Over the past few decades, video games have been refined by graphical enhancements, increased processor speed of video game systems and other technological advancements. As a result, their UIs have been evolving to adapt to the increasing complexity of video games.

The world had seen the emergence of technologies such as 3D graphics and motion sensors which allow for new game genres and UI to come to be. Today, we shall bring you through the development of UI and how it has changed over the years and we are going to look at it through some of the more influential video games.

Recommended Reading: Evolution of Home Video Game Consoles: 1967 – 2011

Defining UI

What we’re referring to as UI here is the way players can interact with the game and receive feedback of their interaction. It generally applies to the interactivity and concepts of a game. This includes several aspects of gameplay such as the graphics, storyline, visual perspectives (point-of-view), controls, level designs, behaviors of AIs, etc. The experience generated from the resultant gameplay or interaction is the objective of the game.

Mindless & Repetitive Games of Skill

The first type of gameplay the video game industry had for players was that involving a test of their control and/or reflex skills as they progress into the game with increasing difficulties. The enemies within these games could be another human player or the AI and the objective was to stay alive by means of maintaining the necessary skill level to defeat them.

Tennis for Two (1958)

One example of such primitive games is that of Tennis for Two (1958), a game which simulates tennis or ping pong where each player manipulates the ball trajectory over a simplified tennis court from the side. Players simply press the button to hit the ball when it is at their side of the net after adjusting the hitting angle with a control knob. The game goes on until a player misses.

Spacewar! (1961)

As one of two players in Spacewar! (1961), you are to control a spaceship to fire against your opponent. The additional challenge comes about with a star at the center of the screen that suck players toward it, even though players get to activate ‘Hyperspace’ that places their ship at a random location on screen. The game may have a more complex gameplay than Tennis for Two, but the idea was still on reflex training.

Pong (1972)

It was also the same for the classic video game Pong (1972), where two players battle in out with their paddles onscreen and try to return the ball to their opponent without a miss. When the opponent fails to hit the ball, the other player gains a point. It was about this time that game developers realize that players get an extra incentive to play when things start becoming competitive with player scores.

Space Invaders (1978)

The scoring feature was further popularized with the classic, Space Invaders (1978), which pitted players with cute pixelated aliens! A 2D fixed-shooter game, players have to move a laser cannon horizontally across the bottom of the screen and fire at descending aliens, which can fire back. The game speeds up as time passes, and players spent hours to clear the aliens off the screen, logging in high scores that were posted for all to see.

Pac-Man (1980)

By the 1980s, skill-based games had evolved to include other features to test players on their reflex-and puzzle-solving capabilities. Scores, power-ups and avoiding enemies (versus confronting and killing them) in classic hits like Pac-Man (1980) took game development further. Navigate through a maze and consume all the pellets to advance to the next stage, avoid the ghosts or consume power pellets to turn the tables temporarily.

Storylines & Interactivity

While skill games were evolving to include scores and other added features, another genre was emerging within the industry to spice up the content of games.

Colossal Cave Adventure (1975)

Colossal Cave Adventure (1975) was known as the first computer adventure game that eventually brought storylines into games. It had no graphical interface, only textual. The draw of the game was its story-rich content and the interactivity involved. Players type in commands indicating what they wish to do next in each situation. Depending on the choices the players make, the story unfolds in different ways with different endings.

Donkey Kong (1981)

Developers eventually tried putting story elements and graphics together in their games; one of the pioneers was Donkey Kong (1981). It was one of the earliest game to have a storyline. You play Jumpman who has to rescue the Lady from Donkey Kong and in-game characters began to take form – with pink dresses, red overalls and villain-trademark smirks. Such details allow for players to identify with the characters and immerse themselves into the story.

Super Mario Bros (1985)

With the advent of scrolling computer display technology, games were soon no longer confined to a single, static playing field; page-flipping emerged. The expansion of the playing field allowed for side-scrolling video games, popularizing the platform game genre. Super Mario Bros (1985) easily one of the most prominent games to grace our childhood banked on a cute and simple storyline, cute characters and multiple-stage quests.

Final Fantasy (1987)

Other games depend more heavily on storylines as the impetus for players to finish the game. Role-playing video games (RPG) arose from the evolution of story-based games and the ‘leveling-up‘ of game character experience was introduced. Final Fantasy (1987), although not the first (RPG) available on the gaming market, was the game that popularized this genre.

