The video games of tomorrow could be mind-blowing experiences, the likes of which we can’t even conceive right now. But the industry won’t get there unless creators are willing to take risks and embrace new challenges. That’s according to Borderlands creator Gearbox Software president Randy Pitchford, who shared his vision for the future of games in a recent interview.
Pitchford in Las Vegas last week
“The oldest problem our species has faced is that we can’t realize and manifest everything that we can imagine as quickly as we can imagine it,” Pitchford said in the latest episode of The Bonus Round video show. “So the only solution to that problem is to make choices. And to pick one thing and abandon another. And that can be difficult if there’s a part of our minds that loves the thing that must be abandoned and is afraid of the new frontier that should be embraced.”
“But progress demands that we look forward,” he added. “And the biggest and most exciting things that we’re going to do be doing in interactive entertainment in the future are things that we can’t even conceive of today. And we’ll never get there unless we actually are comfortable taking some risks and trying things we haven’t done before.”
Pitchford’s comments came in response to a statement from interviewer Geoff Keighley, who suggested virtual reality technology like Oculus Rift or Project Morpheus could become one of the next major platforms for gaming. Pitchford said he hopes the VR revolution doesn’t happen too quickly because, “I’m still trying to figure out how to make games with the medium we have” now.
While Sony–and Microsoft, too–have bold visions for virtual reality as it relates to gaming, those appear to be longer-term plans rather than anything to expect soon. That isn’t to say they aren’t exciting pieces of technology, only that VR as a consumer medium isn’t going to take over the world tomorrow.
What do you make of Pitchford’s comments? Let us know in the comments below!