After Hellblade and Echo releasing with great game quality at a lower price point, do you see a future where AAA game prices come down?

―I think AAA prices will go up, if anything, for the reasons mentioned above. If the microtransaction culture keeps blowing up in publisher's faces, they'll eventually see no alternative but to sell the game at market value or come up with some other way to recoup their investment.

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I think a lower price point definitely plays a part in the rise of the indie market, but I'd like to think (perhaps naively so) that it has more to do with the variety of gameplay experiences to be had with indie games. Indie games, thanks to their lower budget and therefore lower financial risk, can try things that AAA publishers wouldn't dare to. In indie games, players can explore the most passionate of fascinations and the darkest recesses of the human condition, and delve into subject that the marketing departments at AAA publishers would never greenlight. That is the true strength of indie games, in my opinion.

That being said, I think we'll see the lines blur between what counts as indie and what constitutes AAA in the next five to ten years. We already see a much greater variety of production quality and retail pricing within the indie scene than in the rather homogenized AAA sphere, and studios keep getting bigger and bigger while one man teams keep making better and better games. Publishers still act as important gatekeepers to the market and having one behind your back is instantly recognized as a promise of quality, but even the role of gatekeeping is being democratized in our online culture. I rather look forward to the time when we stop talking about indie vs. AAA and enjoy the mosh pit of different experiences on offer, whether they cost $0,99 or $80.‖

Do you prefer the instant gratification of downloading a game? Or would you rather stick to game boxes, proudly collected on your gaming shelf?

―I am a pragmatist, a utilitarian, and I don't have a sentimental bone in my body. When I first started using Steam, I hated having to install a separate, useless piece of software just to play Half-Life 2. Later, when I had formatted my computer and was setting it up again, I found my Half-Life 2 disk lying on the floor where I had accidentally rolled my desk chair - with my fat ass in it - over the disk, shattering it. I was convinced I'd never play Half-Life 2 again, or any of the other Valve titles included in the Orange Box. Having already downloaded Steam, though, I logged in to find all my library there, intact and downloadable. I haven't had any sentiment towards boxed copies since. To me, it's more about security than instant gratification.

Also, when you buy a downloadable game, a bigger chunk of the money you pay goes to the actual developers of the game. If you want to support the devs, buy directly from them if possible.‖

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Chapter 2

The Future of Virtual Reality (VR) Games Written by Pierre Fouquet

Credit: Benjamin Torode

Credit: Just Science

his technology isn`t new, but only recently it reached a point where people think it can work. Developers started to explore VR in 1962, with the View-Master, which T was basically a slideshow viewer that you held over your eyes. We then move onto Battlezone from 1980, which was an where you played as a tank and shot enemies. In 1995, the Virtual Boy showed everything as red and was just all around awful and it was discontinued worldwide in only 8 months. While these devices are not the only ones to have existed, they were the main releases of their times.

VR then went quiet for a long time, on the consumer side anyway. While many Air Forces worldwide have created VR gear, consumer headsets flew under the radar until 2010, when the first development kit (DK1) of the Oculus Rift released. Despite the hype, it gave many gamers motion sickness. I almost fell over while sitting down when using one. This problem shunned the device instantly. The Oculus DK2 improved on this, as Valve freely shared and released lag and smear-free displays. Consequently, people stopped feeling ill. So, before we dive into the future of VR, we need to have a look at the present.

The Current State of VR e now have 3 major devices on the market, all of which released in 2016. The Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, made in partnership between Valve and HTC, and W the PlayStation VR, the only console headset as of February 2018. Samsung, Lenovo, Huawei, Google and others have released mobile VR systems that allow you to stick your phone into them. Microsoft, along with 3rd parties, also aims to bring low-cost VR to Windows 10, with wired and wireless headsets. Let‘s have a chat about each device.

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Oculus Rift

eaturing a 2160x1200 OLED screen, the Oculus doesn‘t look bad at all. It also has built-in headphones, and optional controllers called Oculus Touch. The positional F tracking uses an infrared (IR) LED sensor to have 3-axis of rotation (roll or rotation, pitch or look up/down, and yaw or looking left/right.) and 3-axis of movement (forward/back, left/right, up/down). These are known as ―the six degrees of freedom,‖ but with the Oculus you have the inability to look behind, due to the camera being in front. This means that developers often build games as traditional arcade shooting galleries, where everything happens in front of the player, with little action happening past 100 degrees.

Later, Oculus released the Oculus Touch Controllers, which allow you to use them as hands and pick up items in games, instead of using a standard controller. These controllers cost around $99, and the headset is around $400, but there are bundles available. An interesting turn of events happened in 2014, when Facebook purchased Oculus for $3 billion. Mark Zuckerberg said: "Mobile is the platform of today, and now we're also getting ready for the platforms of tomorrow." He added: ―Oculus has the chance to create the most social platform ever and change the way we work, play, and communicate." However, seeing as any VR device has yet to bring any real profits, I‘m not sure that Oculus has created ―the most social platform ever,‖ but given more time, it might have.

PlayStation VR (PS VR)

t has a lower resolution screen, at only 1080x1200, than the Oculus, but has a far more comfortable head strap. Instead of the straps coming out from the sides, the whole thing I has an interpretant strap, which simply allows the headset to sit over your eyes. This stops the issues of most other headsets where, after some time, your head starts to hurt and makes the device feel lighter, even though it is the heaviest. The adjustment is easy, with a few dials, switches, or buttons to get everything in place.

While the PS VR is like the Oculus in many ways, when it comes to positional tracking, to get the most out of the device you must purchase separate products. First, the PlayStation Camera, then the PlayStation Move (and maybe Navigation variant, which has a joystick) and you need PlayStation Aim controllers to simulate hands. In total, while the headset is the most affordable of the 3 main options, with the added accessories needed to get the full experience it doesn‘t come out as much cheaper – around $500 for everything. Overall, the PS VR is like the Oculus only on the PS4, which makes it the only VR headset on consoles and it works amazingly well, considering a lot of it is based off (relatively) old technology – like the Move controllers, and Camera.

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HTC Vive

he Vive has a 2160×1200 resolution and a wider viewing angle than the other headsets (at 110 degrees, then 100 and 90 respectively). It is also, however, the least T comfortable of the three and feels the heaviest. Additionally, it is the most expensive, due to how it deals with positional tracking. The HTC Vive is the only VR headset to date that offers an almost true room scale experience. This is thanks to it using a 2 base station setup, called Lighthouse. These send out infrared (IR) pulses 60 times a second, with a maximum of a 15x15 foot radius.

These IR pulses hit multiple sensors on the headset and controllers to give accurate positional data. It is boasted to be 1:1 accurate and give zero motion sickness in return – a claim I don‘t quite believe, but it is vastly more accurate than any other headset. I don‘t believe in the accurancy simply because, to get this type of precision, all the sensors need to be activated at the same time, but, as your body gets in the way, sometimes fully accurate tracking is not possible. The Vive also comes in a package with everything you need, the 2 Lighthouse boxes, 2 controllers, and of course the headset – this also adds to the cost. In June 2017, the Deluxe Audio Strap became available, which includes integrated over-ear headphones, as well as improving the comfort of the headset by giving a more robust and well-designed head strap system. Out of all the VR headsets I‘ve tried, the Vive is by far the most impressive.

Mobile VR here have been many simple viewing sets you can get for mobile, with the cheapest being the Google Cardboard, which isn‘t very good, as there are no head straps, so T you must hold it to your face. Plus, there are no adjustments for the lens distance, and building the thing is fiddly – yes you must build it yourself. But the two main mobile headsets on the market are the Google Daydream and Samsung Gear VR. These are alike in that you simply strap your smartphone into the headset and then your phone becomes how you view the VR world/video. The built-in phone gyroscope is used for orientation, but this means that there is no positional tracking as the devices are fully wireless.

The drawback is that each headset requires specific smartphones. This is where the similarities end. You can only use the Gear VR with Samsung phones. On the other hand, you can use the Daydream with a wider variety of phones, like Google‘s own Pixel phones (all Pixel models), as well as Samsung‘s S8, S8+, and Note 8, and a few others by LG, Asus, Huawei and Motorola. The Gear VR uses a trackpad on the right side of the headset to interact with, while the phone is mounted, whilst the Daydream comes with a positionally tracked wireless controller (there is a Gear VR controller you can get with all new headsets, or on its own).

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More differences are in how developers deliver the apps. With Daydream, you simply download them from the Googe Play Store, while with the Gear VR you have to use the Oculus Home marketplace, as Oculus partialy developed it. The Gear VR also has an integrated USB connector so that you can power your mounted device while using it, and has a small fan to keep fogging down (it can get hot inside a headset). From an aesthetic point of view, the Daydream looks nice and I wouldn‘t mind wearing it out in public (if taking a long flight, or long train journey) where the Gear VR doesn‘t look particularly good, as it has some jagged edges making the headset just not looking sleak.

Microsoft “VR” t wouldn‘t be honest to talk about VR without mentioning Microsoft‘s Mixed Reality system. While this isn‘t true VR, it‘s closer to Augmented Reality (AR), it needs a I mention. Currently, 4 manufacturers have released Mixed Reality headsets, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Acer, with Microsoft focusing on the HoloLens. These headsets allow you to overlay a virtual world onto the real one, in real time, and let you interact with it while still seeing the real world.

All these headsets require the use of a Windows 10 PC, except for the HoloLens, which is the only AR stand-alone device Microsoft offers at this point, but you pay the price for it at $3,000 (Google has the Google Glass, which is similar in some ways). Where most of the headsets are comparable to the PS VR in cost, the HoloLens goes into the thousands (at least for the development kit, we will see how much the consumer model will cost)

The Current Moment of VR

here is still a long way this technology needs to go before becoming of universal use. As mentioned, in the past, the lack of the technology hindered the future of VR. T We now have this technology. We just need to find ways to make it affordable for the mass market. Microsoft is trying this with an AR approach, which, in many ways, is vastly more powerful than VR, due to it being set in the real world, but with the user being able to interact with the digital overlays.

If we look at VR on the PC, there are vastly more possibilities, with the room scale system of the HTC Vive, and with the dedicated hand controllers, which are not older technology like with the PlayStation Move Controllers, of the Oculus and Vive players can get more immersed in games than ever before. The console side is a different story, while the headset is solid and works well, with many of the motion devices which can be used (the Camera, Move and Aim controllers) being slightly outdated, the accuracy is not always there. There is also the issue of

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the headset being locked to the PlayStation 4 system, which means that if Sony doesn‘t support it, players who own it may get short-changed.

Researchers testing VR for controlling planetary hovers. Credit: European Space Agency

On the mobile end, with the added motion controls and the ability to control your phone without having to unmount it, I feel this is the best way to experience VR. If you already have the phone to run it, the price of the headset is comparatively cheap.

I‘m sure you‘ve noticed I have yet to mention any games. That‘s simply because there are few outstanding VR titles. The best of the lot are ones where you are sitting still, things like racing games, or flight simulators. There are a few good experiences outside of those, on Google`s Daydream, EarthShape by Bithell Games has had favorable reviews and Volume: Coda for the PS VR by the same developer is good fun, if you enjoy stealth games. Also, on the PS VR is Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, which enhanced the scare factor of the experience and Battlezone on the PS VR and PC is a great use of VR as you are sitting in a hover tank and it feels amazing. There is also Windlands, which works well as it‘s based on a grappling hook and not moving by walking or running. Beyond that, VR doesn‘t offer much for gaming.

The Most Pessimist ic Future

his technology has yet to make a sizable profit. The media and the everyday person laugh at people who bang on about VR all the time. The only profit happened in the T court. ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda, filed a lawsuit against Facebook and Oculus VR for $2 billion. This was due to the now Chief Technology Officer of Oculus VR, who had worked at ZeniMax Media, and was accused of sharing trade secrets when moving to his new employer. Facebook and Oculus won the case. The court ruled that Oculus did not steal trade secrets and lifted the necessity of paying $2 billion to ZeniMax Media.

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However, the story does not end there. Facebook owes a combined sum of $500 million to ZeniMax Media for other various reasons -- like a breach of non-disclosure agreements, false designation (when a product is said to be from one country but isn‘t), and copyright infringement, to name a few.

Now, let‘s imagine Oculus continues to suffer losses in court and money keeps going down the drain. This might surpass the $3 billion Facebook paid for Oculus and Facebook might investigate shutting the company down. If that happens, one of the biggest faces in VR will be no longer. This would mean that the only VR headset on the market will be the expensive HTC Vive – which has not made a profit. But taking a step back, according to data published by Variety, we do know that the Gear VR accounts for around 40% of the VR market, with the Google Cardboard being 23%, and the Oculus, and HTC Vive being a combined 25%, and the PS VR being only around 9%.

The numbers published are significant as the Gear VR has only shipped around 6 million units, according to Variety, which means that everything else has shipped a lot less, around 20% less and more. The currently estimated revenue of VR is $7.17 billion, a number which is likely the gross profit as these estimations very often are (think, Facebook have paid about $7.5 billion in total for Oculus). It doesn‘t look good, especially if the HTC Vive is the remaining headset.

We can then look at the setup process of the HTC Vive, which is complex. Meaning VR would no longer be for the average person, but the tech enthusiast., thus reducing the customer base and further losing money. HTC would then cut their support for VR, and thus Valve would no longer be in VR either, outside of software – but if no one is getting VR headsets, then would Valve sink money into VR? VR games would be gone.

On the mobile side, as Oculus helped create the Samsung Gear VR as it is now, Oculus would no longer be trading in the stock market, so Samsung would have to go and fund the project themselves (as Google is with the Daydream). But would they sink more money into it after Oculus is gone? That would also mean all the developers would need to move the app over to either the Google Play Store or Samsung would need to create their own VR store.

Sony, with the PS VR, would be the least affected by this move. But, with their history of releasing hardware and then not supporting it, I don‘t see them keeping up the PS VR support for much longer. Look at the PlayStation TV (also known as the PS Vita TV), how much have you heard about that? Not a lot. What about the PlayStation 3D display? Announced at E3 2014, and then never really spoken about again. We then move to the handheld market. While the PSP was decently supported, Sony then tried to release the PSP Go and players didn`t receive it well, so Sony stopped supporting it. We then have the PS Vita. A handheld console which is loved by

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many, other than Sony. While it didn‘t sell as well as Sony hoped, it still sold an estimated 10 million units worldwide, and is loved by many of those users Sony has forgotten about and in March 2019 PS Plus subscribers will no longer get free games for it. Sony will also forget the PS VR was sold and will stop supported it too.