From Games to Movies

Over the next two decades, the storylines in games continue to develop, to the point of actually becoming movie-worthy. As a matter-of-fact, some of them were actually made into movies. For instance, the moderately successful film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and its sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life were created in 2001 and 2003 for the Tomb Raider video games series. Other noteworthy game movies include Resident Evil (2002), Silent Hill (2006) and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010).

Tomb Raider (1996)

Resident Evil (1996)

Silent Hill (1999)

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (2003)

The Quest for Realism

Back in the early days of video games, the limiting graphical capabilities and computing power shifted the focus of games to the little details like storylines and high scores. Those were the times when ‘realism’ had more to do with how players interact and relate with the game than just graphics per se. But the 3D graphics in the 1990s changed that, allowing us to skip from 2D to 3D. It made possible the idea of a ‘first-person’ point-of-view (POV) gameplay, which is pretty much you seeing the action through the eyes of the game character.

Such gameplay has been popularized with first-person shooter (FPS) games such as Wolfenstein 3D (1992). It may not be the firstborn of the genre, but it laid the path for classics such as Doom (1993) and Quake (1996).

Wolfenstein 3D (1992)

Doom (1993)

Quake (1996)

Open-World & Non-linearity Gameplay

Yet another major milestone was reached with the rise of 3D open world action-adventure games following the release of Grand Theft Auto III (2001). Following in the footsteps of its predecessors, Grand Theft Auto (1997) and Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999), GTA III afforded players with a considerable level of freedom to explore the virtual world and options in fulfilling certain objectives.

The switch from the usual top-down view of GTA and GTA 2 to roaming the streets and interacting with objects and characters in GTA III endorsed the open world concept. No more loading screens as your character crosses from one stage to another, or invisible boundaries where you cannot surpass. Nonetheless, the game stayed true to its non-linearity gameplay concept from its first two games of the series.

The resultant paradigm of open-ended game design and open world concept by GTA III was adopted by many video games that follow, thereby making it one of the most influential games of all time.

GTA (1997)

GTA 2 (1999)

GTA III (2001)

Physics Engine

While game content is also crucial to the players’ gaming experience, one must play for an extended period of time to feel the ‘realism’. Graphics, on the other hand, have a more direct impact on players since they are the in the front line of exposure to the players.

In the years that follow the rise of 3D games, developers have focused on making games more detailed and life-like in terms of its presentation. Equally important is the gameplay physics of the game, comprising of movements and reaction from the physical environment.

For Every Action

Games like Dirt (2007) featured physics where car controls were realistic and players could witness car parts flying and falling off in car crashes. In a similar vein, Crysis (2007) used its own physics engine to create a lifelike gameplay where objects fall and spin off naturally with accompanying bullets and explosions. Check out the awesome demo of the physics engine.

Dirt (2007)

Crysis (2007)

We have also seen the transition of gameplay physics from Ragdoll to the Euphoria physics engine. Both are commonly used to physically simulate the death of game characters.

Ragdoll Deaths

Before there was the Ragdoll game physics, character death sequences were often repeated because the animations were already created beforehand. With Ragdoll, the character will collapse to the ground much like a ragdoll. Some games that used such an engine were Hitman: Codename 47 (2000), Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2007).

But for obvious reasons one can see, it still wasn’t realistic enough.

Hitman (2000)

Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2007)

The Euphoria Engine

The Euphoria engine was more complex and realistic because it takes into account the virtual skeleton and muscles of the character, and even contains self-preservation behaviors built within. This makes the movement adaptive and interactive in accordance to the gaming scenario, as evident in newer games such as Grand Theft Auto IV (2008), Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008) and Max Payne 3 (2012).

GTA IV (2008)

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008)

(Image Source: ShopTo)

Max Payne 3 (2012)

Here’s an example of the comparison between both engines.

Physical Simulation

Developing in parallel is physical simulation of controllers. There had been attempts to improvise the gaming experience for players by having realistic controllers since the beginning of the gaming history. Some of the earliest usage of physical props for games include the light gun for Shooting Gallery (1972) and a steering wheel for Gran Trak 10 (1974).

Then came Guitar Freaks (1998), a rhythm game from the genre of music-theme action video games which showcased the guitar as a controller. And the world saw another side of immersive, realistic gaming. The first guitar controller game to be released was an instant hit with Japanese gamers. However, it wasn’t until 2005 before the Guitar Hero franchise in 2005 took things outside of Japan.

