Bytten

Since the days of Pong, games have become much more complex and require many more controls. Instead of moving a box back and forth on the screen to bounce a ball, you are now in control of complex machines and characters with many actions/movements. This has resulted in demand for control devices to accommodate the progressively increasing complexity of the games. Devices that help reduce the complexity of controlling the games while providing the full range of control options have proven to do the best at meeting player expectations. I suspect the trend will continue and devices that can combine diverse control options with simplicity and reliability will succeed the most.

Track IR tech obviously caught your attention and imagination enough for you to want to offer the opportunity of it's use with your games. Are there other technologies that have caught your attention?

Nothing recently quite like how TrackIR caught my attention. DirectX 10 will offer a few details for graphics enhancement and there will likely be some advancement in physics. But I'm not holding my breath in anticipation for any revolutionary improvements from a technology standpoint. My hope is that gameplay improvements will be what captures my imagination and gaming interest in the near future (regardless of how technology will or will not facilitate those improvements). With graphics and sound as good as they are, it would be great if more focus was given to advancing gameplay, which is at the heart of the interactive form of entertainment we enjoy. I'll be working on ways to advance my games in that regard as well as hunting for other games to enjoy. A solid combination of good graphics, sound, and interactive gameplay will be what captures my attention both as a gamer and as a developer.

I know where I want to take my games, but it's difficult to predict what the industry will do as a whole. I'm hoping for more freedom in gameplay, for players to control more of their experience and to have more things to do in a game. There will be a balance between design and player modification, but I'd anticipate that gamers will expect more control over how they interact with the game as well as being provided with more options and choices for gameplay.

Just want to say thank you to Bytten for the opportunity to discuss my approach to game design. And if you're a fan of space games, stop by starwraith.com and pick up a free game (Star Wraith: Shadows of Orion).