Gaming innovations since 2005

[Pifanjr]

This comment by @neogunhero got me thinking about what technical innovations we've had in video games over the last ~20 years:

Random timeline here, but it seemed that between 1980-2005 there was a major new technological innovation for the games industry that totally changed everything every couple of years. Between 2005-2024, we’ve gotten, uh, better graphics? Better voice acting and animations? While that’s all good and dandy, it seems like we’re just improving upon the innovations of the past to make them better without actually making that major of a technological leap as something like the PS1 did in 1995.

My first thought was big, open world games, as most games had very small levels and used invisible barriers, but then I realised Morrowind released in 2002. There's definitely been improvements since, but I'm not sure anything game changing. The only thing I can think of is in sci-fi games that allow for a smooth transition from flying in a planet's atmosphere to flying in space, but that's more of an innovation from a purely technical point of view, as the difference between a smooth transition and a short loading screen is not that big in terms of gameplay innovation.

My second thought was destructible environments. They're not used very often, but I'm not aware of a game from before 2005 that had fully destructible environments.

However, I realised destructible environments are a symptom of what I think is a much larger innovation: dynamic worlds. Games that support the world being changed by the player. I think that's where we got the explosion in games with base building from, especially 3D survival sandbox games. And I think it played a role in the popularization of Roguelikes, as procedural generation is a lot easier and more flexible to do if the AI can adapt to an endless variety of environments.

Have there been any other major innovations in the past two decades?

 

[Frindis]

I think the implementation of online microtransactions with or without battle passes is one of the larger ones, especially considering how much it has changed how games are built around it and how much consumers invest in it. I'd also throw in streaming services as they have become more and more embedded into the game itself, like either through you watching streams for getting online goods or you being able to get online goods yourself through playing at a set amount of time. An example of the latter is how you could get a skin for your mount in Diablo 4 when it was released if you played for a set amount of time and did different chores that would prompt you to get said items.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Multiplayer online may be slightly bigger than it was in 2005.

I'd say theres been lots of changes and innovations in games and the way we access them and consume them.

For something on the level of the shift to full 3d and then to 3d open worlds we're probably talking brain implants beaming stuff straight to the eyes. I think VR will stay a niche forever, the gear is too expensive and clumsy for mass market. I also think that people mulitask a lot more than they used too, so a screen allows people to listen to podcasts/books and have chat windows open to friends etc as well as interact with familt and friends in real life at teh same time when needed.

 

[Brian Boru]

Do things like skyboxes, water and weather count as separate, or part of graphics? They're a lot better these days.

Modeling of living beings is a lot better now. Crysis 2007 was a 'wow' for me in the people modeling, especially Prophet, and the wildlife in Far Cry 3 in 2012 was superb.

DRM seems to have improved a lot too, I don't see many complaints these days about borked PCs or games.

Consoles becoming more PC-like has been a big help in reducing the crippling of PC games.

I guess the biggest advance for PC has been the emergence and quick dominance of digital delivery via Steam et al. The biggest for the industry overall of course has been the birth and steamroll of mobile gaming, which has passed out PC and consoles in such a short time.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Just occured to me that maybe AI in FPS games has never surpassed F.E.A.R.

I remember the feeling of being in a tight space waiting for a head to pop out so I could shoot it, then the tinkle of a grenade coming in the room and me realising the AI had actually circled through another room and flanked me. Didnt think it was possible but similar things happened a few times.

I havent played a COD or Battlefield in 10 years so maybe theyre better now?

 

[Zloth]

Well, the graphics and the voice acting mentioned are DEFINITELY better. Lego people were gone by 2005, but people still looked somewhat blocky. Not anymore.

Physics have gotten better, too. Ragdolls were starting up a little before 2005, I think, but physics in games have come a long way.

One big one for the console side of things: SAVE POINTS DIED! Well, Yakuza held on to them for a long time, but they're dead now.