I declare VR dead at this point. With Oculus dissolved, HTC dropping support, Samsung not willing to continue their Gear VR line, and Google no longer adding to the Daydream, and Sony simply not supporting their hardware anymore, we turn to AR headsets like Microsoft are championing. AR is where everything will move to, but not even in games. AR is far more versatile than VR, allowing for use on the move with safety. If you are in a car or truck, you can see through the support structures, removing blind spots. In aircraft, you can look through the floor. This is currently used in the F35 helmet (the F-35 Gen III Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS)), but imagine this in commercial aircraft, in your own car or truck, in helicopters for search and rescue. All of this is possible with AR, but not VR.

The Most Optimistic Future

his technology can have an amazing future, if developers work out a few things. For example, how movement works without giving motion sickness and how to design T games around picking up objects. When these two key issues are over, just imagine being transported into a new world. One where you can explore thousands of miles without looking at a screen. Interacting with the universe using hardware that allows you to walk anywhere, but at the same time stay in place.

The only piece of hardware on the market that does this right now is the Virtuix Omni Treadmill. However, it‘s bulky and expensive. At launch it was $799, but has since dropped to $555, which is still $200 more than the Oculus. If some simple straps were added where you could move your feet, and the game would interpret that as running, you would now be moving your legs to walk but not actually needing a large room. Then, with trackpad controllers as with the HTC Vive, you can do things like crouching or lying down. Just be sure to have space around you to turn and reach out.

VR also needs to go wireless. As with mobile VR, the lack of wires stops you from wrapping yourself up with the headset‘s multitude of cords. If you could walk around a room, rotate, touch the ground, lie down, crawl and roll over, without being wrapped in miles of cables, you would no longer have that fear. Going wireless would benefit gamers worldwide, but it would extend the application of this technology much farther than gaming.

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Surgeon uses VR to enhance his view during a procedure. Credit: Rafael Grossmann

What if wireless headsets didn‘t just help with gaming related usage? Take VR out of a pure gaming environment and there is a possibility of using it for remote surgery (above). No longer will surgeons need to rely on a steady hand, as a robotic arm on the other end will imitate the movements of the surgeon, but with far more precision. Scanning equipment would, of course, need to become super advanced so that it can model a human 1:1 accurately on real time, but with VR, the surgeon would be completely encased in the surgery with no distractions. They could also sit or lie down and be more comfortable than they would be otherwise.

If we then look at training, currently, racing drivers use simulators, as do pilots in flight training, but these VR machines are bulky and expensive. Just having a small setup, with the basic cockpit of a car, or simply a flight chair, with motion feedback of course. Then for flight training, having the virtual cockpit in front of you. Reaching out and interacting with everything would stop the need for having the physical setup. If we look at the best future of VR, all the things just mentioned are possible. Some are possible even now. VR can go further than its current state, it can be used to help, not just for entertainment.

The Likeliest Future

see VR as not being used for gaming in the home for much longer. The only domestic gaming I see done in VR is with games where you sit still, like racing or driving, flight I simulators, or shooting galleries. I see VR migrating to arcades. The likes of Time Crisis in VR, but where you must literally take cover behind physical walls which are at a 1:1 distance as in the virtual space (the walls don‘t need to be there of course).

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VR has become increasingly more popular in training environments. Credit: Virtual Reality Times VR will expand its use as a cheaper way to train pilots and racecar drivers. As spoken about in the previous section, the pods are expensive and massive. You can still get the physical sensations of the aircraft or vehicle through moving seats. Outside of racing or flying, drivers could be taught the basics of car control in VR. No longer do you need to endanger other drivers or your instructor, and an automated scoring can be given with how well you are doing. Did you over-rev the car? How straight did you really go? How fast did you go around the corners? You can also learn advanced techniques, like ice driving, recovering from a slide, or even J-turns and things like that. But again, without the danger of rolling a real car and injuring people. This will teach you the fundamentals and, hopefully, help people be more confident before getting into a real car. It also should be cheaper.

VR will likely go wireless, and maybe in time even gain its own internal processing, akin to the Microsoft HoloLens but with VR, not AR. It can then connect it to a PC or console, and no longer need a super powerful system to run it. Again, wirelessly connect to your other device. This can also mean that they can interface with a smartphone and bring high-level graphics to a smartphone VR headset.

Alongside all of this, I see AR becoming more prevalent. In exactly the way I described in the previous section. So, with AR and VR joining forces, we will see whole new ways of interaction with the world. AR to make the real world safer, and VR to ensure that you learn things in a safe environment, before going out to the wider world. Imagine learning how to build in AR or

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VR without the need to try in real-life. Imagine a world where everyone knows how to do things before trying them for real. How much safer would the planet become?

Like with the Microsoft Kinect, I see VR being more useful for specific non-gaming tasks – people used the Kinect to 3D scan objects cheaply and could serve as an infra-red camera for night vision CCTV. Yes, the Kinect was a failed gaming peripheral, but it still sold very well, in part for how it was used for non-gaming ways – selling 35 million in total and was the fastest selling consumer electronics device by selling 8 million units in the first 60 days.

Think about going to a VR cinema. Where 3D never really caught on, could a VR film truly bring you into that world? IMAX already has a VR experience, but it‘s only available in 7 locations, two in New York, then Bangkok, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Manchester, and Toronto, but imagine this in more places. Yes, not every film will work like this and not every game should have a VR mode, but I see VR as not in the home but in public. In arcades, in cinemas, in schools and other places of learning, as well as AR being in transportation and enabling us to navigate better by superimposing where you need to go over the world.

The future is exciting, and I hope the right people can spearhead it so that we don‘t get the cyberpunk cliché of AR over advertising, and VR brothels or all living in the matrix. The right people will enable this technology to make the world better and allow you to have fun while learning it.

Insights from Inside

ho is better to interview about the future of VR than a developer who began his career when he put a VR W camera into a Dungeon Master-like game, and said ―well I‘ve got to build games for this‖? I interviewed Jon Hibbins (right) of Psytec Games. Best known for their VR rope swinging game Windlands Psytec Games was founded in 2015, with their first game being Crystal Rift, a classic first-person grid-biased dungeon crawler with horror elements.

How was your first experience with VR?

―It‘s important to bear in mind the [Oculus Rift] DK1 wasn‘t a very good headset in comparison to nowadays, but even so ‗the, ‗I‘m actually in the world,‘ was such a revolution. It was a paradigm shift. It did highlight, really sharply, that no matter how good I‘d made the [Dungeon Master-like] game in bog standard 2D it would not have been as good as that one minute of experience inside the game.‖

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Do you think these paradigm shifts are still happening?

―Even up to this day, there are still paradigm shifts happening. Like the Vive Pro and, most recently, having a go on the Santa Cruz – which is the new Oculus headset, which is tetherless and whatever. I‘m still impressed with the pace of VR. I‘m still getting those feelings of, ‗Wow, this is again. Wow, this is next level-‗I don‘t expect that‘s going to stop for a little while.

I think, even as developers… We think we are starting to get a good pace. We‘re obviously developing Windlands 2... It‘s multiplayer, which is a completely different experience. Social is a killer for VR. We‘ve done a lot of things that are just so cool, I can‘t wait to share. We enjoy playing our games so much, that we can‘t get ourselves out of it in meetings. [It‘s like a] ‗Just one more go,‘ scenario. Especially, some of the features.

… I think it‘s four or five years now. Windlands 2 has been in dev for way over a year and a half, maybe nearly two years now. We‘re two years into that, but we‘re still learning. We‘re doing really cool things. There is stuff we‘re doing on Windlands 2 that we wouldn‘t dreamt of being able to do in Windlands 1 or Crystal Rift.

We‘ve been able to employ amazing talent from around the world. We‘ve got a guy that does our NPC characters, from DreamWorks. We‘ve got extremely talented people that have been working with us for a long time as well. [The person who is doing] level design and building level design [is] -- absolutely -- just getting better at that all the time and it shows. We‘ve been able to bring on people that are specifically talented at certain things, which has meant that we‘ve ended up with a great game.‖

What is the future of VR and how will Psytec Games contribute to it?

―The question is whether or not I think VR is awesome, definitely… It is absolutely awesome. Where it‘s going, I think we are into this futurist part of this amazing part of changing civilization. I was one of the first people on the internet. If I could have predicted where it is now, great. I was one of the first people to have an iPhone, if I could have predicted where it is now, great.

I didn‘t want to miss the boat on VR, that‘s why I set up the company and that‘s why we‘re doing it. It‘s going to change everything, everything. Not on a level that- People talk about the way they play games, or maybe looking around buildings or whatever. I think that this is internet and phone level paradigm shift for the world. I don‘t think most people see it that way. I think most people see it as this geeky little thing that‘s taking off somewhere. I don‘t, I think this will be normal in everyday parts of life. It will be radical in the way it changes the world.

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There is literally no point in commuting; I don‘t understand why it happens. In the future world, that‘s what I think is going to happen. Nobody will commute anymore. You‘ll be able to work from, either, local centers to your house or you‘ll work from inside headsets. Those that say, ‗Well, I quite like seeing people and moving around and all of those interactions.‘ Those interactions will be stronger and better inside VR and AR than they will be in the office environment.

The majority of people just goes and sit at a desk, don‘t talk to anybody all day, use a computer in front of them and go home. That was unthinkable. That was unthinkable 10, 25, years ago, right? That people would be on the internet all day, using Skype or using computers all day long. It was unthinkable, people were using typewriters. It was like, ‗This is never going to happen.‘ Actually, the next level of humans and the way that we work is that VR will make instant teleportation to each other‘s environments.

Psytec has a whole bunch of people working for us, contractors and stuff. We meet inside our own game. We actually built Windlands 2 inside of Windlands 2. We actually log in and see our stuff inside Windlands 2, we hold meetings in Windlands 2. It‘s fully voice over IP, you can hear where people are around you, you can high five people, they look at you, they communicate with you with their hands – because it‘s fully 3D tracked.

We‘ve been doing this for a few years. It‘s just perfectly normal, and yet everybody that is in those meetings is around the world. We‘ve got people in , we‘ve got people in America, the original people that were working with Windlands are all from Finland, we‘ve got people all over the UK. It‘s just normal, for us, that we‘re in each other‘s visual space but in a virtual environment.

That is only just going to get better. You‘ve got inside-out tracking that‘s fully functional, workable, and purchasable today. Eventually, that will be room-scanning level. We know the technology is already there, because we‘ve got stuff like the AR kit on Apple and the equivalent on Android. We‘ve got photogrammetry that is getting faster and better. We‘ve got machine learning that is scanning environments looking for objects.

It amuses me because you‘ve got very simple technologies like on the iPhone X, you look at it and it can scan your face. It‘ll show you a monkey, or whatever, in your face. The same, now, has just been released on the S9 Samsung. That same technology, obviously, could scan your own face and present that face to somebody else in virtual reality. You can, sort of, see that all the bits of the glue are coming together.

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It doesn‘t surprise me that there is the Vive Pro out, because for businesses and arcades and out- of-home entertainment stuff – that‘s a really, really, big need. It‘s high resolution because they don‘t have the problem of the horsepower, because they don‘t have the constraints of the cash.‖

What purposes do you think VR can fulfill, apart from gaming?

―We won‘t have to travel on a train, why do we do that? With VR, we can go anywhere instantly. We would never need to physically travel for work (for pleasure is a different story as you want the real physical sensations of traveling and being in a new place). Why do we need shopping malls? If you can literally do any of those environments repeated in VR, and do is as well if not better… I get so much pushback when I say that. It‘s mostly people that are stuck in the mind frame of change. A lot of people don‘t like change, and can‘t envision that change, and are quite happy the way they are.‖

How do you think VR will help players to express themselves?

―Expression of personality goes through the roof. If you want to be the Iron Giant or if you want to be the Hulk, fine, the future lets you be that way. I‘m sure that will start to transpire itself in many exciting ways. It may even just be an avatar of yourself exactly as you are, you can express yourself how you wish to be.

The whole of that social side, I think, is only just starting to budge in. I‘ve played more games socially in VR than I have non-VR. It‘s hard to set up, frankly. VR is like you‘re there, you‘re there with them, it‘s like being in the room. Some of the best experiences I‘ve had have been the social VR side of things. That‘s why we‘ve been focusing on it in Windlands 2…

We saw a gap, as well, for cooperative multiplayer, which is actually going on an adventure together. There aren‘t that many games doing that well. There is a lot PvP or racing. We‘ve decided to do a cooperative adventure, that‘s really what we wanted to do for ourselves. We saw that gap, and it‘s an obvious thing to do I think.‖

I want to once again thank Jon Hibbins for taking the time to talk to me. Windlands 2 is launching in 2018 for the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PS VR.

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Chapter 3

The Future of Social Good Games Written by Limarc Ambalina

Credit: Your Story Community

ideo games will create a better world and this chapter will tell you why. To begin, we must acknowledge our own subjective point in gaming history. This is an era in V which we are seeing the most exponential growth and revolutionary development in the industry. The reason being is that the potential of video games is proportional to the increasing development of technology, which is also becoming more powerful by the day.

Although video games have been around since 1958, they still are in their infancy when compared to other mediums, such as film, literature and theatre. Likewise, research on the psychological effects of gaming has been sparse. However, due to the media‘s infectious attraction to the negative, most studies have aimed to highlight the negative influences of gaming, rather than the joy it brings to lives worldwide.

It is likely that most non-gamers believe gaming is bad for society, because news outlets show us stories of teenagers shooting up schools, children killing their parents, increased violence, decreased attention spans, and hermit-like anti-social tendencies. The media shows these stories, instead of the child who uses games to escape from bullying or the children who learned how to share and retrieve information.

The limelight in the media isn‘t given to the children who develop cooperation and teamwork skills through gaming, the infants who learned how to read through play or the kid whose passions and creativity blossomed because of the universes video games can take us to. Therefore, rather than the darkness purveyed by mainstream media, this chapter will focus on the latter and reveal the light and hope of the video game industry.

Gaming Our Way to a Better World

ideo games are a powerful storytelling medium. They can take people to magical universes far from reality. They can move people, make them feel courageous, V loved and worthy. Above all, they have the power to tell stories worth telling. Video games have a positive effect on human beings as individuals and on our society, with applications in the medical field, cognitive development, prosocial behavior and aiding in developing positive attitudes toward failure.

