[ GAME ]
Future Game & Interactive Simulation
Games and interactive simulation keep expanding the boundaries of narrative, learning, and presence. The following directions combine technical depth and humanistic value:
Dynamic storylines, conversational NPCs, generative narrative, and reversible or branching player choice. Balancing authorial intent with open emergence so games are both "playable stories" and "narratable systems."
Serious games, policy and strategy simulation, skills training, and complex-systems understanding. Harnessing feedback loops and flow for learning and decision support, and assessing limits and ethics.
How VR/AR, haptics, and multimodal interaction shape "presence" and identity. Boundaries between immersion and disembodiment, virtual and real, and long-term effects on cognition and behavior.
Design ethics, persuasive design and addiction risk; minor protection and fairness. Industry norms, policy, and interdisciplinary research so games serve experience and growth rather than exploitation.
From entertainment to education, simulation to metaverse—what counts as game, as play? Boundaries with work, labor, and addiction shift with technology and society; concepts and law must keep evolving.
Tension between player choice and algorithmic generation, human intent and AI assistance. How much automation still counts as "I am playing"? Attribution of narrative and creative agency.
Characters, worlds, and progress persisting across platforms and titles. Open standards vs. IP and commercial interests; designing for persistent identity and narrative across experiences.
Development cost, sustainable content production, and indie survival; accessibility and diverse audiences. Sustainable ecosystems between commercialization and creativity, mainstream and fringe.
Procedural narrative, dialogue systems, dynamic plot; interpretable and controllable generative story. Combining narratology, cognition, and interaction design for stories that are both open and coherent.
Educational games, policy and strategy simulation, games in health and psychology. Impact evaluation, learning science, and ethics so games deliver verifiable value for real-world problems.
VR/AR interaction, multimodal feedback, presence metrics. Reducing motion sickness and fatigue, improving accessibility; studying long-term effects on cognition and social behavior.
Minor protection, addictive and persuasive design regulation, labor and rights. Interdisciplinary input so policy and design practice co-evolve, balancing innovation and responsibility.
Meaningful player agency and AI-emergent narrative while preserving authorial intent and world consistency. Formal, evaluable frameworks for "narrative quality" and "choice weight."
Operational definitions and legal boundaries for game, play, labor, and addiction. Clear, evolvable frameworks for liability, minor protection, and industry self-regulation.
Portability and interoperability of characters, progress, and relationships across titles and platforms. Balancing open standards with privacy, IP, and fair revenue share.
Using flow and feedback for learning and well-being while avoiding manipulation and addiction. Design guidelines, metrics, and policy tools so "good game" and "healthy play" align.