At Seymourpowell we look to a number of industries for inspiration. We find these are often the best places to start in order to understand different cultures and how these may affect other industries. Here, Seymourpowell senior design researcher Rob Kirby looks at how the evolution of video games might influence the products we surround ourselves with in the future.

1. How will the evolution
of video games
influence the products
we surround ourselves
with in the future?
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2. At Seymourpowell we look to a number of industries
for inspiration. We find these are often the best places
to start in order to understand different cultures and
how these may affect other industries.
ROB KIRBY
Senior Design Researcher, Seymourpowell
Books, films, and fashion trends are To complete the realism of the experience the ‘Dead Space’ by Electronic Arts then took this
gameplay needed to evolve just as much as one step further by limiting ammo and making
all influenced by the gaming industry the graphics had. It is this slow-changing tide even the killing of enemies strategic – something
– for example, Prada recently that is now gathering momentum and not just the creators termed ‘strategic dismemberment’.
teamed up with video game in the gaming world; on-screen we’re seeing I’m sure you can imagine what that involves.
publisher Square Enix to use Final films being transformed with a long overdue Furthermore, the Atari survival horror title ‘Alone
Fantasy characters to model their injection of intelligence making them much in the Dark’ is set in complete real-time, meaning
more cerebral, think Jason Bourne for example. that the baddies didn’t stop running at you even
spring/summer 2012 collection. while you’re reloading or hot-wiring a car.
So what could a recent shift towards extremely If we rewind over ten years, a key title that
sophisticated gaming experiences mean for started this movement was ‘Halo’, a franchise Most recently, Ubisofts’ survival title ‘I Am Alive’
our products? now owned by Microsoft Studios. They simply pushed this realism even further by encouraging
limited the number of weapons a player could you to use nearby objects and materials as
Ever since ‘Doom’ and ‘Quake’ defined carry to two. This miniscule change was the start makeshift weapons – anything from shattered
shooter games as fast-paced and gory with of the journey to realism. More recently ‘Operation glass to fence posts. This resourcefulness is
groundbreaking texture mapping and polygonal Flashpoint’ by Codemasters stripped their military loosely being mirrored in the real world as well
graphics, many titles have strived to achieve a game back to just the bare essentials to distance with a huge surge in survival training courses –
similar level of success. The main weapon in themselves from the monotonous ‘run-and-gun’ it seems that knowing how to handle yourself and
modern titles’ arsenal, such as ‘Call format. They removed features such as auto-aim, survive in the wilderness is equally as important
of Duty’, ‘Gears of War’ and ‘Battlefield’ has detailed maps, unavoidable targets and the ability as being able to drive a car or sync your iPhone.
been the graphics – making games feel bigger, to be shot an impossible number of times. This
better and more realistic than ever with crystal added a new dimension to the game by making This, often extreme, depiction of realism stretches
clear renderings. But these visually stunning it much more tactical and strategic – players were the experience and brings it closer to real-life.
titles still offered gameplay from the Dark Ages; forced to conserve ammo, lead a unit of soldiers, After all, how many occasions would you have
bulletproof characters continued to dodge run recon missions and desperately avoid fields an array of weaponry to choose from while
dramatic Hollywood explosions. of bullet fire – just as one would in the real world. an attacker sprints menacingly towards you?
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Confidential. © Seymour Powell Limited, 2012. All rights reserved.

3. Such advancements have made these fantasy
experiences much more immersive, dialing up
the realism beyond just looking real.
But what could all this mean for our products?
One thing this movement shows is an
unquenchable thirst for immersive and realistic
experiences. For us at Seymourpowell our role
as product innovators includes experience
design. Mobile phones are no longer products
in the traditional sense; they are a gateway to
an enriching digital experience that starts from
the second the packaging is opened.
And just as technology marches on we expect
many products and services to be much more
immersive. This will undoubtedly change the
industry even down to how skillsets are taught
in the future, as the design of the experience is
as equally important as the physical design itself.
But if this is the case, it also begs the question – http://www.gamingnexus.com/
how realistic do these experiences need to be?
It has long been argued that an increased level
of immersion, realism and violence in gaming is a This was to question whether our perception of
step too far – ‘Doom’ was linked to the Columbine these ideas would change if they were produced
High School Massacre, and there have been on a larger scale. One particular part of this
countless ‘Natural Born Killers’ copycat murders. exhibition, ‘Blood/Meat Energy Future’ involved
So if such experiences are becoming more extreme a mouse being fed to a TV in order to turn it
to vie for our attention, does this mean the
These fantasy
on (http://www.dunneandraby.co.uk/content/
experiences we will demand from our products projects/68/0). Although this was tongue-in-
will become equally as extreme as we become cheek it was still slightly scary – what if products
desensitised to it?
Ultimately, the role of the entertainment industry
with a slightly sinister edge become a reality?
With survival gaming showing there is an appetite
for such extreme and realistic experiences,
experiences
is to offer a very quick escape from reality with
a deeply immersive fantasy experience. And if
this is perhaps not entirely inconceivable.
are much more
immersive, dialling
‘Tomb Raider’ and ‘Resident Evil’ are anything For most there is a clear distinction between
to go by we know how quickly these can spread fantasy and reality so these are likely to remain
throughout other industries. But if the dawn very separate. But as these boundaries are
of extreme survival gaming follows a similarly
contagious pattern, at what point do these
constantly being tested to heighten experiences,
how do we ensure these experiences remain up the realism
beyond just
experiences stop becoming an escape and start enriched but very much separate from our
to become the norm in our reality? And more to physical product landscape? Or should we
the point, could this become an expected part accept that such a dystopian vision will one
of our product experiences?
Back in 2004, ‘Is this your future?’ by Dunne
day be a part of our products?
looking real.
& Raby demonstrated what ‘new’ ideas on
the future of energy could look like if they were For more information, please contact
produced at a scale of mass consumerism. Tim Duncan - tim.duncan@seymourpowell.com
Confidential. © Seymour Powell Limited, 2012. All rights reserved.