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Final Fantasy VII, a game critics and players often praise for its narrative. Credit: Square Enix

Games Are Educational and Developmental

ccording to Isabela Granic, Professor and Chair of the Developmental Psychopathology department at Radboud University, in her article The Benefits of A Playing Video Games, a video game titled Re-Mission (below) showed positive effects on children with cancer. Developers designed it specifically for infants undergoing treatment for the disease. It allowed ―the player to control a nanobot that shoots cancer cells, overcomes bacterial infections, and manages signs of nausea and constipation (common barriers to cancer patients‘ treatment adherence), the game aimed to teach children how to best adhere to their cancer treatments,‖ and the results were encouraging.

Gameplay footage from Re-Mission. Credit: Realtime Associates

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Before Re-Mission, doctors struggled to get through to young patients regarding strict adherence to their treatment plans. Doctors found that giving children rules to follow did not work well when they did not fully understand the importance of their doctor‘s orders. Some patients believed skipping a chemo session to party with friends was not such a big deal in the scheme of things, but Re-mission helped them understand that treatment is not something to be turned off and on at will. According to a controlled study conducted in 34 medical centers, patients who played Re-Mission showed enhanced benefits when compared to patients in the control group who were assigned to play a different game. ―Adherence to treatment protocol, self-efficacy, and cancer-related knowledge were all significantly greater in the intervention group. The game has now been distributed to over 200,000 patients and continues to be viewed as a successful treatment approach.‖

Citing another example from TIME magazine online, where a game held educational benefits, Foldit, a chemistry-related title, has helped scientists understand the structure of an AIDS- related enzyme, which had before baffled researchers in the field. The game pits gamers against complicated protein and amino acid puzzles. The only difference is that solving the challenges in this game could lead to scientific breakthroughs and potentially save lives. Furthermore, it‘s possible that merely the act of play in general contributes to neurological growth. Also stated in Granic‘s article, ―Experimental laboratory studies indicate that play fighting results in the release of chemical growth factors in the parts of the brain that are coordinated for highly social activities (e.g., the orbital frontal cortex),‖ which means that playing video games, or just games in general, could result in the player having enhanced social abilities.

Games Build Better People

ideo games have the power to build strong, pro-social, intelligent and creative human beings. Contrary to widespread belief, gamers are not the hot-pocket- V eating, greasy-faced hermits who live in their parents‘ basements. The Entertainment Software Association (2016) states that over 50% of frequent gamers play with other people, friends or family, online or in-person. With the incalculable rise of social media and social networking video games have adapted to include such connectivity.

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Credit: ―I learned how to read faster due to video games as a child, my mother told me she would read books to me and one day I started reading them to her out of nowhere. All I had been doing previously to that was playing video games with a lot of text. As a teenager, video games helped me escape the pressures of middle school and high school. It gave me a chance to unwind and get lost in another world and help fuel my creative side. As an adult, it's definitely therapeutic, as my day can be very stressful, so games give me a chance to shut off and get lost in the game world.‖ – Douglas Bogart ()

Video games are not lonely activities. They are shared and enjoyed globally. Many players use them to connect with friends or family members, sometimes using them as a means of contact with loved ones halfway across the world. People can chat through video games with strangers, friends, and family alike, sometimes forming lifelong friendships. There have even been cases of people finding love in online games. One example that made Daily Mail headlines was about a couple in the UK who met online playing Final Fantasy XI, an online MMORPG from Square Enix, and later married. Furthermore, it has become increasingly easy and common to share video game activity online and through social media.

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―With this unlimited amount of gaming opportunities, we can use it as a tool to build up new relationships, learn about trends, and communicate globally.‖ – Tetsuya Kishigami (Former Square Enix Project Manager)

Aside from the social capabilities of gaming hardware, Granic’s studies show that ―children who played more prosocial games at the beginning of the school year were more likely to exhibit helpful behaviors later that year‖. Furthermore, ―adolescents who played games with civic experiences (e.g., Guild Wars 2, an MMORPG, or massive multiplayer online role-playing game) were more likely to be engaged in social and civic movements in their everyday lives (e.g., raising money for charity, volunteering, and persuading others to vote)‖.

―Looking back at my -freak days, I remember playing many RPG games. Since we didn’t have the internet those days, I naturally learned how to share and get information at a time with a limited amount of media, help friends out, think about tactics to move on, and even share the game cassette itself. These factors built up skills to enable teamwork and fetching new knowledge.‖ – Tetsuya Kishigami (Former Square Enix Project Manager)

Furthermore, games with a large online community encourage interaction among players. This gives players the chance to judge people in a safe environment. Isabela Granic states that ―In these virtual social communities, decisions need to be made on the fly about whom to trust, whom to reject, and how to most effectively lead a group. Given these immersive social contexts, we propose that gamers are rapidly learning social skills and prosocial behavior that might generalize to their peer and family relations outside the gaming environment‖. More than that, players can do this in a relatively safe space where trusting the wrong person would, at worst, lead to a game over screen. In real life, there is no place where people can improve such social and interpersonal skills through trial and error without consequence. Yet, perhaps the most rewarding benefit of videogames is enhanced creativity.

―New evidence is emerging that playing any kind of video game, regardless of whether or not it is violent, enhances children’s creative capacities. For example, among a sample of almost 500 12-year-old students, video game playing was positively associated with creativity‖ -Isabela Granic (Chair of Psychopathology, Radboud University)

Possibly the most difficult attribute to instill in someone is creativity and it may be a skill or ability that no textbook can teach, and no student can memorize from a flashcard. Creativity is needed in every field of the world and it‘s what sets human beings apart from other species. From our ability to create tools, to ponder our own existence, to create innovative technologies and revolutionary medical advances, creativity is what colors the world.

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―I think games can teach kids to have an imagination, sometimes learn history, social skills, and how to be creative.‖ – Douglas Bogart (Limited Run Games)

Creative development and enhancement is where video games are the spearhead in the entertainment industry. There is no other media in which the consumer is required to produce creativity of their own more than in video games. Movies allow you to bask in the glory and brilliance of directors like Stephen Spielberg, but video games seek to extract the Spielberg from within yourself. Whether it be designing a character‘s appearance, choosing dialogue options in an RPG, forging the storyline in games like Skyrim or Fallout or even creating entire worlds of your own in the sandboxes of Minecraft, video games push you to create your own entertainment and, the more creative you are, the better and more enjoyable your gaming experience will be.

Games Encourage Failure

ideo games create a positive attitude toward failure. Many games teach players their rules not through dialogue, instruction manuals, or text overlays, but rather V through trial and error. This promotes a constant system of failure and success, learning and relearning throughout the game. The Mario franchise (below) is famous for this.

Credit: Nintendo This gives players, especially developing children, a sense of security in the face of failure, making them comfortable with it. This may sound bad, but it‘s not. It‘s the only way to achieve success. One of the most influential inventors in human history once said:

―I didn’t fail. I just found 2000 ways not to make a light bulb; I only needed to find one way to make it work.‖ – Thomas Edison

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And it is precisely this way of thinking that video games can instill on players. Failure is evidence of your effort, you can‘t fail unless you try, and it is this mindset that creates the geniuses, the CEOs and all the great people of the world. Therefore, video games promote failure, which can create individuals who are willing to make mistakes. Granic‘s study found that ―If intelligence or ability is presumed to be a mark of effortful engagement, failure signals the need to remain engaged and bolster one‘s efforts. In turn, this positive attitude toward failure predicts better academic performance.‖

The Most Optimistic Future

owever, this not only improves one‘s academic performance, but overall chances in real-life situations and trials, be it the strength to offer an incorrect answer in the H classroom, the motivation to try new hobbies or interests, or even the courage to get shot down asking someone on a date, promoting a positive attitude toward failure can only create a stronger human society. Video games can create a generation of people willing to invent new things, teach our children in new ways, and dare to go where people have not gone before. We can create a society of educated individuals, not only skilled in memorizing facts but like in video games, able to find multiple solutions to a single problem. These are the type of people that will make a better world and video games will help us get there.

The Most Pessimistic Future

e live in a world where we can uphold and fight for our democratic rights. Freedom of speech in most countries has led to quite an open-field in terms of W game development and censorship. There have been more than a few controversial titles released in The West with no signs of strong censorship rules coming in the foreseeable future. When I say controversial, I refer to entire series such as (below), or even just certain parts of games, like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s airport massacre scene. These titles have created public outcry in some cases. One New York grandmother even sued developers over hidden sexual scenes in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, claiming she had bought the game for her 14-year-old grandson, with no warning that it had such sexual content.

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Grand Theft Auto is a franchise the media often uses to show as a representation of gaming. Credit: Rockstar Despite all the controversy, these games can still be bought online or from store shelves with ease. Furthermore, in 2011 the US Supreme Court ruled that video games are works of art and are thus protected under the 1st Amendment, regarding freedom of speech. Therefore, it is evident that we currently have no fear of games being censored to hell and back. However, that brings us back to the question: what am I afraid of? Or what should we be afraid of? The main thing that comes to mind is mainstream media. It has already painted games in a negative light, when it serves their ratings. One article by CNN, regarding a case of a young boy who shot his grandmother in the head, delved deeply into the evidence supporting that the boy‘s love of Grand Theft Auto IV was the cause of the incident. However, the article failed to go into the details of gun safety and why the boy was able to access his grandmother‘s gun in the first place.

The media has a strong effect on society. Humans are drawn to accept the word of authority figures and just because someone is given a teleprompter and air time, most people are inclined to believe what they say. The media can affect the outcome of presidential elections, create legislation, and even alter one‘s beliefs. Therefore, the worst that could happen is a media witch hunt on the video game industry. For example, on February 22nd, 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that there is a need to censor and consider ―do[ing] something about‖ violent video games and movies. He, although vaguely, offered violent movies and video games being experienced during the developmental stages of childhood as a reason for the violence we are seeing in youth. Mind you, these statements came shortly after the Parkland Shooting in Florida where 17 people lost their lives. It‘s exactly that sort of thinking that can harm the video game industry without cause or reason.

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The Likeliest Future

ideo games are a metaphor for life. They all come in different forms with diverse sizes, lengths, and all holding unique stories of their own. Just like life, some V games will hit certain players harder than others and some might struggle where others won‘t. Yet, regardless of the game, of the story, gaming does something that other storytelling mediums don‘t. They require you to press a button, move forward on the d-pad, leap over the gap and duck under the danger. Video games require you to forge your own destiny within their creative worlds and in doing so they teach the gamer that it‘s okay to fail and that there‘s always a solution to the problem, regardless of the difficulty.

Children develop confidence in the face of failure, gain social skills, and enhance their creativity through video games. They are the escape people need at the end of a tough day, and they tell stories that will mold one‘s morals and ethics for the rest of their life. For many people, they provide tales of hope. More than that, they let gamers create hope with their own two hands.

However, video games are not so well respected by many people. Many parents still see them as a waste of money and time. Some people strongly believe that games can cause addiction. In early 2018, the World Health Organization made national headlines, labelling video gaming addiction as a disorder to be published in the ICD-11. Although there have not been enough studies to support this belief, anything in excess is a bad and just like any other source of entertainment, the gamers must enjoy it responsibly.

Yet, in the end, I will maintain the stance that video games have done more good than harm and will continue to lighten the individual worlds of players and the global society, rather than darken it. The interactive environment provided in gaming is unparalleled by any other source of entertainment and the revolutionary advancements in technology will further enhance the power of games and likewise their benefits in society.

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Chapter 4

The Future of Video Game Platforms Written by David Lozada

Credit: Keith Fitzpatrick

ress X to begin. No matter the console you play on, you've probably read or heard this sentence at least once in your life. Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality P (AR), free-to-play or pay-to-win. The types of games available vary, but they all share the most common element that the industry has managed to maintain since its inception -- the way users interact with this medium. There is always a gamer and a device. Unfortunately, we haven‘t yet seen a system that reads your mind and does all the work reach mass market. The keyword here is ―yet.‖

Seeing how this industry changes by the day, it‘s impossible to predict exactly how we‘ll be playing 5 years from now. As many other technological media, something like the may appear and change the landscape for everyone participating in the long-fought console wars. Something may come that threatens the existence of PCs, for example. There‘s just no way of knowing now. However, it‘s still interesting to venture a guess into what we think may happen and there‘s no way better way of forming educated guesses than looking at the present and to which future it will lead us.

The Most Pessismistic Future

here are 3 major consoles on the market: Nintendo‘s hybrid device, the Switch, Microsoft‘s family of devices, and Sony‘s PlayStation 4 brand. Except T for the Switch, which debuted in 2017, each platform has a mid-generational upgrade that offers greater graphical fidelity and better overall performance in the Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro, respectively. There are also slimmer models of each machine to consider, found in the Xbox One S and PlayStation 4 Slim. In case you weren‘t confused enough, each device has its own gigabyte capacity too, thereby segmenting the console market even further. That‘s just the tip of the iceberg.

Mobile gaming has also become immensely popular in the last 5 years, as global revenue has been increasing by the billions every year (today its worth is $47.4 billion. It was $30.4 billion in 2015). It helps that users can effortlessly download titles from Apple‘s iOS store or the Android store and get games from their favorite franchises in minutes. Indeed, the mobile market is one that has become impossible to ignore, as Microsoft, Sony, and even Nintendo have produced dedicated smartphones titles. Games like Microsoft‘s Halo: Spartan Assault and Spartan Strike, Sony‘s Passing Time and Tokyo Jungle Mobile, and Nintendo‘s Super Mario Run (below) and Fire Emblem Heroes are evidence of this.

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Credit: Nintendo

To top it all off, there‘s the PC gaming market to consider, whose presence only seems to grow every year. With users able to use console controllers for their computer gaming and the popularity of mods increasing, not to mention a renewed support from third-party publishers responsible for hit franchises like Final Fantasy and Destiny it appears PC gaming is what console manufacturers are looking at to get an idea on how to survive in modernity.

