Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Timothy L. Wilson and Peter Zackariasson
In this chapter we look to the future of gaming. In so doing, we asked each
of our contributors to present their views of things to come and we attempt
to put these contributions in perspective. That task, however, is not an
easy one because the industry is moving so quickly, but space here is taken
to review the situation for console manufacturers, independent publish-
ers and the market in evolving economies. We also looked at things from
another angle, and this chapter of ers a conceptualization on the nature
of games as a customer of ering through classical media considerations.
That is, in his seminal treatise on the media, Marshall McLuhan asserted,
“The medium is the message.” We have at hand new technology and a new
medium—video games. To get some feeling of how gamers extend them-
selves, we turn to two classics, James Thurber's
Secret Life of Walter Mitty
and Neal Stephenson's
Snow Crash
for some insight. There is an indication
that life may indeed be imitating art. In other words, video games provide
a signifi cant advancement from a pre-existing situation in a manner analo-
gous to the way Gutenberg's printing press changed lives through books.
Literature has long presented possibilities in which one can be immersed.
Through video games, and virtual worlds, this potential has been taken to
new heights. According to McLuhan's treatise, they may be providing even
greater advances in the way we adapt in the future. In looking through our
glass, we see personal servants supplying research, better lives for individu-
als in developing countries and time travel in our future.
INTRODUCTION
One of the pleasures of editing a book such as this is the exposure to a
topic from so many dif erent angles. We hope that readers are equally sat-
isfi ed with the breadth of exposure—sometimes controversial, sometimes
mainstream, but always interesting. One of the things we asked each of
our contributors to do was to use their expertise to tell readers what they
might foresee in the future. In this chapter we start of by summarizing
our thoughts of their observations with respect to the future. Clearly, in
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