DLC became a thing. A lot of people may be mad about it, but it allows people to get a main game for a good price, then add extras if they really like the game.

Speaking of price, I think we're getting way more for our money now. Games back then were closer to $1/hr. Today, it's quite a bit less, even before you take inflation into account.

Quests are better. They've been getting better since Temple of Apshai, and continue to improve to this day. "Fed-ex" quests where you go deliver something or fetch something have been reduced and, when they are still around, they are far more interesting than the early days. Developers seem to have figured out that escort quests don't work very well, too - those are getting rare now, especially the kind where the character getting escorted is an idiot that goes down after one or two hits.

All in all, though, innovation is certainly much slower. That's because, back before 2005, the technology was growing CRAZY fast. Characters may have been a bit chiseled in 2005, but in 2000 they were more like a bunch of legos with a face painted on one lego's side. It's easier to implement brand new ideas when the technology to do the idea showed up just a year or two earlier!

Expect to see some crazy innovation again when quantum computers start to show up in home PCs.

 

[Pifanjr]

I think the implementation of online microtransactions with or without battle passes is one of the larger ones, especially considering how much it has changed how games are built around it and how much consumers invest in it.

According to Wikipedia, microtransactions already existed in arcade games back in 1990, where you could buy power ups in the game by putting more coins into the machine, and there were several online games before 2005 that implemented microtransaction shops.

The first battle pass was added to Dota 2 in 2013, so that's a better example, but I'm not sure I would call it a technological leap in video games. I would definitely not call it a positive one.

I'd say theres been lots of changes and innovations in games and the way we access them and consume them.

For something on the level of the shift to full 3d and then to 3d open worlds we're probably talking brain implants beaming stuff straight to the eyes. I think VR will stay a niche forever, the gear is too expensive and clumsy for mass market. I also think that people mulitask a lot more than they used too, so a screen allows people to listen to podcasts/books and have chat windows open to friends etc as well as interact with familt and friends in real life at teh same time when needed.

The concept of VR isn't a new technological innovation either, the first VR goggles and gloves were made in 1985. The prototype of the Oculus Rift in 2010 did mark a huge step forward though.

I think when we talk about innovation about how we access games, the Wii, released in 2006, should deserve a mention as well. Motion controls weren't a new concept either of course, but the Wii did bring them into the mainstream. Then there were also Kinect and PlayStation Move, but they didn't have as much of a lasting impact.

However, the biggest change is of course the innovations in touch screen controls for smartphones, as @Brian Boru mentioned with the rise of the mobile market. While the Nintendo DS, released at the end of 2004/beginning of 2005, first popularised touch screen controls for video games, smartphones took it to a whole new level, especially once most smartphones supported multi-touch.

Do things like skyboxes, water and weather count as separate, or part of graphics? They're a lot better these days.

Modeling of living beings is a lot better now. Crysis 2007 was a 'wow' for me in the people modeling, especially Prophet, and the wildlife in Far Cry 3 in 2012 was superb.

I think this all falls under "better graphics". Though better graphics can be used for gameplay innovations, like how LA Noire used facial mocap.

I guess the biggest advance for PC has been the emergence and quick dominance of digital delivery via Steam et al. The biggest for the industry overall of course has been the birth and steamroll of mobile gaming, which has passed out PC and consoles in such a short time.

This might very well be the biggest change for PC games since 2005. Granted, Steam started in 2003, but it only started distributing 3rd party software in 2005. There would have never been so many indie games available if games were still limited by physical media, nor would we have things like Early Access probably.

Just occured to me that maybe AI in FPS games has never surpassed F.E.A.R.

I remember the feeling of being in a tight space waiting for a head to pop out so I could shoot it, then the tinkle of a grenade coming in the room and me realising the AI had actually circled through another room and flanked me. Didnt think it was possible but similar things happened a few times.

I havent played a COD or Battlefield in 10 years so maybe theyre better now?