Given the above, the most pessimistic future of gaming platforms will most likely eliminate the need of consoles entirely in favor of all-in-one multimedia devices like smartphones and tablets and dedicated modular PCs built with gaming performance in mind. The middleman - the console market - will most likely be replaced by a newer generation of Steam Machines that are purposefully designed for upgradeability and ease of use. Considering how upgrading a machine is becoming increasingly more intuitive and that today`s youth is well-versed with technology, the biggest advantage of consoles, not needing to learn how to upgrade your PC, may fade away in the future. This would decrease the incentive to buy a console, thus threatening its market to go away.

The Most Optimistic Future

or PC gamers, the issue of keeping up-to-date with hardware hasn‘t been as great as having to invest in a new home device every couple of years. Users simply need to F swap out their graphics cards, processors, or other inner workings to have their machine suited for current generation standards. Consoles, on the other hand, have no such modular functionality. To stay up-to-date with modern gaming, players need to buy a new unit

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entirely, even if their old one has pieces that are similar to those found in the upgrade. This $400 or $500 cost (as per recent prices offered for the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X) is a much heftier investment than the $200 PC users pay to give their rigs the added horsepower.

This information isn`t new to anyone - the possibility of consoles adopting modular functionality in the future was brought back when rumors started swirling about Sony and Microsoft introducing better versions of their devices. Manufacturers will look into the matter again, to prevent the most negative future we discussed from happening. PC gaming has been around for a while now, too, and it‘s obvious that many users who frequent online video game forums and message boards use the internet as their go-to source for information on software releases. Some popular PC games like Slither.io, Bonk.io, and Surviv.io are based solely within internet browsers, after all.

Despite the evidence suggesting that consoles market may one day coalesce with the PC`s, sales figures say otherwise. Both console manufacturers‘ mid-generational upgrades, the Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro, are performing well among consumers. The former helped Microsoft rise 14% in hardware revenue, while Sony attributed the latter as helping the brand continue to sell well this generation. The warm reception to these iterations of established devices may be indicative of the divide that consoles will always have with the PC market, one entirely based on practicality and ease of use.

Now, consumers may still be wary of tampering with the innards of their computers, lest they wind up breaking something they shouldn‘t have ever touched. There‘s also the simplicity in turning on a console and sitting down on a couch after a long day at work to consider, one that removes a human being from a desk and keyboard, which may be two items that people are too used to seeing in their daily work lives. In a sense, there‘s enough of a psychological barrier there to prevent people from going from one PC at work to another at home. Couple this with Steam Machine‘s lukewarm reception and success, and it appears this gap has yet to be breached by anything significantly threatening in the PC space.

In an optimistic future for gaming platforms, the landscape will be diversified enough to create more competition in the hardware space. Aside from consoles, PC games, and the mobile front, a new way to play may arise in the coming years that‘s significant enough to capture a wide audience of people. Re-releases of classic platforms like the SNES Classic and VCS and the popularity of VR are evidence of this already happening today. There will undoubtedly be even more technological breakthroughs in the coming years that present a greater variety of options for us, innovations that we just haven‘t come up with yet or are waiting to become affordable enough to hit mass market. Perhaps the Switch‘s Labo will strike a chord with people

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outside of its child demographic or Microsoft‘s patent for mind-reading headsets will come to fruition in another Xbox iteration. We just must wait and see.

The Likeliest Future

eaving Xbox, PlayStation and the PC market aside, an interesting outlier to consider when discussing the future of where we‘ll play our games comes in the form of L Nintendo and its hardware iterations. The Switch continues to sell astronomically well compared to the before it, selling nearly 15 million units, as of February 2018, and showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. Given its success in the face of more technically impressive hardware in the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, there are a myriad of reasons why the hybrid console, which allows users the ability to play games on the go or at home, is so popular.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild became one of the highest scores on Metacritic, 97. Credit: Nintendo

Its software lineup so far has been nothing to dismiss outright, as exclusive titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (above) and Super Mario Odyssey both released to rave reviews from critics and fans and each won numerous awards in late 2017, but indie titles and ports from the Wii U era, particularly in and Mario Kart 8, have also found great success on the platform - titles that, mind you, existed digitally or on store shelves years prior to their Switch debut.

The hybrid‘s form factor and the novelty of its design should also be considered. The prospect of finally delivering on a true second screen experience was something that apparently many people had been eager for, as seamlessly transitioning from a television screen to Switch‘s portability mode provides convenience in knowing that there never truly is a need to take a break from gaming. Nintendo‘s official estimates show that 50% of users use both console‘s

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abilities for play, after all. Still, if people had learned that Nintendo would once again try to directly compete against the mobile gaming market, no one would have ever guessed that the Switch would accrue so much success as it‘s been receiving.

It‘s both a testament to the evolving nature of video game technology and to the pedigree in which Nintendo unabashedly clings to. The house of Mario, Zelda, , Star Fox, Kirby, Pokémon, and many other timeless franchises simply refuses to do whatever everyone else is doing and sticks to its guns, despite the dangers of waging an uphill battle. In Nintendo‘s case, innovation is the driving factor behind making a name for yourself in today‘s congested gaming market, and whatever they do, they will almost always assuredly create a unique platform that‘s entirely different and distinct from what Microsoft, Sony, and the PC industry have in store. However, that‘s not to say that these are the only machines responsible for determining how we play in the years ahead.

Peripherals in the vein of AR and, more prominently, VR may have a hand in shaping gaming platforms in the future, too. Though not quite at the forefront of the industry and still reserved for premium experiences (especially considering how expensive VR headsets still are for the average consumer, as an Oculus Rift costs over $400 and a HTC Vive nearly $600). The technology behind the phenomenon is interesting, as it does really put a person inside a video game and is very immersive by nature. Entertaining individuals by putting them in the the action or making them feel as if they‘ve become one with the media they‘re consuming is something that we as humans naturally strive for in producing better graphical fidelity, sound design, and the like.

For now, VR still has a way to go in truly delivering its potential, as it appears the software in which we use to experience the technology is more outdated than the technology itself. 5-hour long narratives and rudimentary gameplay found in the likes of Batman: Arkham VR and Moss are keeping VR from achieving what it deserves, though it will be interesting to see when developers will revive the platform, once fundamentals are more up to snuff. At present, it appears the mass gaming market agrees that the technology should be relegated for secondary, premium experiences, at least within the scope of the next couple of years or so.

What are the hard truths that we can most assuredly expect to happen, then, as far as gaming platforms are concerned? It wouldn‘t come as much of a shock to many if the next main staples in the Xbox and PlayStation brand of consoles use a modular format going forward, perhaps including easy to remove hard drives and graphics cards from the outset. PC gaming may continue to encroach on the console space, though it‘s hard to see it overwhelm that side of the industry entirely, as a divide will always exist between consoles and computers. Nintendo will most likely just do its own thing as it has in the past, continuing to create console platforms that

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it deems appropriate for the market at the time, and VR may fade away only to return one day. When all is said and done, perhaps the most effective way in approaching where platforms may lie is looking to the developers who will shape the industry we know and love.

Insights from Inside

s my good friend Priscilla McGann (below), an up-and-coming developer who just finished work on a Touhou game jam, puts it ―The flow of creativity is random at A times, but the ‗fun‘ will always go with it, and so will the players.‖ Couldn‘t have said it better myself. Priscilla‘s full opinion on the matter of gaming platforms is as follows:

Credit: Priscilla McGann

―What I‘m wondering is if there will eventually be a combination of console and PC, similar to what we‘re seeing with VR. Maybe the consoles will evolve to supplement a computer's‘ performance? Market wise, we‘re seeing indie developers prefer PC, because they can really push the boundaries of a ‗medium‘ and create experiences that can‘t be done by consoles. Look at Doki Doki Literature Club and One Shot - two recent indie games that made use of the open- ended PC coding and user interface.

I think if consoles want to stick, particularly with indie developers, they‘re going to really have to get creative. I know people say, the console market is competitive‘ between Microsoft and

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the others, but it‘s going to have to get more cut throat then ‗who has the best graphics,‘ and they may want to start marketing towards a dev‘s ability to express their creative ideas over tech specs like ‗New HD 4k Resolution‘ that most players don‘t care about at this point. Nintendo will probably remain untouched due to their philosophy on games, raw childlike creativity, and beloved worlds. I think what consoles should fear most is a depression, because console gaming is probably the most expensive hobby, and it could cause permanent loss in their purchases. My answer isn‘t too short, and it‘s not too direct, but in reality all we can do is predict what can happen, and be ready for one or all of those circumstances to come. The flow of creativity is random at times, but the ‗fun‘ will always go with it, and so will the players.‖

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Chapter 5 The Future of eSports Written by Daniel Quintiliano

Credit: Helena Kristiansson www.keengamer.com © KeenGamer s.r.o.

hese are video games played in a competitive environment and are not restricted to the sport genre, as they can cover first person shooters (FPS), real-time strategy T (RTS) and battle arenas (MOBA). There is no consensus on a statement that fully represents eSports in today‘s gaming scene, but this did not stop authors, developers and professional players from having a clear idea of the impact this market has had on the industry.

According to Dr. Juho Hamari, Professor of Gamification at the University of Tampere, Finland, we can define eSports as ―a form of sports where the primary aspects of the sport are facilitated by electronic systems; the input of players and teams, as well as the output of the eSports system are mediated by human-computer interfaces". In other words, eSports refer to both pro and amateur competitive gaming that is often coordinated by leagues, ladders or tournaments.

Championships events have widely spread in the gaming community for many reasons. One of them is the simple fact that streamed matches allow gamers to learn how to play by observing professional players. Additionally, these tournaments and their games have also allowed enthusiasts to foster social interactions. A 2016 research from the Entertainment Software Association shows that more than half of gamers choose to play at least one multiplayer mode weekly. The most frequent reason? Building communities. 53% of players believe that video games help them connect with friends, while 42% feel that gaming helps them spend valuable time with family. The use of gaming to build stronger connections among people became possible thanks to one advent.

The advances in streaming technologies have significantly facilitated the access of casual players to live competitions, contributing to the promotion of events and games, thus attracting more people to gaming. With the vast number of online services dedicated to eSports viewership, players and spectators can find a wide array of websites to watch streamed content. Anyone worldwide with access to a computer and internet can watch a match. Live eSports broadcasts and championships have positively contributed to a significant increase in communities that support this gaming category.

According to the 2017 – 2021 Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand report, streaming websites such as Twitch, can host up to 2.1 million streamers every month. These are all advertising opportunities, but spectators also garner the benefits of this environment. When they empathize with other people in the online environment, they tend to develop a closer sense of community. Professor Dr. Juho Hamari argues that this fact may allow viewers to develop a

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deeper connection with players and teams they are rooting for. Because of that, several studies show that there is a direct relationship between the growth of the video game industry and the success of eSports.

A Brief History of eSports

ince the earliest times of video games, developers knew that fostering competition between players was a good strategy to make titles more popular. The first arcade S machines already displayed a list of high scores as an attempt to encourage disputes between gamers. A good example of that is the popular Space Invaders (above). This 1978 title was the first to give players the ability to make victories even more memorable through high score records. In 1980, this arcade game was converted into the home console Atari 2600 and it holds the title of 5th best-selling cartridge for the system. Because of that, gamers challenged each other to achieve a prestigious spot at the top of the list. However, despite their success, arcade games lacked a mean for people to spectate.

Space Invaders can be thought of as the “grandfather” of competitive gaming, Credit: Taito Corporation

Nowadays, not only the streaming structure has been optimized but there is a major concern from developers to make the viewing experience more attractive. David Segal, columnist of the New York Times, published an article about Riot Games and how their spectator modes had been developed to be like an ESPN broadcast. To achieve this, the company has implemented features to simplify the watching experience. An optimized interface for viewers was a milestone in eSports.

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Today, online communities make up most consoles and PC gaming environments. According to Steam Spy (a stats service that gathers data from active Steam profiles), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) has sold more than 30 million copies. It's an impressive number that allowed the game to have one of the largest communities of players and streamers in 2017. Game developers can be considered to be key elements for the eSports scene. They are responsible for creating, defining and maintaining the structure of games while establishing its basic rules that support competitors. Above all, they are responsible for shaping the future of eSports, which is the topic we will address.

The Most Pessimistic Future

everal technologies found in today‘s gaming titles were unachievable 10 years ago. When looking at the evolution of games in terms of graphics, gameplay and S interface, we can see some trends that can negatively impact the future of eSports and the industry. Due to the increasing flux of players joining online communities, developers are always searching for ways to keep their games up to date, bug-free and balanced. This commitment is crucial when it comes to eSports. Ensuring that the experience runs smoothly is a way to retain your player base. One of the most efficient ways to maintain this environment is through patch releases.

With them, there is an array of possibilities that opens up in online games, as developers can use them for exploring and implementing new features. That includes accessibility, connectivity, automation, genre varieties and more. For those reasons, several companies know that eSports play a vital role in the future of video games, as they provide a space for experimentation and innovation. While this future may seem exciting, it may bring unforeseen consequences. This progress may axe the posterity of another segment.

Despite the promise of building upon the previous game, Destiny 2 received mixed reviews. Credit: Activision

Most upcoming titles may focus even more on multiplayer online modes, leaving single-payer features to the side. A good example is Destiny 2 (above), which received massive changes that include adjustments on team sizes and maps within its 5 different multiplayer modes, but the vanilla game shipped with a narrative that critics claimed to be subpar. This is an example that

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shows how innovation in solo games can become stagnant. While online players enjoy new and exciting feature, lovers of narrative-driven experiences may fall off the radar of developers. Are we ready to pay this price?

Dota 2 International 2015. Credit: Marv Watson Another unforeseen consequence of the success of eSports is how it revolves around already established titles, such as Overwatch, League of Legends and Dota 2. It is of human nature to go where the highest number of people is. Therefore, new players will gravitate towards these games, meaning that new titles may be overlooked. If this becomes a trend, fewer developers will try to break into the eSports scene, thus allowing few titles to reign as a monopoly over the industry. Fewer games might mean less innovation, as there will be less competition in the market. Even if these games include new features through updated, having fewer games would significantly hurt the overall innovation the industry can produce.

Finally, another possible negative trend toward competitive games is how new illegal techniques may arise in tournaments. An example of that includes a case involving six players who were permanently banned from Steam Valve Events after accusations of match-fixing, which is described as a dishonest way to decide the results of a game before participants play matches. Similar cases happened in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive between North American teams who broke integrity and fair play agreements. The incident happened in 2015, when players were found guilty of throwing a match in exchange for in-game items. These items would then be put back in the market with real cash offers. Considering how eSports are reaching mainstream attention, if scandals involving cheating arise, this may hurt the image of

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eSports, thus preventing them from continue to grow. The potential of eSports would not come to fruition if its credibility goes away.

