Video Games and the future of AI User Interfaces
What parallels that we can draw between the history of video games, and the future of AI?
Dec 13, 2023
Video Games and the future of AI User Interfaces
What parallels that we can draw between the history of video games, and the future of AI?
Dec 13, 2023
Video Games and the future of AI User Interfaces
What parallels that we can draw between the history of video games, and the future of AI?
Dec 13, 2023
Just as video games evolved from simple text-based adventures to more complex, immersive realities, that way we interact with AI is rapidly transforming.
Predicting the future is getting harder and harder these days. But in this post, I'm really curious to explore if there are parallels that we can make between the history of the videos game industry, and where AI is headed next.
Plus, it's a great opportunity to post screenshots of my favorite childhood computer games.
We're hurdling toward the future ... and yet we're still in the 1980's
Most of the common AI tools we're using in 2023 consist of a crude 'text input' interface.
the emergence of AI-driven tech in just the last 12 months is nothing short of mind-blowing.
Chat GPT, until very very recently, was text only input. Midjourney still makes me log into discord for some godawful reason. The UI of AI, if you will, is still in it's infancy.
Kind of reminds me of video games from the 1970's.
Born in the 60's and popularized in the 70s, text based adventure games were the prevalent form factor. Games like Colossal Cave Adventure or Zork sat not only at the dawn of video games, but gave birth to interactive fiction.
These games relied solely on text-based user interfaces, where players interacted with the game through text commands. Users would take action by typing one-or-two-word commands, interpreted by crude natural language input systems. The program would act as a narrator, describing the player's location and the results of the player's commands.
The input was text, and the the output was text. Simpler times. But in a way, it also feels like 2023.
What came after text based video games?
The dawn of AI-driven user interaces kind of reminds me of early video games. Like the AI tools of today, the gaming industry was born out of humble text-based adventure games.
But what happened after that?
Let's take a look a some of the defining eras of video game evolution.
The Arcade Era
The late 1970s - mid 1980s saw the introduction of 8-bit graphics, more complex gameplay, and the rise of home consoles. Classic games like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Frogger. And my favourite, Q-bert.
Arcade games laid the foundation for the industry and established basic gameplay mechanics. Inputs evolved from the keyboard to joysticks and buttons. Outputs introduced graphical user interfaces to gaming. Menus and icons transformed the way players navigated and engaged with virtual worlds. In many ways it was the birth of interaction design.
Visuals, Music and Sound effects, even Joysticks! Truly, the first multi-modal interactions.
The Arcade era was defined by its vibrant arcade culture and the migration of video gaming from public spaces into the living room.
I can still remember the smell of my Atari 2600. And yes, I remain very nostalgic for this era.
The 16-Bit Era
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the gaming world witnessed a leap in technology with 16-bit graphics. This era brought us classics like Sonic the Hedgehog and Street Fighter, which not only showcased improved graphics but also introduced some iconic gaming characters, and new gaming genres.
Like Sim City! I wasted hours of my life on that game.
And Little Computer People! This was one of the first games that I can remember that wasn't a traditional game with objectives or goals; instead, it simulated a person living in a house on the computer. My first digital friend!
The 3D Era
The mid-90s heralded a significant shift to 3D graphics, reshaping the gaming landscape. Titles like Super Mario 64 and Tomb Raider broke new ground with immersive 3D worlds and more complex storylines. A rapid advancement in gaming technology and storytelling.
If I'm honest, I never really got into this era. I was a kid from the 80's. Was probably playing bubble bobble - my all time favourite arcaade game.
The Online, High-definition, Immersive, Social & Mobile Era
Things got pretty hectic after Y2k.
As the new millennium unfolded, we saw the saw the convergence of online connectivity and high-definition graphics, fundamentally changing how games were played and experienced.
Games like World of Warcraft and Call of Duty exemplified this era, creating huge online communities and competitive gaming scenes. Social interaction, community building, and player-driven content became key aspects of games during this time.
After that, gaming continued to evolve. Phones and tablets opened the door for games like Pokémon Go and Candy Crush Saga to become cultural phenomena. Mobile gaming widened our access to games, and that helped make them more ubiquitous.
Gaming has been transformed from a predominantly solo or local multiplayer activity into a globally connected, socially interactive, and highly immersive experience. We've also witnessed the rise of virtual and augmented reality, with new devices that give us staggering new levels of immersion. VR and AR have begun to blur the lines between the virtual and the real.
Leveling Up into AI’s Future
So what parallels can we draw from all of this? What can we learn from those last 50-ish years of video games. Will AI become as immersive and ubiquitous as gaming? And how long will it take, this time around? I suspect rather quickly.