Shot-gun Style Light Fun For Shooting Gallery (1972)

Advertisement Poster for Gran Trak 10 (1974)

Guitar Freaks (1998)

Controllers for Guitar Hero series (2005 – 2010)

Guitar Hero (2005)

Guitar Hero was so well-received by the masses that it had been recognized as a cultural phenomenal, sparking the public’s interest with the actual musical instrument itself. Players may feel as if they were playing an actual guitar, except that it was just the controller for a game that anyone could play and master. Without the special guitar controller, Guitar Hero would not have attained the same level of success as it did.

Sports Consoles And Controllers

From there, non-orthodox controllers developed. Motion controllers like Wii Remote (2006), which was packaged along with the Nintendo Wii console (2006). The launch title, Wii Sports showcased the motion-sensing capabilities of the remote. Players get to choose from five sports games to play with, namely tennis, baseball, golf, boxing and bowling.

For each individual game, players had to execute real-life motions while holding the controller, such as punching and swinging. As a result, players of all ages including young children and the elderly were able to grasp the controls of the games and adapt to the gameplay UI easily. Suddenly video games became a great way to lose weight.

Wii Sports soon became commonplace in social gatherings as a way of bonding with family and friends by means of friendly competitions. The game went on to become the best-selling video game of all time (as of 2012).

Wii Remote (2006) With Nunchucks Plugged (left)

One-Player Wii Boxing from Wii Sports (2006)

Two-Player Wii Boxing from Wii Sports (2006)

Full-body Movement

Finally, the breakthrough technology of full-body movement control was demonstrated with the release of Kinect Adventures! (2010) that came bundled with Kinect. Using its motion camera, Kinect games track the full-body motion of players as they shift left or right, move towards or away from the sensor and acquire or hit targets.

Kinect (2010)

One-Player Rally Ball from Kinect Adventures! (2010)

Two-Player River Rush from Kinect Adventures! (2010)

These bundled mini-games utilized one or more of such capabilities and allowed two players to compete or co-op in either split-screen mode or online mode in Xbox Live multiplayer. The technology spelled out the opportunities for upcoming games to tap into full-body motion control sans controller user interface. The future UI of video games may very well evolve along such a control concept.

The Future Of Video Gaming UIs

One observation we can all make is that, thanks to improved graphical and computing capabilities, game realism has become quite a primary focus of developers in recent years. As such, one would expect the future progression of video games to be more detailed, life-like and immersive. Controls will also get more precise and intuitive to the player than the existing full-body movement detection technology of Kinect.

New Ways To Interact

One might expect to see gamers controlling with their gazes by means of eye-tracking camera technology or even with their thoughts via detection of brainwaves! As user interface develop further and break boundaries, the use of new wearable gadgets may take over, or the industry may go in the way of Augmented Reality (AR) for instance like Battlefield 5 on Glass, and Droidshooting.

Recommended Reading: How Augmented Reality Is The Next Big Social Experience

3D Printing Technology

The much-anticipated commercialization of affordable 3D printing hardware may mean that players will soon be able to create and customize any physical props to serve as controls for games, much like the many plastic Wii add-ons for its remote. Holding a game weapon sure beats pretending to hold a weapon.

Conclusion

There are many ways things may unfold for the gaming industry. Not many would’ve expected guitar controllers to become such a huge success following the release of Guitar Freaks and Guitar Heroes, which inadvertently resulted in the rise of other non-orthodox controllers and consequently even a console war over motion controllers.

Novel genres have sprung up unexpectedly at the same time as well. As you could see throughout the history of video games user interface above, technological advancements play an crucial role in charting the paths that the industry take. No matter how video games interface may evolve from now on, the end product which all developers will always keep an eye on shall always be that of the players’ experience.

So we’ve talked about what Google Glass has to offer, its features and capabilities and how it is the most anticipated wearable gadget in 2013. But why leave it there? Add a dash of wishful thinking (okay, maybe a whole lot of it) and here’s a wishlist of things we want to see happen with Google Glass.

Google Glass is a sight for sore eyes as it is touted as the lightweight, hands-free solution to the smartphone. It still tethers to the Internet access of the smartphone via Bluetooth but has a built-in GPS chip for navigational use. Voice commands make the integration almost seamless and Glass also comes with a camera for recording pictures and videos in first-person view.