The Most Optimistic Future

he Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand report shows that eSports revenue more than quadrupled between 2013 and 2016. Following that trend, we could T possibly see a continued increase by 2021 based on revenues that could triple again at that time. In addition to that, positive trends in the gaming industry may lead companies to change the way they measure success and development.

For example, business analysts may consider the concurrent number of users as a major performance indicator to provide stronger impact in the company success, despite of numbers in sales fluctuations. Because of the growing financial return in the gaming industry and especially in the eSports section, developers may find new opportunities to reinvest this money into further polishing their games.

This makes developers focus on player retention, rather than simple sales figure. With that, studios will continue to strive to fine-tune the experiences they provide. The players are the largest beneficiaries of this trend, as they will enjoy a universe that is constantly expanding and improving. While the most pessimistic prediction is possible, if we look at the optimistic one,

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eSports will continue to grow and even surpass real-life sports, bringing a paradigm shift on how people see sports.

According to a study completed by Pannekeet (2018), the eSports market had a total growth of 51.7% in 2016, earning about $493 million. Similarly, the global eSports economy will grow to $905.6 million in 2018, with most of its success associated with sponsorships, advertising, media rights and content licenses. Following this trend, it is expected to see growth rates reaching around $1.4 billion by 2020.

For those reasons, the eSports audience is likely to be easily compared to the "traditional" sports audience, as studies indicate that the eSports industry incorporates an increasing number of local events, leagues, and media rights deals. With all of those opportunities being brought together, eSports have a substantial potential to overlap traditional sports audiences. That is, as we continue to observe a growing number of enthusiasts watching eSports tournaments, there is always a chance to see a decrease in engagement for traditional sports.

The Likeliest Future

amers have changed over time, as technologies and game design techniques progressed. Things that were once restricted to a small niche of young people have G reached larger groups and communities that join the competitive gaming environment. Based on this analysis, the main aspects that support a positive trend in the future of e-sports are the growth of the video game players and, consequently, the increased motivation coming from those who compete.

Financial reports have shown an undeniable success coming from this industry, as several studies confirm that gamers are spending more on this source of entertainment. In addition, the development of streaming technologies and internet accessibility has allowed for better quality and support when in live-streaming. The eSports world scene is a dynamic environment that brings excitement to players and endless possibilities to developers. It is possible to see how competitive gaming can display similarities with traditional sports activities. A comparison between both shows that cultural and social elements are very close, as competitiveness and social characteristics are easily found in eSports.

With that said, eSports will surpass traditional sporting events, in terms of viewership and revenue. While cheating issues will appear, they most likely be sparse. Companies invest millions in eSports and they are aware that cheating may hurt the image of the industry, thus causing them to lose money. Strong punishment for cheaters will happen.

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Additionally, eSports will not kill single player games. Humans are story animals. We crave for compelling narratives. While story driven games may face reduced popularity, to suggest they will go away is to go against human nature. In fact, we may even see a hybrid between narrative driven and competitive games. Imagine an open world experience, in which people can travel through the map to find arenas wherein they can fight. This game could take place in a city where different factions fight for the control of regions. Players would need to pick a side, based on their background story and ideology. Based on the results of matches, certain factions could either win or lose territory in this city, thus creating an ongoing story of power and conflict, which revolves around an open world and the competitive events that happen in it. A hybrid between eSports and story driven games is possible and it gives to players a greater meaning for their actions in the game.

Insights from Inside

o discuss the future of eSports, we looked for the best in business. With that in mind, our editor in chief, Dmytro Voloshyn, interviewed the CEO of Team T Revolution, Rezwan Mostofa (below, with glasses). He shared with us his opinions on how eSports will change. This is an excerpt of the interview. To read the entire conversation between Dmytro and Rezwan, please, go to the ―Additional Interviews‖ chapter.

Credit: Team Revolution

What do you think about the future of eSports?

―I believe eSports is headed in the wrong direction in certain aspects. For example, the new Overwatch League really doesn't leave room for grassroots and brand new teams to enter the scene while it gives a great good infrastructure and is overall great for the game. For teams like

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us, it can be far too expensive to ever invest in a scene regardless if we like it. I think that's where eSports started and should stick to its foundations instead of trying to adapt to outdated sports.

However, I love how much attention E-sports is getting, being televised in multiple countries, most recently acknowledged by the Olympics commission for IEM Pyeongchang for StarCraft II, all great stuff. I think the future of eSports definitely entails it being recognized on a much bigger scale. I don't say this being clairvoyant, highly intellectual or wise. It's the conclusion anyone would come to, for someone who's inside the scene and aware of the possibilities.‖

What would be the most optimistic course of action for eSports?

―I think the most optimistic course of action with regards to eSports is to grow. I know that's a very simple answer with multiple variables attached to it, however, that's what's needed to make eSports as relevant, or more relevant, compared to any current major sport, the people. The people following the game is truly the only thing that will make eSports better. The communities should increase in size and become more than just a 'lucky' career. Instead, being a professional player should become a prominent job title.‖

What do you think would be the most pessimistic course of action for eSports?

―I think we need to avoid as much as possible trying to become like other sports such as Football, Basketball etc. The positives about doing so are having huge stadiums, dedicated formats, well-maintained leagues and ladders, whereas the negatives involves E-Sports losing what makes it peculiar to watch, the teams, the players, the casters, the tournament organizers and of course, the fans.... I think overall, it would end up being too controlled and imitated opposed to the funny/quirky banter that you can get from content in gaming today.‖

Apart from the CEO of Team Revolution, Dmytro also interviewed players from Guile eSports, covering various titles, including Call of Duty and Fortnite. Read below Dmytro‘s conversation with Djyoses, a player of Call of Duty for the team. He is a 21 years old competitive player and has been playing since he was 9. He shared with us his perspective on how eSports will change.

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Call of Duty: WWII. Credit: Activision What do you think about the future of eSports for Call of Duty and FPS games?

―I think, in the future, eSports will be much bigger than it is now. Seeing the viewer count on livestreams increase little by little over the years, I feel that in a few years to come eSports will be taken seriously by people outside the world of eSports. I am very much looking forward to seeing how it develops. As for Call of Duty, I feel that this particular title can be much bigger if the developers focus on the competitive aspect of the game more. In my opinion, they can do more to center the game on competitive play and the competitive community.‖

What would be the most optimistic course of action for eSports and Call of Duty?

―The best course that I think eSports can take would be to advertise more on bigger platforms, as a lot of people still don't know that eSports exists. By creating more games and more genres that fully focus on competitive play, I feel it would get more people involved and more people interested in what eSports has to offer. Also, I feel that if game developers focus more on the community of eSports, by taking their input into consideration, it would make the games better and more enjoyable, which is what everyone wants.‖

What would be the most pessimistic course of action for eSports and Call of Duty?

―I think the worst course that any eSports title could take would be not taking community feedback and focusing too much on the game itself. Personally, I think that the community of an eSport is what makes it a great eSport. I feel that if companies don't focus on it enough, they will lose viewership and involvement from fans and supporters.‖

Continuing his series of interviews with Guile eSports, Dmytro talked with Hubinalle, Fortnite player.

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Credits: Epic Games What do you think about the future of eSports in general and in your genre?

―eSports is a growing trend, which is being noted in bigger circles. More and smaller companies are getting involved, and people are getting to notice the growth of eSports. I'm from Finland where eSports is still quite small compared to other European countries. Therefore, in Finland, we can´t give salary to players that easily. It's one of the reasons that some of our best players go abroad where professional career is a choice.

Right now, I'm playing Fortnite, which is a new game. Game developers are working hard to get this game to be part of eSports. And I really hope that they manage to do so. In this genre, things are going well because of PUBG. In sports genre, I still play Madden from time to time, where the best players come from the US. There are some rising stars that are my old rivals and friends, from and Germany. The future is very bright for this genre.‖

What would be the most optimistic course of action for eSports and your genre?

―Best thing in this genre is to get Battle Royal games respect that they deserve and out of the marketing, even at consoles. It's hard to predict if the game would be as big as Counter Strike: Global Offensive.‖

What would be the most pessimist course of action for eSports and your genre?

―The biggest issue in Battle Royal games is a huge number of simultaneous players, new updates, bugs. The worst-case scenario would be players getting lack of inspiration to play if there are too many problems with servers, lags etc. In the end, there are 100 players.‖

Continuing his series of interviews with Guile eSports, Dmytro talked with Strickland, V player.

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Credit: Capcom What do you think about the future of eSports in general and in your genre?

―I think the future of eSports is very vast and bright due to the many different events an athlete can participate in. Fighting games for eSports is an interesting case. Many events started at a grassroots level. SFV has been awesome thanks to and having a tournament season and structure that helps give players a pathway to going pro and participate in the greatest events with other like-minded individuals. Experiencing the best competition is everything in fighting games.‖

What would be the most optimistic course of action of eSports and your genre?

―It would be having more tournaments for developing a player. There are a lot of players who have the potential to shine and create awesome personalities and performances.‖

In his last interview, Dmytro had a chat with Oreo. Guile eSports announced that he would be joining the team in April, 2018. He plays Pokken and shared with us his insights on how eSports will change.

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Credit: Hitbox Arena What do you think about the future of eSports in general and in your genre?

―So I think that eSports as a whole is only growing. League of Legends and Overwatch are continuing to see the increase in viewership and support over the last few years, and I don't think it's going to stop any time soon. My specific genre of eSports, fighting games, continues to see more and more support and viewership as well. ELeague and EVO have done wonders for mainstream viewing, getting games such as Street Fight onto TV and allowing a platform for Injustice and now to shine as well. In addition, grassroots FGC tournaments are continuing to thrive all over the country. I don't think eSports are going to slow down any time soon.‖

What would be the most optimistic course of action for eSports and your genre?

―It would be influenced by personalities outside the eSports world. Someone who before had no investment in eSports coming in could bring a whole new kind of growth. , the founder of team , is a very good example. A former NBA star invested into eSports and now has one of the most successful and stacked teams out there. I think him coming in was such a good thing. And who knows what kind of personality could be next?‖

What would be the most pessimistic course of action for eSports and your genre?

―The community getting complacent with where they are. There is always room for change and improvement. And a scene is not dead if its community continues to play. Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite is a recent example. Because of lack of developer support and the game being dropped from EVO, many believe that the scene had died. The worst thing that Marvel fans can do is accept that. If they continue to play the game that they love and register for the tournaments that will host them, then they can make the scene thrive on their own. And that's a beautiful thing.‖

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Credit: Nuuvem Continuing our series of interviews, Daniel Quintilliano had a pleasant conversation with Thiago Diniz (above, red shirt), 2008 world champion of Battle for Middle Earth. He took his passion for gaming even further and created Nuuvem, a Brazilian online service for PC video games distribution. It is the largest company in this segment in Latin America and Thiago aspires to invest in new streaming technologies and expand the platform to new territories.

What has driven eSports to become so popular?

―Several factors. Competitive games have been around for a long time, since the 80‘s, in fact. But only in the early 2000s, they started to grow, but the movement still was in its infancy and many things still needed to be developed. In fact, even today there still are plenty of factors that need to be developed, but we are way ahead, when compared to where we began.

For starters, the games industry as whole grew, bringing more players to the market. Developers and publishers also played a big role in this. When they noticed the upwards momentum of eSports, many games began to have competitive multiplayer features, aiming to foster competition between players. Naturally, players started watching other play. This movement led to the creation of streaming platforms, like Twitch, which helped to propel eSports into what they are today. When you visit one of these websites and you see that the final match for a tournament has 1 million viewers, this fact becomes news, which further bolsters the exposure of eSports.

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With eSports reaching news, inevitably, people start comparing it to traditional sports, as the final match of a League of Legends tournament can reach the same viewership of a NFL game. This makes people realize that eSports is something serious, which helps it to grow. This movement has made eSports grow and will continue to make it skyrocket. There is still a lot of room for expansion.‖

What do you think of eSports making an appearance in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games?

―The initiative was fantastic and it was one that made sense, for a simple reason: the objective of the Olympics. If we look back and study the goal of the Olympics, we see that it is not just about physical competitions. The goal is to promote peace and friendship between people worldwide.

If we consider this aim and the fact that we nowadays have a competition that is extremely popular among young people, who are not as interested in traditional sports as they once were, it‘s possible to see that it was correct to include eSports in the winter Olympics. Whether one sport features physical activity is irrelevant. What matters is what it can provide to people and humanity as a whole.‖

Do you think eSport players are athletes?

―Yes, if you follow the daily routines of professional players, you will see that they engage in physical conditioning, psychological training, a diet designed for a certain goal, so it is quite similar to the regime of a real-life athlete. With that said, yes, I believe eSport players should be considered athletes.‖

In terms of the future, do you see any potential obstacles developers may face when creating competitive games?

―There are 2 things I believe and one is already happening. Both the community and the players are quite young and immature and they create several types of problems, especially in terms of toxicity. This is a concern for a developer, because they have to create a competitive community in an environment where you have players cursing each other, rage quitting and shouting in the voice chat. These factors make it very hard for you to manage the community, even for major companies like Riot and Ubisoft. All of them have a hard time with this and I believe they will continue to struggle. I do not see a definitive solution in the horizon for this problem and this is something that can have a negative impact in the growth of eSports.

Another possible problem is one that also affects real-life sports, which is the gambling environment. This is complicated to control, but it is a serious problem when the values being gambled get too high, due to the possibility of someone manipulating players. With the

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popularity of eSports, this is a factor that can have a negative impact, because you may discredit the final match of a tournament, for example.‖

Based on the future of eSports, do you think a career in the field is a viable alternative to youngsters?

―Yes, it can definitely become a professional career, which is highly challenging, just like real- life sports. We have seen news of players having very high salaries, sometimes even paralleling real-life sports, so it is indeed a promising career. But it is important to say that, to reach this level, a player must have an intense training regime, as we mentioned. You also need a good team, with a good structure and a solid technical commission. Of course, you must have talent as well, but training in this career is absolutely required and very intense. So, it is a promising prospect, but you need to be 100% dedicated 24/7.‖ eSports are one of the hottest topics in current gaming. While they have certainly established themselves in this role, many people wonder if eSports will continue to grow or if they have reached their climax. We decided to give our take on the topic.