The Arcade Game Era of AI
In 2023 alone, we've moved from basic text interactions, to more graphical, multi-modal tools that are poised to redefine our world. It's a similar leap from text-based games, to the arcade era of gaming.
From a product designer's perspective, we're witnessing the transformation into new era of digital products. AI technologies like image recognition and video creation are evolving every day.
We're going to see new AI-supercharged apps, gadgets and form factors that will change user experience, and the world as we know it. And that's probably just next year.
Right now, we're entering the Arcade Game Era of AI. We're figuring out how to interact and navigate with AI.
I doubt we'll be here for long. But one day, we might even become nostalgic for this time. When AI's were at their least sophisticated, and most unpredictable. Just like I feel nostalgic for Frogger or Qbert.
What comes after Q-Bert?
If 2023 was the Arcade Game Era of AI, what comes next?
Like the 16-bit era, AI will continue to offer richer, more diverse methods of interaction, and allowing for a more intuitive and natural user experiences.
Our interactions with AI will become increasingly personalized and predictive. Just as games began to offer personalized experiences based on player choices and behaviors, AIs will tailor their responses and functionalities to individual user preferences and patterns. Over time, user interfaces will become more dynamic, unique, and ephemeral.
AI will also move towards creating more immersive and autonomous experiences. Through augmented reality, AI will weave its way into our physical environments, providing real-time, context-aware information, and decision-making assistance. It will offer new us ways to collaborate. And we'll continue to place more trust in AI, for collaboration and even companionship.
I have no doubt that we'll see further proliferation of AI into our work, and into our lives, in years to come. And I suspect that 2024 wil be even more jaw-dropping than this year was.
It's thrilling, if not a little terifying, to anticipate what's next.
Just as video games evolved from simple text-based adventures to more complex, immersive realities, that way we interact with AI is rapidly transforming.
Predicting the future is getting harder and harder these days. But in this post, I'm really curious to explore if there are parallels that we can make between the history of the videos game industry, and where AI is headed next.
Plus, it's a great opportunity to post screenshots of my favorite childhood computer games.
We're hurdling toward the future ... and yet we're still in the 1980's
Most of the common AI tools we're using in 2023 consist of a crude 'text input' interface.
the emergence of AI-driven tech in just the last 12 months is nothing short of mind-blowing.
Chat GPT, until very very recently, was text only input. Midjourney still makes me log into discord for some godawful reason. The UI of AI, if you will, is still in it's infancy.
Kind of reminds me of video games from the 1970's.
Born in the 60's and popularized in the 70s, text based adventure games were the prevalent form factor. Games like Colossal Cave Adventure or Zork sat not only at the dawn of video games, but gave birth to interactive fiction.
These games relied solely on text-based user interfaces, where players interacted with the game through text commands. Users would take action by typing one-or-two-word commands, interpreted by crude natural language input systems. The program would act as a narrator, describing the player's location and the results of the player's commands.
The input was text, and the the output was text. Simpler times. But in a way, it also feels like 2023.
What came after text based video games?
The dawn of AI-driven user interaces kind of reminds me of early video games. Like the AI tools of today, the gaming industry was born out of humble text-based adventure games.
But what happened after that?
Let's take a look a some of the defining eras of video game evolution.
The Arcade Era
The late 1970s - mid 1980s saw the introduction of 8-bit graphics, more complex gameplay, and the rise of home consoles. Classic games like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Frogger. And my favourite, Q-bert.
Arcade games laid the foundation for the industry and established basic gameplay mechanics. Inputs evolved from the keyboard to joysticks and buttons. Outputs introduced graphical user interfaces to gaming. Menus and icons transformed the way players navigated and engaged with virtual worlds. In many ways it was the birth of interaction design.
Visuals, Music and Sound effects, even Joysticks! Truly, the first multi-modal interactions.
The Arcade era was defined by its vibrant arcade culture and the migration of video gaming from public spaces into the living room.
I can still remember the smell of my Atari 2600. And yes, I remain very nostalgic for this era.
The 16-Bit Era
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the gaming world witnessed a leap in technology with 16-bit graphics. This era brought us classics like Sonic the Hedgehog and Street Fighter, which not only showcased improved graphics but also introduced some iconic gaming characters, and new gaming genres.
Like Sim City! I wasted hours of my life on that game.
And Little Computer People! This was one of the first games that I can remember that wasn't a traditional game with objectives or goals; instead, it simulated a person living in a house on the computer. My first digital friend!
