With technology progressing on a daily basis, videogame developers are scrambling to capture new markets. The most notable new technology for widespread gaming can be seen in rapidly advancing mobile phones. Although the most common language for programming mobile phone compatible games is the decade old Java coding language, recent advances in graphics and sound are seeing developers use more advanced programming languages to introduce speed and visual effects to their games.
In 2003, Nokia became the first company to offer a mobile phone developed and marketed for gamers. While initial sales of the NGage were disappointing, with many consumers complaining that the poor design made it hard to use as both a gaming platform and a phone, Nokia remains hopeful that their recent release of the redesigned NGageQD at a cheaper introductory price will boost sales and speed to growing list of third party developers making games for the platform.
Videogames are no doubt fun and engaging, but are often criticized for conditioning children for a life of inactivity. An emerging technology, Mixed Environment gaming is beginning to allow gamers to not only interact with their game of choice, but to also control it through exploration of their actual physical environment. The technology, which is being developed by several groups including Mixed Reality Systems, uses location tracking hardware (GPS, RFID) coupled with a virtual environment to allow players to run, jump and shoot their way through an interactive virtual environment that is layered over the existing structure of the physical world. Mixed Environment games can be as simple as a scavenger hunt, with digital hot spot objects hidden in the pre-existing physical environment, or as complicated as a team based shootout, with digital enemies represented virtually over the physical playing field. Although the technology is in its infancy, the market potential for such games is apparent with application possibilities ranging from education and navigation to military combat training.
Jeff DeMaria 09:49, 29 Oct 2004 (EST)
