3d how it is used in Avatar will be standard everywhere. MMORPGS wont have just 5k or 10k participants on one world but all player will be in the same world. This would be a MMMORPG.
Then Graphics will be so good that they have influence on the game itself. Ground will be modeled in 3d every Single object as big as a grain of sand will be rendered individualy. If you hit someone with a sword his clothes will have the physical correct damage on the right spot forever. The world will change. If it rains the ground will turn to mud. If the sun is shining for weeks the ground will dry up and have cracks. On the streets will be puddles if it rains depending how the ground is modeled. If a Tank drives across the street he will actually influence the street if a lot of tanks drive across the same street the street will be destroyed.
The weather will be more like in reality. If the wind blows raindrops will be pressed against the window depending on how strong the wind blows. Or the rain drops will turn in to hail if its cold outside. If its really cold and it snows a lot trees will have tons of snow on their branches. So maybe they break and block a road. I really wonder why there is no temperature in games. Which could affect the weather/objects in a lot ways maybe the hardware is still too weak but in 10 years definetly not.
Everything you influence will stay the same way if noone touches it. The world will be like real. For example animals will populate the world, like mice, birds of all kinds, racoons, foxes, rabbits if they live in the climate zone. They wont play a role but sometimes you will see them even if it has nothing to do with the game at all. Most of the time you wont see them but the Computer will simulate them all the time. Everything will be there all the time even if you are not in the same part of world. Everything will live like it would normally without you.
This will lead to unforseen consquences. For example you are somewhere else, but because someone decided to drive with his car to the supermarket and killed a vital character in an accident you will meet other persons which will lead you to other storys which are not skripted and everytime you play a game it will be different and have nothing to do with the game you played before. The characters you meet are different the things you do are different and the places you visit are different. Game worlds will be so big that you are not able to visit all places of a game in a lifetime.
mabye some might say oh thats how the reality and why should I play the reality. But imagine those concepts on invented worlds whith own physical laws and own systems. Its the system behind that what is important that could be used to make strange worlds in a quality never seen before.
Ok this will happen maybe in 2060.
But I see games growing in physics size KI and graphics. The game landscape will be different then today there will be trends and the better the Power the more different concepts the developer will produce.
There will be games which you cant even think of because you dont know that this would be actual fun.
The Input devices will also evolve until the point you can do whatever you want to communicate with the console. The best control is total control. If you can do everything you can imagine then its up to you to think of the best way to control a game. I think the controller will be there for several years but if you will be sorrounded from a 360 degree 3d plasma tv you probably wont use a controller to make your actions.
2020 will be a enhanced version of 2010 with first Screens which offer 3d without glasses. Controller will still be there but also a better Natal with hollywood capture quality. And Vitality sensors and different remotes and other control schemes.
Graphic will be probably a texture less voxel engine which will allow filled objects and real 3d surfaces with different physical attributes.
We are just at the beginning we have seen nothing yet.







