Valve co-founder and president Gabe Newell discussed the potential of emergent video game technology in the future in a new interview, stating that brain computer interfaces (BCIs) would be so captivating they will make the real world seem dull and flat. Newell has previously discussed his infatuation with BCIs in interviews, previously making headlines for suggesting that humanity is “way closer to the Matrix than people realize.”

While Newell is interested in the tech, he has previously outlined just how difficult it’s going to be to develop, too. In a previous interview, Newell suggested that integrating BCIs into human consciousness would bring about some “ridiculously hard” challenges, ones that Valve and Newell are eager to solve. Right now, the gaming industry is still sorting out the best way to employ another technology that felt like a pipe dream just a few decades ago: Virtual Reality, which, while functional, hasn’t made as big a splash among consumers as many would have envisioned when it first became available.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

In a new interview with 1 NEWS, Newell spoke about brain computer interfaces and how Valve might apply that technology to the gaming industry. In describing how this technology functions, Newell first describes evolution as a “low-cost bidder” before stating that the real world will feel “flat, colorless, blurry compared to the experiences you’ll be able to create in people’s brains.” That’s in reference to BCIs being able to improve visual fidelity through direct interaction with the brain, bypassing the restrictions of human eyes. Newell also suggested that BCIs have already progressed enough to artificially suppress vertigo in VR headset users who suffer from that side effect, but that it’s a “certification issue” still.

Newell isn’t ignorant of the fact that BCIs make some people uneasy, though, stating that “people are going to decide for themselves if they want to do it,” using a cell phone as an example of technology that’s engrained in human behavior but not forced upon people if they don’t want to use one. He also explained that security would be one of the biggest priorities in BCI development, as the technology isn’t immune to being hacked or having viruses installed into its various forms.

See also  Kevin Dillon Interview: A Day To Die

Ultimately, Newell’s optimism about BCI technology and its integration into the video game industry sounds well-informed – there’s a ton of potential there, and Newell has a lot to say about its applications already. That being said, some of the interviews less exciting elements – the ability of BCIs to register pain in users, for instance, or Newell’s belief the technology could lead to editable personalities – is truly grim. It’s the kind of dystopian side effect game fans might be familiar with from titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Deus Ex, and the thought that such a future might genuinely be coming is, to put it mildly, pretty unsettling.

Source: 1 NEWS

Huge Stranger Things Theory Reveals Robert Englund Is Season 4’s Monster

About The Author


Cody Gravelle
(1588 Articles Published)

Cody is Screen Rant’s Game Reviews Editor. He joined the team in 2018 and has been reporting on games pretty well every day since – except on weekends, where he’s typically playing them instead. Despite being in a field ostensibly about critiquing and enjoying quality games, his most played game of 2019 was Fate/Grand Order – something unlikely to change in 2020 and beyond.

More From Cody Gravelle