0:00:02 > 0:00:04Our past is one long love affair with games.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07That has reached a peak with the digital age.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Today, the planet is covered by video gamers.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16The numbers are massively massive
0:00:16 > 0:00:18and impressively impressive.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21I'm Robert Florence.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24And I am Ryan Macleod.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Together, we're going on a video gaming journey.
0:00:28 > 0:00:29BOTH: We're on a journey!
0:00:31 > 0:00:33From here...
0:00:33 > 0:00:34..to here.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Through a variety of rooms.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Some of which contain other people.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Watch us attempt and fail to answer one question...
0:00:49 > 0:00:52..what is the future of gaming?
0:00:57 > 0:01:01When we were young, about 70 years ago,
0:01:01 > 0:01:05when we were about three foot tall and bright purple like a bell-end,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08people were always telling us stark visions of the future.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Most people thought vicars would be robots by now
0:01:11 > 0:01:15and a guy in my street said his uncle was eaten by pixels.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17CHURCH BELL TOLLS
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Yeah. And we were told that games like Night Trap
0:01:20 > 0:01:23represented the future of video gaming.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25THEY SNIGGER Take a look.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31Released in 1992, Night Trap was a sci-fi horror interactive movie.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37Alien monsters were out to steal the blood from some young women.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Your job was to trap these monsters
0:01:39 > 0:01:42before any more atrocious acting could take place.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46It seemed like the future, but it was terrible.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Way to go, Control, I knew you could do it!
0:01:50 > 0:01:52But what is the future of video gaming?
0:01:52 > 0:01:55To take a look at the past and the present,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57and try to build a picture of tomorrow
0:01:57 > 0:02:00like we're using some kind of flat, temporal Lego,
0:02:00 > 0:02:05we sat down and had a chat with British gaming legend Ian...
0:02:05 > 0:02:07- Ian...?- Sorry.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09Ian Livingstone.
0:02:09 > 0:02:10I just call him Ian.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18Ian Livingstone has been involved in the games industry since the 1970s.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21He became a household name for many
0:02:21 > 0:02:24with the Fighting Fantasy series of game books.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29These are books in which the reader became the hero,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33it wasn't a linear narrative where you may or may not...
0:02:33 > 0:02:35These are which you made the choices,
0:02:35 > 0:02:36so at the end of each paragraph,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38you made a choice - turn left, turn right -
0:02:38 > 0:02:40and every time you played, it was different,
0:02:40 > 0:02:44so these titles like Deathtrap Dungeon, The Forest Of Doom,
0:02:44 > 0:02:45were huge international bestsellers.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47They sold 80 million copies worldwide.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49- I think we read those books back in the day...- Mm-hm.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52..bought them with our pocket money, you wrote them,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55- I think we're all looking really, really good.- But you're nippers.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58No, I think, in general, we're all looking pretty good.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01I think there's too many young people on the BBC these days anyway.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04I think this is more like it should be. We should present Top Gear.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08That lens! We should be the presenters of Top Gear.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10We could dae that. I cannae drive.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Ian went down the digital path
0:03:12 > 0:03:16when he joined a company adapting one of his books into a video game.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21That company became Eidos, famous for, amongst other things,
0:03:21 > 0:03:22Tomb Raider.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26You've been prominent on the scene for so long.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28- What would be your advice... - That's a bit rude, Rob.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30It's been a long time. We're old as well.
0:03:30 > 0:03:31Are you saying I'm old?
0:03:31 > 0:03:33You've got an overview of the whole thing -
0:03:33 > 0:03:34the past, the present, the future.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37What's your overview of the whole thing right now?
0:03:37 > 0:03:38It's an incredibly large industry,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42100 billion a year in software sales alone,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44so that is very enticing for everybody,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47there's no surprise that there are 1,900 games studios in the UK.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Of course, many of them are micro-studios,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52one or two people working remotely,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55but hoping to make the next big thing.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58When you are doing a show like this...
0:03:58 > 0:04:00I was just looking for a camera there.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01Can I have a camera?
0:04:01 > 0:04:03When you're doing a show like this for the BBC,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06it's always very formulaic,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08always a formula to these things,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11so we have to ask you about the past and the present and the future
0:04:11 > 0:04:13of video games.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14Do you not think it's strange,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16talking about the present of video games,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18because do you not think that video games...
0:04:18 > 0:04:21we always have an eye almost five or ten years down the line?
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Do you not think we're always kind of focusing on the future
0:04:23 > 0:04:25when we're talking about video games?
