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We've head year upon year that Google is working on a gaming console, with even Apple in the
limelight. But what if we've already seen Google's new gaming hardware?
Sure, at first the idea may sound completely absurd, but just think about the future of
gaming, could Google's Glass project be the first step into that exact future? Now, of
course we won't see a sudden shift in power from the console kings or the PC master race
to the light-weight glasses supposedly acting as a companion, but with recent advances,
gaming on Glass doesn't sound all that ridiculous.
You're not going to obtain Battlefield 4 visuals or stunning gameplay like in Assassin's Creed,
but the core idea of gaming has already been manifested within Google's wearable tech.
Film amateurs have created mock ups for Heads up Displays, this one supposedly for Battlefield
5 and actual demos for simple titles such as Battleships have already been proven to
work, the only question that remains, where does Glass really stand?
As Smartphones invaded the world, game developers weren't that far off, soon games became the
norm on the Play Store even infesting Apple's iOS platform, they came in high fashion. They're
seen kicking apps off the charts, harvesting money and ripping valuable time off your hands.
If you're a mobile gamer or not, you can't deny that game apps haven't had an impact
in the gaming world. Be it for better or worse. With the sudden invasion of the regular Galaxy
S4 or the iPhone 5S, could the same come from Google's Headquarters, don't forget, they're
responsible for the Android platform.
Year on year we receive statements claiming to predict a future gaming console from Google,
or even Apple. It has yet to happen, if it will at all happen is a question in of itself.
But Google's already created a vast gaming platform, a core platform if you like. Even
if you don't want to see it as a gaming platform, millions of tablets, phones and various other
gadgets use the open source goodness to get a game in your hands, or on the TV, in case
of the OUYA. The OUYA is doing moderately well, with a ever-growing library and intriguing
incentives, such as trying any game for free. What if Google are preparing to jump on this?
As I said, we won't see a sudden shift in power, and although Google may be this metaphorical
giant, it certainly doesn't have the power to force you or even good games onto it's
tech.
Nintendo have largely been responsible for some pretty big changes in the past few years,
especially with the release of the Wii U and its second screen gaming concept, supposedly
aimed at local multiplayer. Apps from Microsoft, such as Smart Glass, seemingly endorse the
idea of giving the power of a second screen when playing a game. Next generation games,
or now the current gen, will predominantly feature this.
If it turns to be a success, it will certainly be ironic for Nintendo, but it will have to
be seen if it's a sturdy concept or just another lame gimmick. That said, the apps are already
out there, you can already experience the so-called thrill, but if it really shows off
what it can do is the second doubt.
Be it smartphones, handhelds or even consoles, augmented reality has snuck itself onto all
viable platforms, so could it already be considered the norm? Certainly augmented reality is seen
as the future, so could we tie in the idea of AR with Google's Glass project? A large
MMO already exists for Glass, called SWARM. However, it isn't a conventional game, more
of a social experiment. It tracks user's movement and calculates the ground covered by a unique
person and no it's not the NSA, funny funny.
Ultimately it's down to the success of Google's Glass, we can't even predict which way the
project will go, it certainly is a glimpse into the future, but with half of the world
still begging for fiber optic, are we really ready for a jump into AR or even the future
of gaming? The limelight for Google Glass is still a long way away, technologic advances
need to be made, consoles need to fall out of fashion (which, admittedly, will be very
hard to accomplish) and we need to move our workflow from a desktop to some snazzy glasses.
Well, they're not all that snazzy. And only then, can Google Glass succeed.