With this recap, you now probably have a sense of the potential Glass has in all sorts of situations. Here are just 10 examples of how Glass can further enrich our lives. Note that this is just a wishlist and while Glass may not be able to do these things, who know what will happen in the near future?

Recommended Reading: 10 Things You need To Know About Google Glass

1. Benefit Education

If Youtube tutorials have taught us anything, it’s that videos can go far in education that is not confined in the classroom. Glass can help push that barrier even further by recording tutorials in for instances the type spaces mechanics find themselves in when fixing a car engine or machinery parts, or in restricted areas where only the surgeon and its staff is allowed.

In both examples, Glass keeps the mechanic’s and surgeon’s hands free to work their magic, and still gives students a first-person view of the masters at work. It would be great for the feed to be streamed live and to allow the viewers to get to experience what is happening in real-time.

2. Live Information When You Need It

In #1, the surgeon would appreciate having access to the vital stats of his patient straight in Glass if he needs it. For the rest of us, Glass could even provide information about programs we are watching on TV such as stats about the actor, the shows they’ve acted in, synopsis or facts about fashion.

Glass could also work in the world of sports where it gives you the latest team and player news, table standings and past results the moment you switch TV channels or when you’re at a live sports event.

3. Recommendation Guides

With augmented reality in place, it’ll be cool to have Glass give you information of restaurants as you walk past, such as the chef’s recommendation of the day, prices and reviews. Information of promotions going on at each shop outlet would appease the shopaholic in you and can even be sorted to cater to the specific needs of each Glass user

This will even be a good thing to have for tourists who visit foreign lands where they don’t speak the language.

4. Health Monitor interface

With Glass’ built-in GPS chip, it can easily track your movement. Together with an external health tracking monitor or through health related apps, Glass could probably display, track or log in your pace, speed, heart rate and running duration for use such as when you’re running a marathon.

Its capability to have sunglasses attachment also means it’ll be perfect for use on brigh sunny running days, and the avid calorie counter may be able to keep his or her nutritional intake in check almost constantly.

5. Get More Out Of Life

A person who has to keep an eye on the family while working from home could benefit from Glass. Instead of having to worry about missing an important call or email on their work phone, wearing Glass allows them to receive notifications while doing things around the house since both their hands are free.

They also need not tether themselves to any computer, laptop or tablet to receive updates.

6. Assisting Busy Lives

That said, having Glass equipped with a personal assistant app like Siri on iOS or alternatives found on Android lets you manage your work life even better via voice commands, say, to schedule reminders, alarms and events.

You can set reminders as and when you have made decisions during a meeting, gotten a reply from a client or finalized a plan that is good to go.

7. Documentaries In First Person View

We’ve seen the video introducing Glass where skydivers recorded their descent. However, Glass can be used to push documentaries even further.

For instance, viewers can actually step into the shoes of police officers during an actual drug raid, first responders during a disaster or emergency event or even of paramedics who have to think on their feet to save lives. This beats reality TV shows anytime.

8. Video Conferencing Alternative

Google Hangout is a fine tool for conferencing but you still need to sit yourself in front of a laptop to use it. For companies that need to have a lot of meetings regularly it’s common to spend a budget on a state of the art conference room.

Perhaps Glass can be a great alternative for decision makers who are always on the move and who everyone wants an audience with. Group meetings can be done regardless of where everyone is.

9. Easier Video Logging

For the avid DIY builder, keeping track of screws and parts may be a common annoyance during the assembly process, but this is recitifiable with some strategic video logging. Since Glass has a camera equipped, the builder gets a first-person recording of what he does and keeping track of steps and parts are just a matter of playbacks.

Alternatively, scientists can log the results of their experiments easier, faster and more accurately. Video recordings and voice logs neatly time-stamped can ensure that they can focus more on the science instead of the documentation. To top it all off (since we’re dreaming anyways) it’ll be cool to then create an app for data-logging using speech-to-text with itemized logging.

10. Work Together With Any Smartphone & Its Apps

This is probably the most important thing anyone who is eager to try out the Glass would want. We’re talking about support for popular mobile OS like iOS, Android, Windows, BlackBerry as well as upcoming OS like Ubuntu, Firefox, Tizen and Sailfish.

(Image Source: Gizmolord)

With widespread support and a higher user base, and seamless integration with apps, there is probably hope for the prices to drop to affordable ranges so everyone can grab a pair.