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Everyone's trying to invent the next big thing
0:04:27 > 0:04:29and technology drives innovation
0:04:29 > 0:04:32in video games like no other entertainment industry,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34so ten years forward is going to mean
0:04:34 > 0:04:37even more incredible opportunities,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40of blending technology in the games,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43so games is going to be more pervasive,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46so you'll be able to play them remotely on any device,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49everything is going to be connected, life is going to become a game.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51I think that's fantastic!
0:04:51 > 0:04:54So we've got VR coming quite soon
0:04:54 > 0:04:58and there's going to be new technological opportunities
0:04:58 > 0:05:00for games to become a massive platform,
0:05:00 > 0:05:01but it won't be just in games,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03it'll be in entertainment, in documentaries,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06stepping into worlds that you might not otherwise have done,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10whether it's climbing Everest or going to a wedding that you missed
0:05:10 > 0:05:11and joining in.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14So, yeah, everyone's future-gazing
0:05:14 > 0:05:17and I think the UK's already at the front of that gazing
0:05:17 > 0:05:20and...one of our best industries,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22which is appreciated and loved around the world.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25- BOTH: Ian Livingstone, thank you. - Thank you.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34You know, Robert,
0:05:34 > 0:05:39a lot of people are saying that VR, that's "virtual real",
0:05:39 > 0:05:41is the future of video gaming.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46In their desperation to grab the next big thing in video games,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48people are actually ordering these things
0:05:48 > 0:05:50without even having tried them.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Yeah, idiots, aren't they? HE CLEARS THROAT
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Now, it's extremely unlikely that I personally
0:05:55 > 0:05:59will ever have enough money to own one of these things.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02- Yep, 100%.- But there will be some rich children out there
0:06:02 > 0:06:04who want to know if these things are any good.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07So I think I should probably have a shot of one.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09You should probably come with me
0:06:09 > 0:06:11and make sure I don't fall out of this reality.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13All right.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20So, Ryan, how many years have you been alive now?
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- Uh...- For your sins.- ..38 years.
0:06:23 > 0:06:2438 years of life!
0:06:24 > 0:06:26- In this reality.- In this reality.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28And I tell you what - I'm sick of it, Robert.
0:06:28 > 0:06:29I'm sick of this reality,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31so I'm going to go and visit another reality.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Ryan, put on that headset and get yourself into...
0:06:34 > 0:06:36I'm going to assume that in this other reality
0:06:36 > 0:06:39I'm also short-sighted, so I'm going to keep my glasses on.
0:06:39 > 0:06:40- Good idea.- Right enough.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- I'm in another reality.- Good idea.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44I think that's my phone there.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46I've not got any texts in this reality either.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Look behind you - I've heard that's impressive when you do that.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Look, they've got cables in this reality! Amazing.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Aw, there's nae toilet!
0:06:56 > 0:06:59You might have noticed that the way Ryan is behaving now
0:06:59 > 0:07:01is very similar to somebody using cocaine.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Very, very self-involved.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Please take yourself, me and all the readers out there into this...
0:07:07 > 0:07:09OK, goodbye, Glasgow.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Here...we...
0:07:12 > 0:07:14How does it feel?
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Ryan, how does it feel?!
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Playing Eve: Valkyrie in VR is somehow dreamlike,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22yet completely solid.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26This incredible world called outer space
0:07:26 > 0:07:29feels like it has the same effect on one's body
0:07:29 > 0:07:33as falling into a skip full of graphics.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36I feel excitement, both in the experience I'm currently having
0:07:36 > 0:07:39and with the contemplation of what other thrills
0:07:39 > 0:07:41this technology can bring us!
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Exterminate!
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- There's enemies coming, Robert. - Enemy?
0:07:47 > 0:07:49What do you mean there's enemies coming?
0:07:49 > 0:07:50- Is that an enemy?- Channel 4?
0:07:50 > 0:07:53I think I'm too far away, I need to fly in.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Would you describe this experience as visceral?
0:07:55 > 0:07:59I'm really trying to concentrate, I'm in the middle of a space battle.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Really annoying when somebody's inside another reality
0:08:02 > 0:08:05- when you're trying to speak to them. - I heard the word "annoying" there.
0:08:05 > 0:08:06I think that's quite unfair,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- because I'm in a battle for the universe here.- Ryan!- What?
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- You're getting too involved in that reality...- Wow, look at that.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16How does it feel different from Glasgow and from Earth?
0:08:16 > 0:08:18From the human world?
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- How does it...? Ryan! - You're ruining it!- Sorry.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Ah, I've just remembered I'm crap at games.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Are you also crap at games in that universe?
0:08:26 > 0:08:29I don't think it's a game in this reality, I think it's real life,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33so I'm also crap at real life in this universe.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35- Uh, Ryan is...- Hang on.
0:08:35 > 0:08:36Ryan is currently in...
