Technology Evolution - Genre Evolution

Considering the latest shift in the gaming console market (PS2 to PS3 or Xbox to Xbox 360), what genre or game element do you think evolved the most?

My initial reaction to this question would be the combining of genres. RPG and FPS can become more tightly integrated with the new processing power and graphics available to us. This is resulting in an entirely new genre that is evolving with each new game iteration. This genre shift has been done in the past, but until now, it has been a fairly loose integration. I think that Fable II and Borderlands are truly the front runners in this shift and have made a major impact on the genre creation. With the new technology, battle sequences are more intense and satisfying while combining the story and RPG style seamlessly.

I also feel that as the technology advances we will see this happen more often and we will also be able to take advantage of newer more interactive controls. The technology is truly allowing our imaginations to run wild and transfer that to a massively realistic and expansive game world.

What other elements has this technology shift affected?

One of the biggest effects that technology has had on the gaming market is in the players themselves. Players have become so advanced in their gameplay that they demand/expect lifelike graphics, and blazing speeds and online gaming. Players are so advanced that they now leverage several gaming platforms depending on mood or location or even time of day. These technology shifts have also created completely new payer markets. Gamers have not only expanded across geography, but have expanded in age groups including those in retirement.

What affect has the advancement of mobile gaming technology had on the gaming market and what platform seems to be advancing faster?

I feel that the advancements in mobile technology, including the handhelds as well as cell phones has had a dramatic effect on gaming today. These advancements have opened up gaming to an entirely new audience as well as expanded it for existing gamers. This has also had an effect on the industry in terms of opportunities for specialists from programmers to designers. Stemming from the internet and web-based gaming, this mobile gaming phenomenon has come so far so fast that handhelds can now have graphics that rival that of the major consoles.

With every cell phone advancement comes new games. With each new game, comes the need for cell phone advancements, and thus the cycle begins. This has turned the cell phone market on end and is a driving force in the market today. I am not a big mobile gamer, but I am astonished at how this market has grown and how quickly it has advanced.

I would say that the cell phone market is growing more rapidly (no research or data backing me up). There are only a couple of gaming handhelds and they are growing and advancing, but cell phones are flooding the market almost weekly. Each time a new cell phone hits the market, it enables a new customer for the gaming industry. Cell phones are everywhere and constantly becoming more sophisticated with each new release and allowing more gaming options to the public.

While I would agree that handhelds are probably more advanced in terms of capabilities with gaming, the cell phones are far more advanced overall. The cell phones also advance more rapidly and more often than handhelds. I would also say that cell phones have a wider reach and a broader audience and therefore should receive a high level of attention from game developers.