And by gum has it come a heck of a way. Think about the obvious one, graphics. Take yourself back to the year 2000. Arguably the best looking game of the year was Giants: Citizen Kabuto. It looked like this;

For a decade old game, it actually looks alright. But lets contrast that with a game from 2009;

No contest. Of course, I mean, why should there be?

Now by and large games have improved in just about every concievable way since 2000, but it is difficult to measure anything other than graphics. The issue now is; have we reached our peak in gameplay? Have we actually managed to create a selection of games that are just so darn fun, they can’t get any better?

Whether yes or no, the truth is that game developers are now looking to branch out in other ways than staples of graphics, gameplay, sound and presentation.

The Possibilities…

3D Gaming

It is my firm belief that 3D gaming will become a mainstream part of gaming by 2020. I believe the change will be gradual, yes, and for the majority of the time, optional. For example, I don’t think that 3D gaming will be the compulsory way to game for many years to come, if ever.

However, we have (briefly and occasionally) seen how incredible 3D can be. We have even seen evidence that Sony may be embarking on some 3D escapades in the near future.

So what state will 3D Gaming be in games in 2020?

GB prediction: Mainstream, but optional for the most part.

Mind Control

Mind control I hear you say? Yes, controlling games with your mind. That might seem like something out of a sci-fi magazine, but it is a possibility. One working example is Emotiv’s EPOC headset. By picking up electrical impulses from your brain, the headset translates the brainwaves into movement on screen. It’s really only in its early stages, although the product can be purchased (for approx. $300).

So mind control headsets involved in games are still pretty far off, but they aren’t simply a pipe dream. I reckon that by 2020, the technology will at least have advanced enough for some game developers to be designing products with this kind of thing in mind.

So what state will Mind Control be in games in 2020?

GB prediction: Not mainstream, but definitely being considered by developers.

Motion Control

Motion control is something that is already being used in many modern games. The Wii started it, the PS3 attempted to copy it with the Sixaxis and now Microsoft is attempting to better it with Natal.

Now, it’s my personal opinion that motion control is a pretty lame way to game. Why anyone would want to jump up and down while waving their arms in a variety of disconcerting ways is beyond me. However, motion control in games is becoming bigger, better and more sophisticated. If you look at something like Natal, you can see just how incredible it can be. This is a trend that is not going to end soon.

So what state will motion control be in games in 2020?

GB prediction: Very mainstream, featured in most games, sometimes obligatory

Neverending Games

This is something that we have seen attempted by a few developers now, but it’s never really been perfected. Tom Clancy’s EndWar is probably the best example of a game that attempted to bring about a never-ending online experience, but ultimately it didn’t really work out.

But there is hugely untapped potential here. Maybe in the future massive MAG-esque battles would take place, with thousands of players on one gigantic map, fighting a massive war anyone could jump into, and the fighting never stops…? Who knows what might happen, but this is a feature that could well be in use by 2020.

So what state will neverending games be in 2020?

GB prediction: Probably being used in some games.

The Sillies

Virtual Reality

And by virtual reality, we of course mean a great bloody hampster ball that looks alarming like a giant testicle. Virtual reality is something that has been in the works for some time now, so it’s rather disappointing that our best attempt is running around in a 10-foot sphere where one slipped disc could send you flying.

The idea is, you wear a suit and eyepiece, sometimes accompanied by a weapon or wand, and walk about as if in real life. However, as we can cleary see, this is not yet a domestic device, and probably won’t be by 2020 either.

The Dream Machine

Sounding remarkably like some kind of kinky tripping device, the Dream Machine is a large harness that aims to place gamers right in the action. Instead of using pesky controllers, you can simply roll around in a set of straps that would closely resemble a sex swing if you removed the handlebars…or maybe not.

While the idea looks kind of cool on paper, the possibilities for injuries are numerous and unpleasant, and it looks pretty retarded when sitting in it. Oh yeah, and it’s a pretty epic fail if a girl comes round.

So there you have it, another decade is over. Fairly obvious this, I suppose, but the noughties (as they are affectionately, albeit irritatingly) known, have been the most significant period for gaming EVER!

Yeah, we saw the first real forays into gaming in the 1970s, the advent of the 8-bit home computer in the 80s and the rise of the humble console in the 90s. But it’s the past 10 years – with its advanced graphics, powerful technology, authentic cinema-like sound quality, engrossing storylines and emphasis on co-op and family play – that has propelled gaming into the stratosphere and transformed it into a multi-billion dollar industry.

Nowadays, turnover for some games is comparable to the mega-bucks movies that emerge from Hollywood. Hell, even production costs are similar these days. Media types don’t just talk about how successful an opening weekend has been for blockbuster films anymore – they also cast an eye towards the first few days of sales when a major game is launched. Add to this the changing attitudes towards gaming over the years and it’s clear to see it’s no longer reserved for the nerds among us anymore.

Sony laid the groundwork for this mentality shift in 1995 when its stylish-looking Playstation hit the shelves. The Japanese major was the first to make a real dent in the Sega/Nintendo stranglehold that had been prevalent for years – and few could have predicted it would retain the mantle as top dog for years to come.