0:08:36 > 0:08:39You'd better not be talking to the camera.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- Sh! Quiet! - The Gatling gun's dead hard to use.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Ryan, gonnae quieten doon?
0:08:44 > 0:08:45What a noisy reality that is.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48He's completely lost within the experience at this point.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50I've been trying to communicate with him,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52but I think you can see immersiveness in action here.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55It was at this moment I began experiencing unusual
0:08:55 > 0:08:57and frightening sensations.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00I can best describe them as primal.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03It seems that this new technology has sucked me
0:09:03 > 0:09:09into this violent and mesmerising third dimension.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Ryan Macleod the pacifist is now completely gone.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17I'm fully immersed in... a digital bloodlust.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19And it's in 3D!
0:09:19 > 0:09:22How much is it?! I don't care!
0:09:22 > 0:09:23I'm getting one!
0:09:24 > 0:09:27No, hang on, where am I?
0:09:27 > 0:09:29- Yeah, I think he's died. Ryan, you've only died.- I died.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31- Wait a minute. - My body's round the wrong way.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33- You've only died...- My body's round the wrong way.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35You've only died in the virtual reality.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37- You've only died in the... - I cannae see you.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39- Listen, it's...- I cannae see you.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41It's only a virtual death, it's all right.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Your real death is still waiting for you in the real world.
0:09:44 > 0:09:45Hey, listen, you've just seen...
0:09:45 > 0:09:48It's almost like a child being born for the first time.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50- Would you like to just slip them off now?- No!
0:09:50 > 0:09:52You'll see, you're back in the real world.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54- Gently, gently...- NO!
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- Gently, gently.- Aw, f...
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- There he goes, he's back. He's back. - How many years have I got left?
0:10:00 > 0:10:04How many years? Ryan now has to adjust back to the real world.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06I don't want to be in this reality, Robert.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Did you...? Were my ma and da still alive in that reality?
0:10:10 > 0:10:12I didnae see them.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Aw, naw, I've just had a thought.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Maybe they were the enemy fighters, I might have killed them.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22All this talk about virtual worlds has got me
0:10:22 > 0:10:23thinking about storytelling,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26because, my friends, what is storytelling
0:10:26 > 0:10:29if not a journey into other worlds?
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Cannae believe I actually just said that there.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34TRAIN WHISTLE
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Have you noticed how nothing of any real significance
0:10:37 > 0:10:39happens in these bits of the show?
0:10:39 > 0:10:43We're just talking about what comes next all the time,
0:10:43 > 0:10:50what's that about? We should try and enjoy this moment in our story.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Live in the moment, as they say.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54You're right, yeah.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Ryan, I hate the moment.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Sorry.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Whoosh.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20Tragic ancient lands lying in ruins, somehow linked by bonfires.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23A field of white flowers turn blood red
0:11:23 > 0:11:26even without the aid of nanomachines.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31A plumber skipping across asteroids to save a Princess.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35When video games get story right, they are amazing.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44I've always wondered whether books have similar plots to video games.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46I've never read a book before.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50I really loved The Last Of Us on the Sony home-console PlayStation device.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52HE SCOFFS
0:11:52 > 0:11:55It's set in a zombie apocalypse.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- Zombies!- We sold a book about zombies once.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Biggest mistake of my life.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Oh, yeah. We had you all in.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Had to take them off the shelves.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07I told them where they could find their zombie books.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11HMV, along with their Banksys and their Charlie Brookers.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Video games.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19It's the interactivity in this extremely dangerous world
0:12:19 > 0:12:22that helps lend weight to the peril of the characters,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24makes you feel along with them. It's really...
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Feelings!
0:12:26 > 0:12:27Oh, mother!
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Extremely complex techniques of storytelling
0:12:35 > 0:12:37can be employed by video games.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Take, for example, Chrono Trigger.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47It spans across many different characters and timelines
0:12:47 > 0:12:49and connects everything beautifully.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53It's something that other mediums would really struggle to accomplish.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Hey, now, see here, Khrushchev,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59we don't actually sell your Captain Comic Book mugs here.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Hey!
0:13:05 > 0:13:11You see, to tell an incredibly complex and deep story,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15a video game doesn't even need to use words.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18You can play through the entirety of Dark Souls
0:13:18 > 0:13:22not even paying attention and it will still seep into you.
0:13:22 > 0:13:27Every aspect of that world is so precisely composed.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29You could play it in Japanese
0:13:29 > 0:13:32and you'd still be completely immersed in it.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35That's not to say that the words aren't also...
0:13:40 > 0:13:41I like Pac-Man.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45My parents are divorced, do you sell Lord Of The Rings?