I'm not sure how much better AI can even get for a FPS. What else would you expect from AI that the F.E.A.R. AI doesn't do?

Physics have gotten better, too. Ragdolls were starting up a little before 2005, I think, but physics in games have come a long way.

Can you name a physics based innovation from after 2005 that isn't just about graphics? I can't think of one off of the top of my head. Note that the gravity gun from half-life 2 is from 2004.

DLC became a thing. A lot of people may be mad about it, but it allows people to get a main game for a good price, then add extras if they really like the game.

Speaking of price, I think we're getting way more for our money now. Games back then were closer to $1/hr. Today, it's quite a bit less, even before you take inflation into account.

There have definitely been a lot of innovations on the developer side. Besides digital distribution, there have been a ton of innovations that have made developing games easier and therefore made games cheaper, though I wouldn't be able to name any specifics.

 

[Frindis]

According to Wikipedia, microtransactions already existed in arcade games back in 1990, where you could buy power ups in the game by putting more coins into the machine, and there were several online games before 2005 that implemented microtransaction shops.

Yeah, I said online though, but what games before 2005 had microtransactions shops? I thought Bethesda with the Oblivion was the first game that introduced that. If not, then I blame Bethesda for my error and I applaud you for digging into it

 

[Pifanjr]

Yeah, I said online though, but what games before 2005 had microtransactions shops? I thought Bethesda with the Oblivion was the first game that introduced that.

From Wikipedia:

The microtransaction revenue model gained popularity in South Korea with the success of Nexon's online free-to-play games, starting with QuizQuiz (1999), followed by games such as MapleStory (2003), Mabinogi (2004), and Dungeon Fighter Online (2004).

Notable examples of games that used this model in the early 2000s include the social networking site Habbo Hotel (2001), developed by the Finnish company Sulake, and Linden Lab's 2003 virtual world game Second Life.

 

[Frindis]

@Pifanjr And they had an online shop where you could buy stuff?

Disclaimer: oooh wait, those are not PC Games then or erm, Second Life. God damn, call me confused!

 

[DXCHASE]

Trying to cover something that hasnt been written, but i wanted to add the ability for physically and mentally challenged people to game has come a LONG way since 2005. There are a lot more choices in how to play a game than ever from physical devices to eye-tracing technology.

There is also a lot more accessibility options in games, some going even as far as catering to curbing peoples phobias like in Lethal Company, you can literally turn off spiders and replace it with a "spider" text, things like that.

 

[Colif]

I think the implementation of online microtransactions with or without battle passes is one of the larger ones

can we get some positive innovations? I wouldn't see that as something to be celebrated... they just turned games into endless purchases. Ongoing process.
What was the first online store in a game? Was that horse armour?

graphics improving is an evolution, not an innovation. It was hardly new.

VR= virtualboy.. 10 years before - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Boy

I can't think of anything. Positive anyway.
Negative:
Since they all digital games now, we can release games that are broken up until the day of release and then patch them after...
We can sell online only games and once servers stop working... too bad for players.
Bethesda specific: We can release broken games and modders will fix them... not sure how far back that goes for them though, might predate 2005

 

[Pifanjr]

@Pifanjr And they had an online shop where you could buy stuff?

Disclaimer: oooh wait, those are not PC Games then or erm, Second Life. God damn, call me confused!

Maplestory is credited as a major influence in popularising microtransactions and lootboxes in video games.

MapleStory's Impact on MMOs Can Still Be Seen Today

MapleStory was one of the first free-to-play MMOs, and it introduced a few alternative revenue models that are seen in almost all MMOs today.

gamerant.com

 

[Frindis]

@Pifanjr *tips hat* thank you for broadening my eyesight

 

[ZedClampet]

I'm not much of a gaming historian, but the ability to play co-op has improved dramatically, even over just the last 10 years. Playing an entire campaign with a friend was very rare not that long ago. Even just how you connect has improved. Not that long ago, they expected you to manually create a server. Now you just pull up your friend list and click on "invite to game".