In 1995, Sony emerged with their latest console; the PlayStation.

But it was the “noughties” that truly saw Sony dominate the market with the launch of its rather ugly Playstation 2 back in 2000. The hefty black brick set a new standard for gaming and reigns as one of the biggest selling platforms in history. It not only boasted “revolutionary” graphics, great sound, and backwards compatibility with the PSone but it was even capable of playing your DVD and CD collection. Magic!

It sold by the bucketload and those Sony peeps had every right to be pretty pleased with themselves… until Mr Bill Gates, Microsoft head honcho, came along a year or so later and gatecrashed the party.

The Xbox marked a new era; the battles between Sega and Nintendo in the 1990s were history – this was the point that Sony and Microsoft started to fight it out for top spot… The Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo Gamecube were sadly left in their wake. The original Xbox was even more aesthetically appalling than Sony’s effort – but the lure of the first in the Halo and Project Gotham Racing series proved too tempting for some. It was a pretty powerful beast back then too – but although it had far more under the hood than Sony’s offering it achieved only a fraction of the sales of the PSOne. Nevertheless, the foundations were laid…

The original Xbox struggled to keep up with the PS2, despite superior hardware.

Just a few years later, their super powerful successors – the Xbox 360 (2005) and Playstation 3 (2006) – started slugging it out and fighting for sales with their heavily-hyped exclusives. Many observers and fanboys still argue over which is winning the war – but for the countless millions of owners out there, it doesn’t really matter. Either way, they’re experiencing some of the most exciting titles ever released and have plenty to look forward to in 2010 with some big triple-A titles scheduled.

And what of Nintendo’s Wii? Small in stature and compatible with the Gamecube, it’s been massively successful in the sales charts – in fact, it’s topping them! What the tiny little box lacks by way of next gen software and swanky graphics, it more than makes up for through its adoption of motion control and promise of increased interactivity. Waggling the controller – which is more than a little reminiscent of a traditional TV remote – to manipulate characters onscreen has proven revolutionary. I’ve spent many an afternoon waving my hands about as though boxing or swinging a tennis racquet, and watching my onscreen avatar imitate my every move. This unique take on gaming lured many away from the more conventional consoles. It not only proved massively entertaining to the masses but Nintendo’s shrewd marketing of the Wii as a useful addition to a fitness regime ensured strong sales. This cemented the notion that gaming could be a family pastime.

And I’ve not even touched on the battle of the handhelds, have I? Although Microsoft is yet to enter this theatre of war, Sony is duking it out with Nintendo with the PSP and DS, respectively. Just like their bigger brothers, the technical differences between the two are many and varied – with Sony again offering a more powerful version that hasn’t sold quite as well as Nintendo’s.

But perhaps the greatest innovation of this past decade is the rapid growth of the internet and its uptake. Sony had never really grasped the potential with its massively popular PS2 so it’s perhaps the original Xbox’s greatest legacy that internet play was to add an entirely new dimension to the mix. Now, it’s a major part of all three current gen consoles.The potential was, and still is, unfathomable. Not only has the internet provided the option of playing like-minded people – or younger spottier versions of yourself – anywhere in the world… in real time… from the comfort of your own living room, but it has also meant that games can be frequently updated, extended through downloadable content and even customised through user generated maps or characters.

Add to this all the really exciting opportunities we started to see in 2009 with full price games and the latest movies available for download, and it’s perhaps obvious why Microsoft don’t feel so sore about losing the Blu-ray format war to Sony’s PS3! Maybe the next decade could see the demise of the shiny DVD altogether?!

When I visited a friend’s house 15+ years ago and saw a little black box – or modem – sticking out the back of his PC and we surfed some very limited and uninspiring websites, I never envisaged that the internet would be a staple part of every household a few years later.

But here I am, blogging, having spent the previous few nights glued to the screen playing Modern Warfare 2 on Xbox Live and racking up the kills against my global playmates.

Xbox LIVE, and all forms of internet interaction, have changed the face of gaming.

The past decade has been littered with some absolutely astounding titles that have been truly genre defining. Just take a look at the Sims back in 2000. Although disliked by some of the hardcore, it played a considerable part in widening the appeal of gaming, attracting females and younger sorts. Similarly, Guitar Hero (2005) and Wii Sports (2006) opened entirely new avenues for those wanting a fairly faithful musical or sporting slant to their games.

And what about the other big hitters of recent years, such as Halo (2001) , Grand Theft Auto III (2001), Half Life 2 (2004), World of Warcraft (2004), Resident Evil 4 (2005), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2007) and Fallout 3 (2008) to name but a few…?

It’s certainly been an entertaining and exciting time…and I for one, can’t wait to see what the next 10 years will bring!

Fancy reliving some more highlights of years gone by? Check these links out:

• MCV showcases the top 20 games of the decade
• The Top 10 best selling games of the decade on Amazon.co.uk
• Wired’s most influential games of the decade
  
• The Guardian Gamesblog has tracked down plenty more lists…