From games, to a galaxy far… far away
Gaming technology continues to influence technological breakthroughs - Investors should take note.
Have you, like me, been watching the latest season of the Mandalorian?
Have you been following Mando & Grogu on their latest adventures through the Galaxy?
Then you have had a first hand seat to another transcendent technology born out of the gaming universe.
Rather than using traditional green screen technology to create the show’s stunning visual effects the Mandalorian’s production team opted to use the Unreal Engine to generate realistic backgrounds and environments in real-time. The Unreal Engine is a powerful game engine developed by Epic Games, the creator of the massively popular online game Fortnite. While the Unreal Engine is primarily designed for video game development, its advanced graphics capabilities and real-time rendering technology have made it an increasingly attractive option for the film and television industry as well. This groundbreaking approach has not only saved time and money, but it has also allowed for more creative freedom and flexibility in the filming process.
So how exactly does the Unreal Engine work in the film and television industry?
Essentially, it allows filmmakers to create immersive, virtual environments that can be projected onto LED screens surrounding a physical set. This technique, known as “virtual production,” allows actors to interact with and respond to their surroundings in real-time, rather than having to imagine the environments they will be placed in during post-production.
This approach has numerous advantages over traditional green screen methods. For one, it allows for more natural and believable performances, as actors can react to their surroundings and interact with other elements in the scene. It also allows for more creative freedom, as the production team can quickly and easily make changes to the virtual environment on the fly, without the need for costly reshoots or post-production adjustments. This allowed for more efficient filming, as the team could shoot multiple scenes in a single location without the need for time-consuming set changes. It also enables greater flexibility in the filming process, as the team could easily adjust lighting, camera angles, and other elements in real-time to get the perfect shot.
This is not the first example of technology birthed in the gaming space transcending to different industries.
The gaming industry played a crucial role in the development of computer chips that are now used in Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence Algorithms. The high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) that were originally designed for gaming applications turned out to be incredibly effective for accelerating deep learning algorithms. In fact, many of the world’s leading AI researchers use GPUs to train and run deep neural networks.
The reason for this is that GPUs are optimised for performing large numbers of parallel calculations, which is exactly what deep learning requires. By harnessing the power of thousands of processing cores, GPUs can perform calculations much faster than traditional CPUs, making them ideal for training and running complex machine learning models.
The idea of the ‘Metaverse’, the much discussed fully immersive virtual world that users can inhabit and interact with, was also inspired in large part by the gaming industry.
As video games have become more advanced, they have increasingly taken on elements of virtual reality, with detailed and immersive environments that allow players to fully immerse themselves in the game world. This has led to a growing interest in the idea of a fully-realised virtual world that could exist independently of any one game, and that would allow users to interact with each other and with the environment in a seamless and natural way.
In addition, gaming culture has also played a significant role in the development of the Metaverse concept. Online communities built around games have become increasingly important over time, with players forming deep connections with one another and often creating their own content within the game environment. This has led to a growing sense of community and shared experience that has fuelled interest in the idea of a fully-realised virtual world where users can connect and interact with one another on a much larger scale.
Video games have always been at the forefront of technological innovation, pushing the boundaries of what is possible with hardware and software.
As the gaming industry continues to grow and evolve, it is likely to drive further innovation in a wide range of technologies, including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and blockchain. Gaming companies are also leading the way in the development of new hardware and peripherals, such as virtual reality headsets and motion-sensing controllers, which have the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with computers and other digital devices.
Investors who recognize the potential of the gaming industry to drive technological innovation are positioning themselves to benefit from the future of technology itself. By investing in gaming companies and technologies, they are gaining exposure to some of the most exciting and transformative developments in the tech industry today.
Moreover, the gaming industry is growing at an astonishing rate, with revenue from games and gaming-related products projected to reach nearly $200 billion by 2023. As the industry continues to expand, investors can expect to see a wide range of opportunities to invest in both established companies and emerging technologies.
In short, investing in the gaming industry is not just a way to capitalise on the popularity of games and the success of individual companies. It is also a way to invest in the future of technology, and to position oneself to benefit from the transformative changes that are sure to come in the years and decades ahead.