 

[Colif]

Local Co op existed on SNES games but Online Co-op is likely much improved in the last 20 years.

blurred lines: Do mmorpg count?

 

[Pifanjr]

I'm not much of a gaming historian, but the ability to play co-op has improved dramatically, even over just the last 10 years. Playing an entire campaign with a friend was very rare not that long ago. Even just how you connect has improved. Not that long ago, they expected you to manually create a server. Now you just pull up your friend list and click on "invite to game".

Steam Remote Play is a pretty great innovation as well for playing together, assuming your connection is stable enough to stream the game.

 

[Zloth]

Can you name a physics based innovation from after 2005 that isn't just about graphics? I can't think of one off of the top of my head. Note that the gravity gun from half-life 2 is from 2004.

None of them are about graphics. Physics engines are all about how things move. (Optics, electromagnetics, thermodynamics, and plenty of other physics topics aren't physics to gamers, as I understand it.) So the motion of solids, fluids, and cloth are the big ones.

The first car explosion I remember that actually had bits flying off was in City of Heroes' 'hazard' missions, where they had your villain run around town smashing stuff. You could smash a car and BOOM! Wheels fly off and various other pieces go flying - how many depended on how good your CPU was. You were best off with a dedicated physics card, though. Now'a'days we can kick over bikes and not think twice about it.

Physics engines could use a lot more work, too. Waves on water look a lot better now but are still too regular. I haven't ever seen a believable surf hit a beach.

 

[Colif]

Physics engines could use a lot more work, too. Waves on water look a lot better now but are still too regular. I

remembers watching comparison videos of water in Cyberpunk compared to older games... its not just the physics, the programmers need to try as well. Wanders off thinking about Wave Race 64.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

The concept of VR isn't a new technological innovation either, the first VR goggles and gloves were made in 1985. The prototype of the Oculus Rift in 2010 did mark a huge step forward though.

I think when we talk about innovation about how we access games, the Wii, released in 2006, should deserve a mention as well. Motion controls weren't a new concept either of course, but the Wii did bring them into the mainstream. Then there were also Kinect and PlayStation Move, but they didn't have as much of a lasting impact.

However, the biggest change is of course the innovations in touch screen controls for smartphones, as @Brian Boru mentioned with the rise of the mobile market. While the Nintendo DS, released at the end of 2004/beginning of 2005, first popularised touch screen controls for video games, smartphones took it to a whole new level, especially once most smartphones supported multi-touch.

I didnt really consider that VR has been around that long. It is kind of analogous to 3d games being around since the 70's, comparing Doom to Maze War or other proto 3D games. Maybe we arent talking about the innovation as much as the refinement and popularisation in those cases.

The Wii was a very good one, but it was kind of a flash in the pan, Kinect died and the Move just turned into controllers for PSVR. I dont know what kind of thing they were using in the 80's, but maybe the innovation in VR has been more based around availability to home consumers and the control methods being fused with Wii style motion controls.

Touch screen controls have been innovative, but I dont think theyve been influential on traditional games. Mobile might be the biggest market by revenue, but its the least creatively interesting one now. The best (read: most interesting to me ) Mobile games are also big on other platforms, usually before they go mobile. Touch screen controls are pretty rubbish for those games, usually just trying to ape a physical controller kind of badly. I did play some World of Goo and Angry Birds like everyone else which were fun enough because of the novelty, but I fell off when everyone started playing Candy Crush and money mills like Clash of Clans instead.

Worth noting the Switch has a touch screen, none of the big Nintendo games Ive played (Zelda BOTW, Mario Odyssey/ 3D World, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Pokemon Legends Arceus, Luigis Mansion 3, Mario Kart) use it far as I've experienced. although its nice for typing in passwords. Happy to be corrected, but I'm happy to No True Scotsman touch screens and float away merrily in that bubble.

