Our gamified future

Gaming’s influence is already far-reaching, from business and education to sustainability and healthcare. For example, language learning apps and fitness-based smart watches use gamified features including point-based tests, personal bests, achievement badges and trophies.

The technology used for gaming is also widely applied to non-gaming use cases. Low-latency computing developed for gaming is being used to run factories of robots from hundreds of miles away in real time. There is a production facility deep in the Ecuadorian jungle as well as a uranium mine in northern Canada that employ this technology to perform real-time commands, removing the need for workforces to be stationed in extremely remote locations. In the case of emergencies, snap decisions can be executed immediately, saving time, money and lives.

Games like Niantic’s Pokémon GO have already dragged gaming from its previously sedentary existence by taking gamers outside into the real world to see our planet populated by Pokémon. The hunt was on as millions around the globe picked up their phones and joined the quest to “catch ‘em all.” Niantic’s AR-based game boosts social interaction, mental health and general fitness along the way. It’s game experiences like this that are changing the definition (and demographic) of “gamers.”

Games are also being used for the greater good. The creators of Minecraft have, with the help of Ericsson, teamed up with the United Nations to work on in-game building that replicates in the real world. The UN has used this technology to map and design building work across the globe in areas damaged by natural disasters or war. This could speed up the process of building planning, providing relief to those who need it quicker and more effectively.

Gaming has long helped with therapy and rehabilitation efforts. Nintendo devices have helped the elderly with “brain training” games that boost memory, focus and mental sharpness with fantastic results. Its Wii console has also helped those requiring physical rehab after an accident or surgery to re-gain motor skills.

More generally, greater awareness is being generated around sustainability goals through gamification. A variety of companies (such as Ecologi and Ecosia) utilize leaderboards, badges and challenges to trigger people’s competitiveness and keep them recycling, planting trees and reducing their carbon footprints.

Ericsson is focused on increasing bandwidth – enabling more uploads and downloads to take place – and reducing latency to ensure real-time interactions are smooth and accurate. Its Network Compute Fabric (NCF) is evolving beyond edge computing to create a symbiotic relationship between connectivity and computing capabilities. This will enable the mutual growth of an interconnected system in which gaming can thrive, with a network that is flexible and scalable, adapting to the instant needs of the application in real time. Alongside this, with games becoming more integrated into daily life, user security and privacy become more prevalent, and this is something that Ericsson is focused on delivering while maintaining data integrity.

When we talk about connectivity, we understand the importance of the technological advancement, but we also see the importance of improving connectivity between people.

As technologies such as the NCF evolves further, we will see a deeper connection forming between gaming, network technology and people – a move toward truly limitless connectivity. With the improvement and mainstream rollout of XR technology, gaming will become far more accessible, enabling people to connect to whatever, wherever they are.

This “borderless” world of connectivity will have a far-reaching impact, enabling faster, more efficient advancement in business and personal lives. What could be more impactful than bringing people together? Parents can solve real-world issues and children can explore the prehistoric world, from wherever they wish. Or imagine hyper-realistic AR being utilized to help a student in a coffee shop obtain real-time coaching to support their engineering internship. Behind them, a young couple appear to swipe in front of their faces, virtually browsing holiday destinations. This will all be possible through the advancement of gaming technology.

With the achievements of game developers and network providers like Ericsson, gaming is well and truly mainstream. This, with the addition of improved gaming devices such as lighter, lower-profile XR glasses and NUI-based input devices, will bring people together and improve users’ everyday lives.