Chapter 6 www.keengamer.com 74 © KeenGamer s.r.o. 11 Companies that May Build the Road to the Future Written by Stephen Morin

Credit: Twitch

1- Twitch: Taking Gaming to New Social Heights

lthough games are meant to be played, something is oddly riveting about watching a friend play a game you love. Streaming wasn‘t possible for a long time, and A while YouTube provides plenty of let‘s play videos and has spawned modern legends like Cinemassacre who has over 2.5 million subscribers, Twitch has become the largest website dedicated to streaming gameplay, having over 7 billion hours watched from April 2017 to the same month of 2018.

Justin Kan and Emmett Shear founded Twitch in 2011 and the site has since spawned stars such as Jaryd ―Summit1g‖ Lazar, who has over 2 million followers and often streams for 8-10 hours a day. Twitch may seem as simple game streaming site; however, its strength lies in the social networking and interactive communities. The average Twitch user spends 106 minutes per day on the website. Players can chat with streamers and comment on what they are doing in-game. A good streamer will respond to spectators and host an interactive experience.

On top of that, Twitch creates a live community and allows members to participate and impact a group they care about. Gamers don‘t always have time to sink hours into playing. Sometimes it‘s easier to watch somebody else play or just relax and participate in a stream for a short time. There are also cases where Twitch users can share an experience and play a game together, as in Twitch Plays Pokémon. It‘s a social media experience for gamers without the burden of allocating a lot of time or money into a game.

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Credit: Kickstarter

2- Kickstarter: Crowdfunding a Retro Gold Mine

ickstarter is a crowdfunding site that started in 2009, in Brooklyn. Artists and developers can go straight to audiences for patronage and support; they just need K to create a deadline and a minimum funding goal. Projects, ranging from music, stage shows, board games, to video games, have all been funded through Kickstarter.

Crowdfunding has become a more communal and democratic process for creating new games. It has brought us some of the most acclaimed titles of the decade; Shovel Knight, Darkest Dungeon, and Yooka Laylee were all funded and developed thanks to the site. It doesn‘t just allow for great games to receive funding; it also gives to software designers a chance to buy old franchises outright and revive nostalgic favorites. This facilitates the creation of remakes and sequels, that wouldn‘t normally surface. One example is the remake of cult-classic, System Shock, which has received over a million dollars and over 21,000 backers.

Kickstarter has been criticized for projects having long development times and not panning out in the end, such as with Project Phoenix, a title that promised to combine JRPG elements with more western-friendly RPGs and had over one million pledged to its success but ultimately collapsed after programmer David Clark was unable to join the project. Even with some failures, the success of many of its endeavors is undeniable and the idea of crowdfunding games was unfathomable a decade ago. Kickstarter has changed the gaming world, and it will continue to revolutionize the future by letting fans choose what series will see the light of day.

www.keengamer.com 77 © KeenGamer s.r.o.

Credit: Altspace

3- Altspace VR: Social VR on the Rise

ltspace VR began in 2013 and created a virtual space that centered on an immersive, social experience, which transcended playing a game. Using VR A headsets, they allowed users from over 160 countries to meet other people worldwide, attend events like yoga classes and dance parties, some even hosted by celebrities like Drew Carey and Reggie Watts, and utilize social media. The service was available on the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, and Google Daydream.

Altspace VR didn‘t force players to tediously create avatars and appearances. It focused on having users venture into the unknown and meet others. Events like the U.S. 2016 presidential election were broadcasted in VR and there were celebrity residencies, games, and tons of events for players to mingle and share their experiences. It was a bold service that pushed the social aspect of VR to the forefront.

Unfortunately, they announced they would shut down services in August 2017, when funding fell through in the last minute. Altspace VR may have hiccupped, but they were acquired by Microsoft in late 2017. This partnership could bring an improved service or fresh ideas altogether. The future of the company may be in question, but, it will be exciting to see what their next move will be. They have already been communicating with other 3rd party companies to discuss a sustainable future: After all, sometimes it‘s through initial failures that success arrives.

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Credit: Opaque Media Group 4- Opaque Media Group: Games Train Future Astronauts

paque Media Group is a Melbourne-based game developer that became famous for its VR project, Earthlight, and the recognition it received from NASA. They O purchased the first VR dev kits in Australia and have been in the forefront of new VR technology and its possibilities for the last few years.

Earthlight is a simulation of life on a space station played with a VR headset. It is a staggeringly accurate representation of life in orbit. NASA uses the game alongside tracking technology, 3D printing, and a crane-like robot that simulates low-gravity to prepare astronauts for space. It shocked developer Emre Deniz when NASA had interest in Earthlight, as the company originally made it for entertainment purposes.

VR may have hurdles to cross and it remains on the pricier side of the gaming spectrum, requiring a desktop with $999 being the minimum price for a VR compatible PC, not to mention the purchase of the headset itself. The Oculus Rift, one of the most popular VR headsets, runs for $450 dollars on top of the PC price. However, Opaque Media Group has proven that VR games can transcend simple entertainment and be used on a larger scale and for societal advances. Earthlight found serendipitous success, but it will be neat to see this company offer gamers the chance to experience space, as well as use video games to train the next generation of astronauts.

www.keengamer.com 79 © KeenGamer s.r.o.

Credit: Supercell

5- Supercell: Converting Non-Gamers Through Mobile

obile games have often seemed like a watered down, vapid sibling to console or PC games, but in 2018, the mobile market is generating a lot of revenue and M attracting new users, many of whom were never gamers. revenues are expected to grow from $29 billion in 2015 to $45 billion in 2018.

Supercell, a Finnish company founded in 2010 has created Clash of Clans and Clash Royale. The former is a highly successful MOBA game, with over 100 million users, where players attack each other to gain resources and build a town. Clash Royale used elements from Clash of Clan, such as the ability to join clans and win or lose trophies in battle, but it added the mechanics, as well as other new gameplay features, to not sabotage the sales of its previous titles.

The company unveiled Brawl Stars in 2017. It is an action-oriented card combat game which had a soft release in Canada, in June 2017, but still doesn‘t have a global release date and is under testing. It could return the company to their previous sales numbers. In 2016, Supercell was the second biggest mobile developer based on total revenue, but Supercell saw a 20.5% drop in 2017 core profit. All their games have received critical praise and, at one point, they had over 100 million active players a day.

Whether you have subscribed to mobile gaming or not, Supercell has proven that this market is viable and that it can generate quality games. Their experiences link players worldwide and offer an immersive and competitive game in the palm of your hands. If Brawl Stars’ success is anywhere near Supercell‘s previous games, they will remain one of the kings and pioneers of mobile gaming in both the present and future, as well as convert many non-gamers onto the hobby.

www.keengamer.com 80 © KeenGamer s.r.o.

Credit: Mojang

6- Mojang: Freedom and Education are too Much Fun

his company created Minecraft, one of the trendiest and most groundbreaking video games of the last decade. Since its original release in 2011, Minecraft has exploded T in sales, selling 144 million units as of January 2018. It also had many expansions and become a cultural phenomenon worldwide. Many modern games have been accused of being too similar; by contrast, Minecraft lets players decide what to do for themselves. There are no real parameters, and it‘s up to the community to test the waters and experiment with the virtual world.

Part of the reason Mojang is crucial to modern gaming and the future of the industry is Minecraft: Education Edition and Code Builder. They are educational tools to train kids to program and create code, while enjoying the process. Minecraft, in some respects, has been an investment in future generations.

Minecraft Education Edition and Minecraft Code Builder will encourage the next crop of software engineers and game developers. Some schools have adopted the use of Minecraft as a learning tool, such as Haslingfield School in Cambridgeshire, who used it to teach history. Scientific American even endorsed the game, saying that gaming could play a pivotal role in the future of education. It was teachers who modded the original game and came up with the Education Edition in the first place. Mincecraft is still popular in 2018, having hit 75 million users as of January 2018. You may very well have the next generation of coders crediting Minecraft when they look at their gaming origins and reasons for success.

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Credit:

7- SuperGiant Games: What’s Old is New Again

uperGiant Games began in San Francisco, USA, in 2009. They are one of the many major indie developers to come from the bay area, but they are arguably the most S acclaimed of the lot. They have released three games to date, Bastion, Transistor, and, most recently, Pyre. Bastion was hugely successful, being one of the pivotal releases for the Xbox 360 Live Arcade program in 2011, while Transistor has been hailed as one of the best PlayStation 4 games on multiple game lists including IGN.

All three of their games have been well-received and have Metacritic ratings above 80. They feature prominent narration, RPG gameplay, and strong art and music direction. Even with linking traits, their games have vastly different mechanics that change the battle system and the way you play. Bastion has many unique weapons and the player can choose which to upgrade and bring in combat, while Transistor features combat mechanics that allow you to allocate desired skills and pause the action to plan out moves, giving the battles more strategy than a typical action RPG. Pyre on the other hand expands on player freedom, with choices that affect characters and plot, and a combat system that used fast pace and three combatants.

SuperGiant Games has a small team of 10 people and are living proof that a tiny studio can sell millions of copies of a game. Bastion sold more than 2.5 million virtual copies and was also nominated for numerous game awards, winning the Downloadable Game of the Year Award from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. This talented group has taken the time to craft three of the best indie games of the decade. There is no reason to believe they won‘t continue their success.

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Credit: Affectiva

8- Affectivia: Smarter Games with EI

ffectivia originated in an MIT lab in 2009 and focuses on developing ―emotionware‖. They have invented a software that can read users` facial A expressions and add emotional intelligence (EI) to the world of gaming, something severely lacking in the past. A game titled Nevermind was the first to employ the technology. It was a psychological- that got more difficult as the player became more stressed.

Amazingly, the software can detect the difference between a smile, smirk, and a frown. Affectivia has created a plug-in that will be added to , a game development platform used by over 4.5 developers, and allows video games to analyze a player‘s face through a webcam. In the future, other games will be using this technology; players may be able to interact with NPCs—a guard charmed by a smile-- by using facial expressions or may have an avatar which will reflect the player‘s emotion in real life.

Affectivia also stated in a blog post that the application can supply data user analytics, such as pre-purchase sensations or emotional conditions before quitting a game, as well as offer aggregate player responses at critical points in a game. Whether or not this technology excites or frightens you, this company has made a giant leap forward by granting games the capability of interacting with human emotions. There is enormous potential here that will hopefully allow machines and humans to better co-exist and offer more intelligent game design.

www.keengamer.com 83 © KeenGamer s.r.o.

Credit:

9- Annapurna Games: Cinematography and Games

nnapurna Pictures announced that it would be entering the world of gaming in December of 2016. They started with a bang, by assisting with the A completion of What Remains of Edith Finch, an artsy and inventive tale of a lady returning to her childhood home. The game featured 30 different control schemes, with no tutorials, leaving it to the player to experience the game‘s many characters instinctively. , their hand-drawn puzzle narrative, was another smash hit that combined great storytelling and interactive puzzle pieces. 2017 was a solid year for the young company, and 2018 is looking strong with games like (PS4) and , a game compared to the Katamari Demacy.

Annapurna Games comes from a successful film company, , known for high grossing films such as Zero Dark Thirty, Sausage Party, and American Hustle. Their young games studio wants to challenge the differences and create a marriage between film and games. They now have a few titles under their belt, and they revolve around themes such as death, first love, and other aspects of life we can all relate to. Games can be artistic; they can enrich and embody our real-life experiences and Annapurna Games sets out to make unique games that hit different facets of our beings in evocative ways.

www.keengamer.com 84 © KeenGamer s.r.o.

Credit: Mountains Game Studios

10 - Mountains: Craft Games

en Wong founded Mountains Game Studio in Australia in 2016. He was famous for his game, Monument Valley, with ustwo games. He is also outspoken about the K future of art in video games and game design. So far, the studio has released only one game, Florence, for Apple devices in 2017. It is a game about a girl falling in love for the first time and the highs and lows that come with it. The game has interactive mini-games, which Wong labeled as participatory poetry. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was a huge influence, and it‘s a premium release for the iPhone in a day and age where free to play games are king. Despite this being a fantastic and unique first release, it‘s the small staff of four and their backgrounds that leave Mountains exploding with potential.

Kamina Vincent is mentoring students about game production as well as having won the Creative Inspiration Award at MVC Pacific Woman in Games. Sam Crisp was the programmer and designer of Movement Study 1, an artsy simulation of youth in Melbourne. Tony Cocoluzzi is both a professor and game designer from Canada. He is probably best known for being the lead developer for the indie-hit, Cuphead, a charming yet challenging platformer that looked like a 1930s cartoon. Cuphead was considered one of the best games of 2017 on many lists including IGN and Business Insider.

It‘s not 100% clear what platform they will develop for or what kind of games they will make, but the creativity and talent in this tiny company could deliver craft-game shockwaves the size of AAA titles for years to come.

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Credit: FiolaSoft

11- Fiolasoft: Communal Roots and Global Aspirations

iolasoft started in 2002, in the Czech Republic. Though they released freeware games and other software, it wasn‘t until 2015, with their first global release of Blackhole, a F sci-fi-comedy puzzle game, that they were put on the map. Since then, Blackhole has received several expansions and Fiolasoft is working on some other unannounced projects.

Blackhole was communal in that the developers reached out to up and coming Let's Players and Youtubers to create the script, story, and voice act. The voice of Captain Selassie—voiced by YouTuber menameselassie (in Czech). He has over 500,000 YouTube subscribers and loves to play platforming games. If that wasn‘t enough Blackhole shows us that arcade gameplay, a strong story, and an elaborate world can co-exist. It‘s fun, has crippling difficulty at times, and most importantly, it meshes a lot of ideas, which are seemingly incompatible, and makes an amazing experience that is familiar but original.

Fiolasoft don‘t only make video games. They partake in an array of different projects ranging from developing games/apps, video production, voice overs, and web design etc. They‘re a small team with diverse skillsets and an innate ability to reach out to key members of the community and are well poised to make some interesting games in the future.

Fiolasoft come from a country that has given us many great games, and they are extremely communal, as well as ready to show off their talent to the rest of the world. A sequel to Blackhole and other games could be on the horizon, and, who knows what gaming community members may get to play a role in the process of making one of their games a future masterpiece.

.

www.keengamer.com 86 © KeenGamer s.r.o.

