Have recently lost my life (and nearly my wife!) to "Grand Theft Auto IV," I figured a bit of a  presentation about what I consider to be the best Next Gen game titles that push the boundaries of gaming experience, was in order. As a digital agency who produce interactive, online experiences -  there is much we can learn from the advances in computer game technology as to what makes an  interactive experience engaging and exciting to consumers.

What does "Next-Gen Gaming" mean?

Next Gen is a loose term which can be defined as the following:

1. AN ATTITUDE TO THE RANDOM PLAYABILITY OF GAMES 
2. GAMES UTILISING POWER / GRAPHICS OF 7TH GEN CONSOLES (Xbox 360 , PS3 and Wii)
3. CINEMATIC: ATMOSHPERE, CHARACTERS, STORY, ACTING, SOUND 
4. GROUNDBREAKING ENGINES: AI + PHYSICS 
5. HARDWARE PERIPHERALS: (i.e. Wii REMOTE)

Four of the best Next - Gen game examples (in my humble opinion):

01. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

I think this game is a great Next Gen example because it blurs the line between cinema and gaming.  The storyline and environments are so rich and atmospheric that it's like actually being inside a  war movie. The example I highlighted, is an impactful moment when a Nuclear explosion strikes your helicopter at the completion of a particular mission. You then control your character crawling out of your crashed helicopter and gaze up at a mushroom cloud.

Powerful stuff for a game - check it out:

02. Grand Theft Auto IV

GTA 4 has now broken all world records as the "Highest Grossing game in 24 hours" and the "Highest  Revenue Generated by an Entertainment Product in 24 Hours," selling 3.6 million units and earning  a whopping $310 million in its first day of release. I spoke about how a combination of good  physics, dense art direction, depth of content and quality voice acting makes this game the benchmark of all virtual worlds and the best game I have ever played.

Here's a trailer:

03. Spore

An open ended simulator which allows you to create life from micro organisms, through to creatures  who develop into colonies, societies, planets and your own universe. This gives the player unprecedented scope to create their own game story / type.

Here's a game demo:

04. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

This game has the potential to revolutionise gaming as we know it. Set for release in September, it combines 3 physics engines together to create unprecedented real world physics. The DMM (Digital Molecular Matter) engine regulates what substances objects are made from, in conjunction with the Havok physics engine that controls real time interaction between objects, in conjunction with the Euphoria engine that gives characters artificial intelligence to decide how they interact with the environment.

Confused? These clips explain all:

(DMM)

(All 3 Engines working together)