The 3D Era
The mid-90s heralded a significant shift to 3D graphics, reshaping the gaming landscape. Titles like Super Mario 64 and Tomb Raider broke new ground with immersive 3D worlds and more complex storylines. A rapid advancement in gaming technology and storytelling.
If I'm honest, I never really got into this era. I was a kid from the 80's. Was probably playing bubble bobble - my all time favourite arcaade game.
The Online, High-definition, Immersive, Social & Mobile Era
Things got pretty hectic after Y2k.
As the new millennium unfolded, we saw the saw the convergence of online connectivity and high-definition graphics, fundamentally changing how games were played and experienced.
Games like World of Warcraft and Call of Duty exemplified this era, creating huge online communities and competitive gaming scenes. Social interaction, community building, and player-driven content became key aspects of games during this time.
After that, gaming continued to evolve. Phones and tablets opened the door for games like Pokémon Go and Candy Crush Saga to become cultural phenomena. Mobile gaming widened our access to games, and that helped make them more ubiquitous.
Gaming has been transformed from a predominantly solo or local multiplayer activity into a globally connected, socially interactive, and highly immersive experience. We've also witnessed the rise of virtual and augmented reality, with new devices that give us staggering new levels of immersion. VR and AR have begun to blur the lines between the virtual and the real.
Leveling Up into AI’s Future
So what parallels can we draw from all of this? What can we learn from those last 50-ish years of video games. Will AI become as immersive and ubiquitous as gaming? And how long will it take, this time around? I suspect rather quickly.
The Arcade Game Era of AI
In 2023 alone, we've moved from basic text interactions, to more graphical, multi-modal tools that are poised to redefine our world. It's a similar leap from text-based games, to the arcade era of gaming.
From a product designer's perspective, we're witnessing the transformation into new era of digital products. AI technologies like image recognition and video creation are evolving every day.
We're going to see new AI-supercharged apps, gadgets and form factors that will change user experience, and the world as we know it. And that's probably just next year.
Right now, we're entering the Arcade Game Era of AI. We're figuring out how to interact and navigate with AI.
I doubt we'll be here for long. But one day, we might even become nostalgic for this time. When AI's were at their least sophisticated, and most unpredictable. Just like I feel nostalgic for Frogger or Qbert.
What comes after Q-Bert?
If 2023 was the Arcade Game Era of AI, what comes next?
Like the 16-bit era, AI will continue to offer richer, more diverse methods of interaction, and allowing for a more intuitive and natural user experiences.
Our interactions with AI will become increasingly personalized and predictive. Just as games began to offer personalized experiences based on player choices and behaviors, AIs will tailor their responses and functionalities to individual user preferences and patterns. Over time, user interfaces will become more dynamic, unique, and ephemeral.
AI will also move towards creating more immersive and autonomous experiences. Through augmented reality, AI will weave its way into our physical environments, providing real-time, context-aware information, and decision-making assistance. It will offer new us ways to collaborate. And we'll continue to place more trust in AI, for collaboration and even companionship.
I have no doubt that we'll see further proliferation of AI into our work, and into our lives, in years to come. And I suspect that 2024 wil be even more jaw-dropping than this year was.
It's thrilling, if not a little terifying, to anticipate what's next.
Just as video games evolved from simple text-based adventures to more complex, immersive realities, that way we interact with AI is rapidly transforming.
Predicting the future is getting harder and harder these days. But in this post, I'm really curious to explore if there are parallels that we can make between the history of the videos game industry, and where AI is headed next.
Plus, it's a great opportunity to post screenshots of my favorite childhood computer games.
We're hurdling toward the future ... and yet we're still in the 1980's
Most of the common AI tools we're using in 2023 consist of a crude 'text input' interface.
the emergence of AI-driven tech in just the last 12 months is nothing short of mind-blowing.
Chat GPT, until very very recently, was text only input. Midjourney still makes me log into discord for some godawful reason. The UI of AI, if you will, is still in it's infancy.
Kind of reminds me of video games from the 1970's.
Born in the 60's and popularized in the 70s, text based adventure games were the prevalent form factor. Games like Colossal Cave Adventure or Zork sat not only at the dawn of video games, but gave birth to interactive fiction.
These games relied solely on text-based user interfaces, where players interacted with the game through text commands. Users would take action by typing one-or-two-word commands, interpreted by crude natural language input systems. The program would act as a narrator, describing the player's location and the results of the player's commands.
The input was text, and the the output was text. Simpler times. But in a way, it also feels like 2023.
What came after text based video games?
The dawn of AI-driven user interaces kind of reminds me of early video games. Like the AI tools of today, the gaming industry was born out of humble text-based adventure games.