 

[Colif]

The first hand held game with a touchscreen - 1997 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game.com
first PC with a touchscreen was 1983 but I can't find what first game that uses one was. There still aren't a lot now. Given how many PC's have them and all, expect market is small.

if innovation is defined as what Apple do, then it doesn't need to be an all new idea, just a better different more pretty implementation of it.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

The first hand held game with a touchscreen - 1997 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game.com
first PC with a touchscreen was 1983 but I can't find what first game that uses one was. There still aren't a lot now. Given how many PC's have them and all, expect market is small.

if innovation is defined as what Apple do, then it doesn't need to be an all new idea, just a better different more pretty implementation of it.

I dont know, I think if you follow that road to the end you end up having no innovation since the invention of the CRT.

In games I think theres been a million small iterations and innovations that have added up to something bigger than the sum. If you went back to 2005 and showed someone from that time some of the games we have available now their minds would be totally blown.

I'm not sure how much better AI can even get for a FPS. What else would you expect from AI that the F.E.A.R. AI doesn't do?

Sorry, I forgot to answer this. I dont know man, I just play the games and comment on them when they surprise me. If I knew what I was looking for I'd probably be making games instead of playing them.

 

[Colif]

In games I think theres been a million small iterations and innovations that have added up to something bigger than the sum. If you went back to 2005 and showed someone from that time some of the games we have available now their minds would be totally blown.

yes. As they would your phone.

Its why its difficult to point out anything big that has changed as all games are the result of incremental changes made by someone else. Its why the reaction to Palworld was so excessive, they really weren't doing anything other people have tried before, they just found a winning combo.

Open world is one thing that has become more of a feature of most games. Sure, wow did come out in 2004 (November) but there weren't many examples of successful ones before then. I won't say it was first as that was some game released in 1985. A true innovation would be to make an interesting open world no wait, Sacred did that already... 2005. Cry... hand drawn maps... tries to find a time machine... Sacred 2 was better in that regard really... goes back to 2008.

totally ignores Baldurs gate..

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

yes. As they would your phone.

Its why its difficult to point out anything big that has changed as all games are the result of incremental changes made by someone else. Its why the reaction to Palworld was so excessive, they really weren't doing anything other people have tried before, they just found a winning combo.

Open world is one thing that has become more of a feature of most games. Sure, wow did come out in 2004 (November) but there weren't many examples of successful ones before then. I won't say it was first as that was some game released in 1985. A true innovation would be to make an interesting open world no wait, Sacred did that already... 2005. Cry... hand drawn maps... tries to find a time machine... Sacred 2 was better in that regard really... goes back to 2008.

totally ignores Baldurs gate..

I think the reaction to Palworld was initially based off the fact they copied some of the designs from Pokemon which upset some Nintendo fans. Then the internet internetted all over it, people tried to bring AI into it based on some Internet detective stuff from the studios Twitter and previous titles, someone deepfaked a comparison model with another Pokemon, other digital artists were on Twitter and in forums saying its not possible to make the models the same without working off the original models. Thats where I checked out anyway.

Open worlds are fine I guess, they just need to make sure theres interesting games to go inside them, sometimes they do.

 

[Colif]

Gaming is too big now, people do it for a job, not because they want to make games. Too much money means crunch time... if the aim was to make better games, crunch wouldn't exist... but share holders who don't care about games, just profit push the games to be released ahead of time too many people in it for reasons other than making good games. whats this got to do with innovation? Good question

When priorities aren't just make the best game possible you get games that try to copy the latest trend instead of being trend leaders. Risk isn't profitable... better to just release a sequel. People liked the last 20... why not. 39 Godzilla movies later... oh, wrong entertainment form..,. same problem.

Only innovations they care about are any that make you buy stuff off the store. Game might be broken but store will work. Priorities...