TheWayoftheWeb

I remember a quote from a Microsoft exec around the time of the Xbox 360 launch, in which he outlined his dream of console gamers being able to play a title like Halo on a console, but also contribute to the game via mobile devices. (I think it was J.Allard, but trying to find the right issue of adult-orientated games mag Edge from two years ago proved fruitless).

The response on forums and the letters page the following month were full of dismissive replies from ‘hardcore’ gamers.

But rather than being a bad idea, it was simply a case of bad timing. The conditions are now perfect for a cohesive game universe to reach people 24/7, wherever they are, and whatever they are doing.

Obviously for starters we have convergent devices as games consoles which have a prime spot in the lives and living rooms of a lot of people, and achieve acceptance by also playing DVDs, streaming movies etc.

Then we have mobile devices, most notably the iPhone, which opens up a gaming app world previously inaccessible to those embarrassed to be seen in public with a Nintendo DSi or Sony PSP. And bearing in mind the ever-increasing average age of gamers, the shame factor is a key point.

Thirdly we have the world of Farmville and Fishville on Facebook, and the myriad of other social games created by the likes of Playfish and Zynga. The largest of these games has more members than Twitter, and taps into both the viral distribution mechanisms available on social networks, and the most insightful game theory to ensure return visit.

The tipping point will simply come when a console manufacturer who runs a gaming network e.g. Microsoft, enables their user database to feed mobile devices and social network games in addition to the Xbox Live network. You’re already using your MSN Live Passport (or whatever it’s called now) to sign into every MSN service from hotmail, to MSN Messenger, to Xbox Live. And various third-party services allow you to share your gaming interactions with automatic feeds to Facebook, Twitter etc.

The next stage will be a 24/7, multi-medium, pervasive gaming experience which has the potential to completely overtake the likes of Second Life and World of Warcraft, which are still tied into one specific universe.

My money would be on Microsoft to be the brand to make it happen. They’ve got more experience of providing a live online gaming platform, they’ve obviously got experience in unifying the logins across products, and they’ve led the way in a converged device which allows for gaming, traditional entertainment, online game shows, integration with Twitter, Faceook, Last.fm (which got 1 million new users in the first few days of integration), and an investment in Facebook.

Plus they’ve also got a handful of selected titles which could make the leap. Halo is the flagship title which could justify revitalisation after this long leading the way and a few initial forays into spin-offs (Halo Wars for example). Grand Theft Auto is something I already tipped as a potential sure-fire win as a virtual world, and would also lend itself to pervasive gaming (Look at the success of Mob Wars on social networks). And then there’s a title like Call of Duty, which now boasts the world’s largest army (thankfully it’s only virtual), and a military management/resupply function would tie in to the overall themes.

I’m just amazed it hasn’t happened in 2009, and definitely predict it’ll occur in 2010. We’re already not far away with many people using online communities to check out videos, images, tips etc during the day to fuel their evening of gaming. Now it won’t just be our friends and contacts who we can carry around with us 24/7 – it will be those entire virtual worlds in which so many of us enjoy our leisure time which will be with us all the time. There are times when the tasks in those games can feel like a second job, but when they become all pervasive, perhaps that’s the point where a virtual world or gaming occupation actually becomes widely accepted as a primary job?