Insights from Inside

ucas-Louis Thibault (left) is the founder of Dreamz Studio, a French game developer L from Paris. They‘ve created two games to date: The first is Crazy Dreamz: Magicats Edition, a free 2D platformer on Steam, iOS, and Android. The game centers on letting players from around the world make their own levels with a fun and easy to use map building software.

The company chose the best one hundred levels its second game, Magicats: Best Of, currently only available on Steam. The title was crowd-developed—a new concept in the world of gaming--, and level designers were offered 50% of the game‘s revenue. On top of that, players can choose to tip level-designers for Credit: Dreamz Studio any maps they enjoy.

The concept of a crowd-developed game and such an altruistic and artistic endeavor got the attention of KeenGamer. It‘s still too new to call crowd-developed games or MagiCats a trend, but this small studio certainly has a lot of potential and has captured our hearts.

How did the idea to make a crowd-developed game surface? Were there any special difficulties such as getting level designers on board or making a cohesive game?

―We have two games for now: Crazy Dreamz: MagiCats Edition and Crazy Dreamz: Best Of. Since MagiCats Edition launched in the Steam Early Access program in September; the game's enthusiastic community has crafted more than 20,000 levels. When we saw how impressive some of the community levels were, we wanted to find a way to thank people for their hard work. We chose a method that worked for us: by creating a new game! Talented players from all over the world worked together with our studio to create a crowd-developed game.

It‘s not easy to communicate with players from all over the world. There were problems with languages, time zones and even different cultures. We used every channel including phone calls, emails, and chatting on Steam or Discord to make it happen! The key point is that we need to make people trust that we are doing something meaningful and helpful!‖

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How did the level creators react about having their levels put into Crazy Dreamz: Best Of?

―We made Crazy Dreamz: Best Of a ―Fair Game‖, which means the level creators share 50% of its revenue. With this concept in mind, they are very happy to receive concrete financial rewards for their creativity and hard work.

When the community got the news, they became more motivated to create amazing levels. A lot of our players were surprised about what we planned to do, but all of them were very happy about this project.

It‘s crazy to think that our youngest creator is a 10 year old girl who used her mother‘s account. Informed by the news of being selected, her mother let us talk with her daughter directly on the phone and gave her encouragement. It‘s very heartwarming.‖

Crazy Dreamz: Best Of has levels improved based on feedback. How are levels improved and who does it, you guys or the level designers?

―For most levels, we didn‘t change much, just added some decorations in order to keep the originality and added some checkpoints to make levels easier. We only improve the levels to make sure they are not too hard or too easy. This task is taken care of by our professional level designers.

Will MagiCats be a franchise, or will you guys make future games based on new concepts?

―We are all fans of cats, so MagiCats will definitely become a franchise. It‘s only the beginning, and we're improving the MagiCats world every day.‖

Will you consider making more crowd-developed games in the future?

―Yes. Crazy Dreamz: Best Of is our first step. With more players‘ creations in MagiCats Edition and gaining maturity and experience in the process of making our first crowd-developed game, we will be able to produce similar games and offer a brand new gaming experience.

The number one strength of the game and what people love is the diversity of the levels, so, we plan to improve and expand the building options to make the levels even crazier.‖

www.keengamer.com 88 © KeenGamer s.r.o.

Do you believe crowd-developed games could play a big role in the future of gaming?

―Definitely. We're now entering an era where video games with user-generated content are not just a way to extend games' lives anymore. Crowd-developed games will be a big trend in the future to offer more possibility and diversity. Instead of just companies or professionals, thousands of players can create and develop the game they want and think others will like! We‘ll see how far peoples‘ creativity can fly!‖

What was the inspiration behind MagiCats? I noticed elements from famous franchises like Sonic and Donkey Kong Country, but MagiCats had a unique touch and a healthy blend of puzzles, combat, and exploration.

―In the gameplay area, the inspiration behind Magicats came from Mario and Rayman. Graphically, it's more Rayman, , Donkey Kong, and Dofus. However, the MagiCats world is different because players have created its unique universe.‖

Do you already have any plans for any future games/projects?

―Crazy Dreamz: MagiCats Edition will never be finished. We would like to keep the possibility of limitless creation for our players and concoct the easiest-to-use game-maker in the future! To make this dream come true, we keep polishing the game every day and never stop thinking about new features, new content, and other improvements. We even have a box in the office for collecting new ideas and check it every week.

Furthermore, the idea of building other different ―Best Of‖ MagiCat games never stops. More new creations, new features, new skins…so many new things are on the way. One more important thing is that our players can see their new ideas spring to stardom directly in MagiCats Edition. If the level is cool enough, it will be selected in our next ―Best Of‖ game!‖

What do you envision for the future of gaming and indie gaming. Is there anything that worries or excites you about the rapidly changing industry?

―Currently, we are seeing more and more games coming out every day. It‘s getting very easy to create your own game, even alone. Some people think it‘s bad since good games are now hidden in ―thousands of crap‖ titles. Personally, we think it‘s the best thing that could ever happen. People have awesome talents and we are trying to give them the easiest-to-use tools to let them build their own stuff.‖

www.keengamer.com 89 © KeenGamer s.r.o.

Chapter 7 Additional Interviews Conducted by Dmytro Voloshyn

Credit: BigMarker

Interview with Djyoses, Call of Duty (CoD) player for Guile eSports

Credit: Guile eSports

Let's start with some basics. Please introduce yourself.

―My name is Dylan Jack and my in-game username is Djyoses. I am 21 years old and have been playing Call of Duty for about 9-10 years. I only got started playing the game competitively when Black Ops 3 came out in 2015. At that time, I found the interest in competitive play. Since then, I have attended 3 LAN events for the current and previous Call of Duty titles and I aim to do well playing the game this year and next.‖

What LANs have you visited?

―I have attended 3 LAN events during Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Call of Duty: WWII times. The first LAN event I attended was CWL Sheffield in June last year. At this event, I played under Team Prismatic, but we didn't place as we expected. My second event was 4TGGameCon's event where me and my team placed 1st; it wasn't the biggest event but it was really enjoyable and gave me more experience playing on LAN. The last event was the Belong By Game Qualifiers in Glasgow, Scotland where me and my team qualified for our store. We are currently playing in the online league against several other GAME stores across the UK.‖

www.keengamer.com 91 © KeenGamer s.r.o.

Being able to compete in LAN environment and play competitively is a luxury that many players can't afford. Could you please tell how different is LAN experience compared to playing at home?

―Well firstly, I would say that playing a game on LAN is much different than playing at home. Being outside of your comfort zone is what I was caught off guard by at my first event. Having people shouting from all areas of the hall and having people watch over your games is something that was new to me and was hard to get used to. After attending 3 LAN events, I don't get distracted by these things as much anymore. My advice to anyone attending their first event would be to enjoy your time playing and don't get overconfident while playing against anyone because the game is played in a much different environment, and anything can happen.‖

Your nickname is Djyoses. Is there a story behind this nickname? Could you please share it?

―There really isn't a story behind my Username. The first two letters are the only thing that means something. "DJ" is my initials, and the rest was added at a young age, and I haven't decided to change it.

What brought you into CoD?

―Call of Duty was the first game I played where I could interact with other people online. At a young age, it was something that I really liked the idea of. So I guess you could say that the sociability of the game was what got me interested in Call of Duty.‖

You have recently joined Guile eSports. Congratulations! Have you played for any competitive organization before?

―I have been under a couple of organisations to go to the aforementioned events and just been under organisations in general. As of today, I have been under Guile eSports, Aerox eSports and Team Prismatic.‖

Please, tell us how you found your current teammates.

―My current teammates are Keegan, Link and Tone. They are friends that I have met through the competitive scene over the years of playing. The team never started off this way. Me and Keegan have been teaming up since the end of Infinite Warfare. I attended my first LAN event with Tone. As we didn't place very well, our team fell apart. Later we decided to team once again for the upcoming event and expected to do much better than we did before. Link is the newest addition to our team; we all have very good chemistry with Link, and he fits the team very well. We feel that he will make an impact at this first event and are confident in our team.‖

www.keengamer.com 92 © KeenGamer s.r.o.

Mind sharing your plans for 2018 with us?

―My plans for 2018 are very simple. Practice with my team, improve and make an impact.‖

What do you think about the future of eSports and your title\genre?

―I think in the future, eSports will be much bigger than it is now. Seeing the viewer count on livestreams increase little by little over the years, I feel that in a few years to come eSports will be taken seriously by people outside the world of eSports. I am very much looking forward to seeing how it develops. As for Call of Duty, I feel that this particular title can be much bigger if the developers focus on the competitive aspect of the game more. In my opinion, they can do more to centre the game around competitive play and the competitive community.‖

What would be the most optimistic course of actions for eSports and CoD?

―The best course that I think eSports can take would be to advertise more on bigger platforms, as a lot of people still don't know that eSports exists. By creating more games and more genres that fully focus on competitive play, I feel it would get more people involved and more people interested in what eSports has to offer. Also, I feel that if game developers focus more on the community of eSports, by taking their input into consideration, it would make the games better and more enjoyable, which is what everyone wants.‖

What would be the most pessimistic course of actions for eSports and CoD?

―I think the worst course that any eSports title could take would be not taking community feedback and focusing too much on the game itself. Personally, I think that the community of an eSport is what makes it a great eSport. I feel that if companies don't focus on it enough, they will lose viewership and involvement from fans and supporters.‖

Thank you for taking time to conduct this interview. Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

―Thank you for choosing me to conduct this interview with KeenGamer, and a thank you to Guile eSports for believing in my team!‖

www.keengamer.com 93 © KeenGamer s.r.o.

Interview with Hubinalle, Fortnite player for Guile eSports

Credit: Guile eSports

Let's start with some basics. Please introduce yourself.

―Hi, my name is Jesse Halme, and my nickname is Hubinalle. I'm 31 years old and I'm from Finland. I´ve been playing video games for about 20 years. I started playing on PC when I was very young. Battlefield 1942 was the first game that got me involved in a clan. After Battlefield, I moved to Call Of Duty, where I placed 3rd in a tournament while playing for the national team. When Xbox 360 came out, I switched to console gaming. I mostly played sports games competitively.‖

What made you switch from PC to consoles? Was it hard to get used to a controller after playing with mouse and keyboard?

―Most of my friends switched to play on consoles. And yeah, in the beginning, it was a bit hard to get used to consoles. Therefore, competitive gaming was not my priority. When a new generation of consoles was released, I was ready to try out competitive gaming.‖

www.keengamer.com 94 © KeenGamer s.r.o.

You played a lot of different genres in the past. What brought you in Fortnite?

―When I played my first match in Fortnite, I knew this is the game I want to focus on. So I abandoned the idea of playing sports games on a competitive level. I've found three awesome guys to play with. After this, the gaming became very smooth, and team environment works great. So I get a lot of pleasure when playing Fortnite in a team and competitively. Players on my team are NG_TAKU, Mccoy-Andy, and PenaNeutroni. Andy is currently #1 at Finland's leaderboards.‖

Mind telling us how you found your current teammates?

―Mccoy-Andy is my longtime friend, and we played in the same organization "2on1" for many years. When Andy started to play Fortnite, I played together with him. Strumbin(NG_TAKU) was invited to our team by Andy, and we matched instantly. Lastly, PenaNeutroni is Strumbin's friend, and we wanted to team up with him since his gaming and teamwork skills are great.‖

What do you think about the future of eSports in general and your title\genre in particular?

―eSports is a growing trend, which is being noted in bigger circles. More and more smaller companies are getting involved, and people are getting to notice the growth of eSports. I'm from Finland where eSports is still quite small compared to other European countries. Therefore, in Finland, we can´t give salary to players that easily. It's one of the reasons that some of our best players go abroad where professional career is a choice.

Right now, I'm playing Fortnite, which is a new game. Game developers are working hard to get this game to be part of eSports. And I really hope that they manage to do so. In this genre, things are going well because of PUBG. In sports genre, I still play Madden from time to time, where the best players come from the US. There are some rising stars that are my old rivals and friends, from France and Germany. The future is very bright for this genre.‖

What would be the most optimistic course of actions for eSports and your title\genre?

―Best thing in this genre is to get Battle Royal games respect that they deserve and out of the marketing, even at consoles. It's hard to predict if the game would be as big as CS:GO.‖

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What would be the most pessimistic course of actions for eSports and your title\genre?

―The biggest issue in Battle Royal games is a huge number of simultaneous players, new updates, bugs. The worst-case scenario would be players getting lack of inspiration to play if there are too many problems with servers, lags etc. In the end, there are 100 players in each match.‖

Do you mind sharing your plans for 2018 with us?

―We hope that we win leagues and tournaments organized by game developers. Until then, we focus on practicing and getting our game on point. Our priorities are to have fun and get rewarded for our efforts. We always go for the win.‖

Your nickname is Hubinalle. Is there a story behind this nickname? Could you please share it?

―My old gamer tag was Baddington, and I even have a Baddington-bear tattoo. When I switched to PlayStation, the tag was already taken, so I figured something new related to a bear. Nalle means bear, and Hubi is just a prefix.‖

You got signed by Guile Esports. Congratulations! What are your thoughts on this? Have you played for other organizations before?

―My thoughts on being signed to Guile eSports? I couldn´t be happier! I played for different Finnish organizations in the past. Now I think I´ve got to be where every player gets the respect that they deserve. We have a greater chance to succeed while being a part of the organization.‖

I think it is time to wrap up our interview. Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

―I want to thank all the organizations that kept me going forward as a player, SJK eSports/Rynnäkköviikset (PS4), 2on1 (PS4) and Troopers (PC).‖

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Interview with Strickland, (SFV) player for Guile eSports

Credit: Capcom

Let's start with some basics. Please introduce yourself.

―My name is Malcolm Strickland. I am a cosplayer/streamer who also loves competitive fighting games.‖

Your nickname is Strickland. Is there a story behind this nickname? Could you please share it?

―My nickname is my real name, Malcolm Strickland. I had the name phantom before and just blended in since everyone knows Strickland. In a hit comedy series King of the Hill, there's Buck Strickland, a fictional character that runs Strickland Propane. So I thought my nickname would be more recognizable this way. Also, I have a fun heritage with my name being the name of civil rights activist Malcolm X.‖

What brought you into fighting games. How long have you been playing them?

