The Future of Videogames @ 1UP

Vikingod

Source: 1UP
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The guy who designed one of last year's biggest blockbusters hits the hay each night dreaming about the ultimate game. He just can't make it happen yet. "It's a world that can flip upside down in a second and change from an empowering fantasy to a dreadful nightmare," Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer of Epic's Gears of War, says of his dream game. "It all hinges on thoughts and impulses—not on button presses. The biggest obstacle we're facing now is one of interface. We need a significant advance in this area for gaming to truly allow for an interactive landscape of dreams."

How long until Bleszinski's dream comes true? Answering that question is just one of the goals of this months-in-the-making cover story. We've asked experts across the industry to track the next 20 years of everything from game-design trends to the evolution of your living room. A two-decade forecast, we figure, is near-term enough to be tangible (we're staying away from silly sci-fi stuff) but far enough out to fire up your imagination. And maybe give you some kick-ass dreams, too.