But what happened after that?
Let's take a look a some of the defining eras of video game evolution.
The Arcade Era
The late 1970s - mid 1980s saw the introduction of 8-bit graphics, more complex gameplay, and the rise of home consoles. Classic games like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Frogger. And my favourite, Q-bert.
Arcade games laid the foundation for the industry and established basic gameplay mechanics. Inputs evolved from the keyboard to joysticks and buttons. Outputs introduced graphical user interfaces to gaming. Menus and icons transformed the way players navigated and engaged with virtual worlds. In many ways it was the birth of interaction design.
Visuals, Music and Sound effects, even Joysticks! Truly, the first multi-modal interactions.
The Arcade era was defined by its vibrant arcade culture and the migration of video gaming from public spaces into the living room.
I can still remember the smell of my Atari 2600. And yes, I remain very nostalgic for this era.
The 16-Bit Era
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the gaming world witnessed a leap in technology with 16-bit graphics. This era brought us classics like Sonic the Hedgehog and Street Fighter, which not only showcased improved graphics but also introduced some iconic gaming characters, and new gaming genres.
Like Sim City! I wasted hours of my life on that game.
And Little Computer People! This was one of the first games that I can remember that wasn't a traditional game with objectives or goals; instead, it simulated a person living in a house on the computer. My first digital friend!
The 3D Era
The mid-90s heralded a significant shift to 3D graphics, reshaping the gaming landscape. Titles like Super Mario 64 and Tomb Raider broke new ground with immersive 3D worlds and more complex storylines. A rapid advancement in gaming technology and storytelling.
If I'm honest, I never really got into this era. I was a kid from the 80's. Was probably playing bubble bobble - my all time favourite arcaade game.
The Online, High-definition, Immersive, Social & Mobile Era
Things got pretty hectic after Y2k.
As the new millennium unfolded, we saw the saw the convergence of online connectivity and high-definition graphics, fundamentally changing how games were played and experienced.
Games like World of Warcraft and Call of Duty exemplified this era, creating huge online communities and competitive gaming scenes. Social interaction, community building, and player-driven content became key aspects of games during this time.
After that, gaming continued to evolve. Phones and tablets opened the door for games like Pokémon Go and Candy Crush Saga to become cultural phenomena. Mobile gaming widened our access to games, and that helped make them more ubiquitous.
Gaming has been transformed from a predominantly solo or local multiplayer activity into a globally connected, socially interactive, and highly immersive experience. We've also witnessed the rise of virtual and augmented reality, with new devices that give us staggering new levels of immersion. VR and AR have begun to blur the lines between the virtual and the real.
Leveling Up into AI’s Future
So what parallels can we draw from all of this? What can we learn from those last 50-ish years of video games. Will AI become as immersive and ubiquitous as gaming? And how long will it take, this time around? I suspect rather quickly.
The Arcade Game Era of AI
In 2023 alone, we've moved from basic text interactions, to more graphical, multi-modal tools that are poised to redefine our world. It's a similar leap from text-based games, to the arcade era of gaming.
From a product designer's perspective, we're witnessing the transformation into new era of digital products. AI technologies like image recognition and video creation are evolving every day.
We're going to see new AI-supercharged apps, gadgets and form factors that will change user experience, and the world as we know it. And that's probably just next year.
Right now, we're entering the Arcade Game Era of AI. We're figuring out how to interact and navigate with AI.
I doubt we'll be here for long. But one day, we might even become nostalgic for this time. When AI's were at their least sophisticated, and most unpredictable. Just like I feel nostalgic for Frogger or Qbert.
What comes after Q-Bert?
If 2023 was the Arcade Game Era of AI, what comes next?
Like the 16-bit era, AI will continue to offer richer, more diverse methods of interaction, and allowing for a more intuitive and natural user experiences.
Our interactions with AI will become increasingly personalized and predictive. Just as games began to offer personalized experiences based on player choices and behaviors, AIs will tailor their responses and functionalities to individual user preferences and patterns. Over time, user interfaces will become more dynamic, unique, and ephemeral.
AI will also move towards creating more immersive and autonomous experiences. Through augmented reality, AI will weave its way into our physical environments, providing real-time, context-aware information, and decision-making assistance. It will offer new us ways to collaborate. And we'll continue to place more trust in AI, for collaboration and even companionship.
I have no doubt that we'll see further proliferation of AI into our work, and into our lives, in years to come. And I suspect that 2024 wil be even more jaw-dropping than this year was.
It's thrilling, if not a little terifying, to anticipate what's next.