―I‘ve been playing fighting games since 2007, starting with anime games (, BlazBlue, ). Then I played King of Fighters on the competitive scene. I moved into Capcom games after the release of SFV. I just love competition and games, and I‘m very passionate about sharing those experiences and knowledge I‘ve racked up over the years. I‘ve also gotten to meet some awesome people along the way.‖

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You mentioned you are a streamer and a cosplayer. Mind sharing a link to your stream and is there a way to see your cosplays online?

―I stream on Guile eSports channel and on My Own Channel. As for cosplays, check out my Instagram.‖

Have you participated in any cosplay events?

―I‘ve participated in a couple of cosplay events. I‘ve only been doing cosplay since July of last year, but it‘s been going super well. I‘ve also done cosplay contests at major tournaments.‖

What got you into SFV? Why did you decide to play competitively?

―I have always enjoyed Street Fighter but never had the drive to become really good at it because, at the time, I had a community around me that was super into anime games and King of Fighters. So I played what the locals played. I moved to Boston, which has a really strong Street Fighter scene, and decided it was time to put work in that series. I go where the competitive drive goes but usually dabble in every series that helps me to learn.‖

You are participating in EVO Japan 2018 this week. How do you feel about it and what are your thoughts on the tournament?

―I feel this is a wonderful opportunity for me to grow as a player. Throughout the years, I've always heard that Japan and its players are magical because of the way they approach games. I have experienced it while playing against and other players throughout my career. Now it's time for me to truly understand and take my game to the next level. Call it a great pilgrimage of sorts. I'm very excited for this tournament and meeting the strong players that don't get to leave Japan.‖

What do you think about the future of eSports in general and your title\genre in particular?

―I think the future of eSports is very vast and bright due to the many different events an athlete can participate in. Fighting games for eSports is an interesting case. Many events started at a grassroots level. SFV has been awesome thanks to Capcom Pro Tour and having a tournament season and structure that helps give players a pathway to going pro and participate in the greatest events with other like-minded individuals. Experiencing the best competition is everything in fighting games.‖

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What would be the most optimistic course of actions for eSports and your title\genre?

―It would be having more tournaments for developing a player. There are a lot of players who have the potential to shine and create awesome personalities and performances.‖

Do you mind sharing your plans for 2018 with us?

―My plans for 2018 are looking pretty solid - WinterBrawl, then ComboBreaker, then CEO, and part of the season with EVO. I want to become a great Street Fighter player and give back to the community with informational streams.‖

Okay, this looks like a busy year. I wish you the best of luck at EVO Japan and in your future endeavors! is there anything else you would like to share with us? Maybe some shoutouts?

―I would love to! Shoutout to the Boston/Kansas City FGC. I wouldn't be as good of a player without their continued support. Guile eSports and our wonderful sponsors for believing in me to represent them in 2018, and KeenGamer for this awesome interview!‖

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Interview with Oreo, Pokken player for Guile eSports

Your nickname is Oreo. Could you please tell us how you come up with it?

―Oreo was my dog's name who I had for 16 years. When I would play Smash with my friends, I always would use the Oreo tag above my character as a joke. Eventually, I went to college and attended my first ever Smash tournament, and they asked for my tag. I decided to go with Oreo since I had already been using that with my friends. I debated changing it after college, but Oreo passed away, so I decided to keep it as a sort of remembrance.‖

How long have you been playing fighting games? What got you into this genre?

―I've been in fighting games for about 3 years. I had always played Smash with my friends and once I found out that there was a competitive scene, I wanted to test my skills. That first tournament opened up a whole new world for me and I never looked back. I love the feeling of competing and striving to improve.‖

There are many competitive fighting games out there. Why you decided to play Pokken competitively?

―I had been interested in Pokken ever since it was first announced. The idea of getting the 1 on 1 Pokémon fighting game I always wanted was way too appealing. Once the game came out, I was hooked. It also helped that the community was extremely welcoming, and they are a huge reason as to why I enjoy playing the game.‖

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Do you play other Pokémon games? If yes, could you recommend some?

―I don't play any other Pokémon games competitively. But I've been playing the main series since Red and Blue. I love every game that comes out and can't recommend them enough. If you are looking for a good game from the main series, I would highly recommend Sun and Moon. I haven't played the sequels yet but I found Gen 7 to be a very fun and engaging addition to the series.‖

You just joined Guile Esports. Congratulations! Have you played for any organizations before?

―Thank you! This is my first time being a part of an organization like Guile. I used to be a team member for Hitbox Arena, a gaming venue that streams a multitude of games including Pokken and Smash. They grew into one of the most well-known streamers for Pokken and even hosted their own grassroots Pokken major, Final Boss. They helped grow me as a player and I think made me ready to represent an organization like Guile to the best of my ability.‖

What do you think about the future of eSports in general and your title\genre in particular?

―So I think that eSports as a whole is only growing. League of Legends and Overwatch are continuing to see the increase in viewership and support over the last few years, and I don't think it's going to stop any time soon. My specific genre of eSports, fighting games, continues to see more and more support and viewership as well. ELeague and EVO have done wonders for mainstream viewing, getting games such as Street Fight onto TV and allowing a platform for Injustice and now Tekken to shine as well. In addition, grassroots FGC tournaments are continuing to thrive all over the country. I don't think eSports are going to slow down any time soon.‖

What would be the most optimistic course of actions for eSports and your title\genre?

―The most optimistic course of action for eSports and the FGC would be influenced by personalities outside the eSports world. Someone who before had no investment in eSports coming in could bring a whole new kind of growth. Rick Fox, the founder of team Echo Fox, is a very good example. A former NBA star invested into eSports and now has one of the most successful and stacked teams out there. I think him coming in was such a good thing. And who knows what kind of personality could be next?‖

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What would be the most pessimistic course of actions for eSports and your title\genre?

―In my opinion, one of the most pessimistic things that could happen to eSports is if the community gets complacent with where they are. There is always room for change and improvement. And a scene is not dead if its community continues to play. Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite is a recent example. Because of lack of developer support and the game being dropped from EVO, many believe that the scene had died. The worst thing that Marvel fans can do is accept that. If they continue to play the game that they love and register for the tournaments that will host them, then they can make the scene thrive on their own. And that's a beautiful thing.‖

Can you tell us about your plans for 2018?

―Sure! I plan on continuing to attend as many events as i can! Right now I'm already registered for Frosty Faustings and Winter Brawl. Currently I'm planning on attending CEO in June and Worlds/LCQ in August. Big E Gaming hosts a lot of events in the Philly area over the year, so I will continue to attend those as well. Finally, I plan continuing to support my local scene to the best of my ability. I'm fortunate enough to be able to attend locals and I want to see the scene thrive as much as possible.‖

Looks like a busy year full of achievements! Good luck in those events! Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

―Yes! Just that I'm unbelievably grateful for everything Pokken has given me in the last two years. I've had opportunities I never even dreamed of when I first started. If you haven't given the game a shot, I highly recommend it. I want to give a shout out to my friends and family who have supported me, Guile eSports for giving me this opportunity, and finally to the entire Pokken Community for being so incredibly nice and welcoming since day 1. I can't wait to see what the future holds!‖

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Interview with Rezwan Mostafa, CEO of Team Revolution (below, with glasses)

Credit: Team Revolution

Please introduce yourself.

―Hello, I'm Rez 'Jehuty' Mostofa and I am the team director and StarCraft II manager for Team Revolution. I spend nearly 99% of my time towards E-Sports, however, you've probably never heard of me. ―

You're a director of Team Revolution. That's quite the achievement! How did you come up with the idea of starting an eSports organization?

―Yeah, we're quite proud of what we've achieved in the past 3 years. I think we as a team have always been passionate about eSports even before its inception. However, the real driving force that got us into creating a team was our success on the release of Metal Gear Online 3, where we got over 5 ESL first places. We felt like we really wanted to turn our victories into something much more. We started off in Super Smash Bros. Melee, followed by SC2 due to my knowledge of the scene. That was pretty much how we began.‖

Do you mind telling us more about how Team Revolution started? I'm sure it's very interesting to know how to start your own eSports organization.

―Yeah, at first we came into quite unknowingly on how to start, whom to approach and in general, it was a difficult task to get our foot into scenes that are already so well-established. We began by asking players who were currently teamless but had a huge history and following. Our first two major players would be Fuzzyness in Super Smash Bros. Melee and SortOf in

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StarCraft II. Neither player disappointed, as Fuzzyness got multiple 1st/2nd places in European tournaments, and SortOf got a Top 4 at DreamHack Valencia which was very exciting for us.

In general, there's so much to talk about when it comes to starting your own organization, but the first few steps would to ensure you have a solid team around you. Usually, friends who are passionate about eSports and want to achieve the same as you. From there, it's about finding out whom to contact and building a relationship with the players in the different scenes. Sponsorship is definitely the most difficult to figure out at the start. You ask yourself "do I start with the biggest companies? Smaller companies? Snacks? Drinks?" Honestly, before you do any of that, you have to ensure you have a solid sponsorship deck that will really illustrate to other companies that you're the brand that they want to be associated with. I could go on forever, but from these steps, you pretty much build from the bottom up. No success comes instantly.‖

Your nickname is Jehuty. Mind sharing a story behind it?

―Yeah, it's one people are very curious about. I was a huge fan of Hideo Kojima games. When I purchased Metal Gear Solid 2 on the PS2, it came with a demo for Zone of the Enders. I decided to play, and it turned out to be one of the best single-player games that I have ever played. My brother would go on to take the antagonist name 'Anubis'. I digress, the main 'character' is a robot (orbital frame) called Jehuty. It's actually named after an Egyptian god.‖

You say you spend nearly 99% of your time on E-Sports. Could you please elaborate on that?

―Yeah, my daily routine involves, but not limited to, communicating with players, staying in touch partners, current staff, handling applications, contacting sponsors, among other things. This tends to take up most of the day. The remainder 1% is usually playing StarCraft II, Overwatch, PUBG or CSGO.‖

What do you think about the future of eSports?

―I believe E-Sports is currently headed in the wrong direction in certain aspects. For example, the new Overwatch League really doesn't leave room for grassroots and brand new teams to enter the scene while it gives a great good infrastructure and is overall great for the game. For teams like us, it can be far too expensive to ever invest in a scene regardless if we like it. I think that's where E-Sports started and should stick to its foundations instead of trying to adapt to outdated sports.

However, I love how much attention E-sports is getting, being televised in multiple countries, most recently acknowledged by the Olympics commission for IEM Pyeongchang for StarCraft II, all great stuff. I think the future of E-Sports definitely entails it being recognized on a much

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bigger scale. I don't say this being clairvoyant, highly intellectual or wise. It's the conclusion anyone would come to, for someone who's inside the scene and aware of the possibilities.‖

What would be the most optimistic course of actions for eSports?

―I think the most optimistic course of action with regards to E-Sports is to grow. I know that's a very simple answer with multiple variables attached to it, however, that's what's needed to make eSports as relevant, or more relevant, compared to any current major sport, the people. The people following the game is truly the only thing that will make eSports better. The communities should increase in size and become more than just a 'lucky' career. Instead, being a professional player should become a prominent job title.‖

What would be the most pessimistic course of actions for eSports?

―I think we need to avoid as much as possible trying to become like other sports such as Football, Basketball etc. The positives about doing so are having huge stadiums, dedicated formats, well-maintained leagues and ladders, whereas the negatives involves eSports losing what makes it peculiar to watch, the teams, the players, the casters, the tournament organizers and of course, the fans.... I think overall, it would end up being too controlled and imitated opposed to the funny/quirky banter that you can get from content in gaming today.‖

How do you see 2018 for Team Revolution?

―I have really high expectations for 2018. We're already off to a quick start, completely rebuilding our StarCraft II roster, which is our flagship game. We are in the process of acquiring a new PUBG team and speaking to CS:GO/Dota 2 teams. Overall, everything is very exciting. We are stepping up our game this year and amplifying the amount of work we do around Team Revolution. We want to make our first 2 years seem trivial in comparison.‖

Let's wrap up the interview. I think I'm asking too many questions! Thank you for your time and making this interview possible! The final word is yours!

―Yeah, thank you again KeenGamer for sponsoring us, as well as nVidia, Purple Mustard and WASD Keyboards. If you like to show support, please take a look at our website over at http://revolution.gg/shop where you can buy merchandise from us. You can also follow us @TeamRevoGG on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter.‖

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Afterword Written by Caio Sampaio

Credit: Steem KR

Credit: The Next Bench Blog fter reading these chapters, you may dismiss some of the predictions they feature, thinking they are the reverie of a delirious mind. But bear in mind that the absurd A of today may become the normal of tomorrow. In 1977, Ken Olson, president of Digital Equipment Company, said ―there is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.‖ Today, these machines are in our houses, pockets and even on our bodies, as wearable gadgets.

Mr. Olson is one of many people who dismissed the potential of technology and failed to consider how it could evolve. This is a common mistake. As Peter Diamandis (right) says in his book Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World: ―The day before something is truly a breakthrough, it‘s a crazy idea.‖ This is not to say that every prediction is trustworthy, but it is crucial to consider, even if for a second, the possibility of it being true. Credit: Lior Zoref

Now that this eBook reaches its end, it is important to keep this in mind as you think about the predictions featured here. Some may come to fruition. Others may not. No person can say with certainty how the future will look and the goal of this eBook is not to give a definite answer to how video games will change. Instead, it aims to ignite a spark that will drive a conversation on the topic. The objective is to make gaming better.

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The best way to help video games to evolve is using intelligent discussion and the thoughts that arise from them. Gamers have the power to change the industry, as shown by Electronic Arts deciding to rework the progression system of Star Wars: Battlefront II after the publisher faced the ire of the community due the microtransactions and lootboxes that plagued the experience. Players have the power.

We from KeenGamer hope you enjoyed reading the perspective of our journalists on the future of video games. We spent months conducting researches and interviews on the topic to create this eBook. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the predictions featured here, if we provided you with enough food for thought to drive insightful discussions, then we have accomplished our goal.

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Credits

Project Management

Karel Vik

Founder and CEO of KeenGamer

Caio Sampaio

Project manager, writer, proofreader and original concept

Design

Hrvoje Smoljic

Graphics designer

Writing

Daniel Quintiliano

Writer

David Lozada

Writer

Dmytro Voloshyn

Writer

Limarc Ambalina

Writer

Nick Banks

Writer

Pierre Fouquet

Writer

Stephen Morin

Writer

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