Sony also revealed how it sees technology evolving by 2034, and while the products we saw don’t confirm that this is what the company could actually create, they may have hinted at what we can expect.
Asad Qizilbash, Head of PlayStation Productions and Head of Product at PlayStation Studios, is tasked with turning PlayStation’s video game brands into internationally known entertainment franchises (transmedia IPs), and in an interview on Sony’s website he was asked to explain where he thinks the gaming industry is headed in the future. He said that in time, the focus will shift from graphics to something else:
“In terms of the future of gaming, I see games becoming more personalized due to advances in technology and AI, allowing for tailored experiences for each player. In addition, technological advances will increase the emotional depth of games by allowing characters to be much more emotional and expressive, which will encourage more evocative storytelling. That’s going to help a whole generation of creators to be able to just put a lot more emotion into the stories.
The focus will shift from graphics or visuals to immersive storytelling that lingers long after the controller is put down. For example, NPCs (non-player characters) in games could interact with players based on their actions, making it feel more personal. This is important for the younger Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences, who are the first generations to grow up digitally and are looking for personalization in everything and for experiences to have more meaning,” Qizilbash said.
A video has also been released in which Sony outlines the possible future of its products. A controller with a ring of light in the center, used to control a character gliding through space. The video’s description reads, “Ten years from now, we will live in a more layered world where physical and virtual realities overlap without boundaries. If Sony, as a creative entertainment company, were to fill the world with new Kando in this future, what kind of experiential value would we provide to make that happen? To explore this question, we conducted a prototyping exercise under the concept of “Creative Entertainment Vision. Through the lens of Sony’s creativity and technology, we envision the future as an extension of our lives today.”
There are three phases to the vision. First, to use technology to unleash the creativity of creators around the world, transcending physical, virtual, and time dimensions; second, to connect diverse people and values across borders to foster vibrant communities; and third, to work with creators to create exciting, narrative-rich experiences that transcend the imagination and spread as new touch points for Kando around the world.
Best of luck.