0:13:45 > 0:13:48I think that everyone should be allowed to do whatever they want.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51That's not to say that the words aren't also wonderful.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Dark Souls is an artistic masterpiece
0:13:54 > 0:13:56and it could only exist as a video game.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02If only I'd read a book!
0:14:05 > 0:14:07It's 2016, and more so than ever
0:14:07 > 0:14:10the land of video games is packed
0:14:10 > 0:14:13with people who want to tell you stories.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16In particular, indie games are story-rich.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20When married properly with the game mechanics,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23these experiences are unforgettable and joyous.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Play video games,
0:14:25 > 0:14:29they will tell you stories in ways that nothing else can.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31CRYING IN PAIN
0:14:33 > 0:14:35People who read books are very strange.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41Indie game designers are like my rock stars, Robert.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44I love those guys. They're very clever.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47I think they could all use a good fucking wash.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Well, rock stars don't wash.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Have you ever smelled Adele?
0:14:54 > 0:14:56Asmell, more like.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58That's a good... Asmell.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Anyway.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03How do those indie guys do what they do?
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Yeah, maybe if we get a better understanding of how these
0:15:06 > 0:15:09social outcasts actually make these games, it will help us
0:15:09 > 0:15:12see where the future of gaming is heading.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15We had a sit-down and a chat with the brilliant and brainy academic
0:15:15 > 0:15:20Dr Romana Ramzan - check this footage out.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Dr Ramzan is a lecturer and researcher in video-game design
0:15:26 > 0:15:29at Glasgow Caledonian University.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33My focus is specifically in user-centred design
0:15:33 > 0:15:37and that brings in a lot of psychology into how players think,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39what players might do, how they might behave.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42It's the importance of the user in the design process
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and it's throughout the entire design life cycle
0:15:45 > 0:15:48and development life cycle. It is by going out and speaking
0:15:48 > 0:15:50to these people, finding out what their needs are.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53What is it that they're craving, that they're wanting,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55and how can you actually address that in a fun, innovative way.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59Academically, you're leading these new designers forward
0:15:59 > 0:16:01into the future.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03It must be exciting but it must also be quite difficult as well
0:16:03 > 0:16:06to constantly be rethinking how things are done,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08because as things change,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11surely the way you have to deal with what you do changes as well.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Absolutely. You're constantly learning as you go along
0:16:13 > 0:16:17and it's trying to keep ahead of the developments
0:16:17 > 0:16:20and then bringing them into your teaching,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22so that students are actually equipped...
0:16:22 > 0:16:26by the time that they graduate, they are equipped with the latest
0:16:26 > 0:16:29know-how on how to deal with the challenges
0:16:29 > 0:16:31that are presented to them.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35So at the moment, the biggest problem, I guess, facing designers
0:16:35 > 0:16:39and developers is how do you compete for people's attention.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43The markets, especially mobile-phone games, the markets are saturated
0:16:43 > 0:16:47with so many different products, so how do you stand out from the crowd?
0:16:47 > 0:16:49I haven't discovered the answer to that yet, but when I do,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52I'm sure I'll have a number-one hit myself.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53Design is a hugely important thing.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56I mean, the design of these chairs, for example.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59These are way too low, these chairs, for trying to do
0:16:59 > 0:17:01a quite serious interview on a BBC TV programme,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05and I can only apologise for the position that we are sitting in.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08- In this segment. - We are fully grown men.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13In ten years' time, when I will be - God willing - dead and buried,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16where do you see game design?
0:17:16 > 0:17:21I think psychology is going to play a bigger part in what we do.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24The focus is certainly embedded at the moment in our curriculum
0:17:24 > 0:17:28but I think it's going to be even stronger in the future.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33Design will be dictated a lot by what people do, how they behave,
0:17:33 > 0:17:37how they act, things that they see in their day-to-day life,
0:17:37 > 0:17:42and I think it will be dictated and driven by players.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51All this delicious talk about game design
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and player experience has got me thinking about board games.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56You ever played a board game, Ryan?
0:17:56 > 0:17:59I'll tell you this much, Robert.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01I've certainly been bored by a lot of games.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04He's on fire the night! That's a good one.
0:18:04 > 0:18:05I'll tell you something -
0:18:05 > 0:18:08he's not going to be bored by this segment coming up.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10- Put a tenner on it?- No.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Whoosh!
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- Wait.- You want to oppose it?
0:18:18 > 0:18:20So he's got two successes going in?
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Aye, but he's only rolling one die.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Hello there.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Myself and the renowned British actor Richard Rankin are here playing
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Star Wars: Rebellion inside a planetarium
0:18:30 > 0:18:33because, hey, it's videoGaiden.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35- Richard, welcome to the show. - Thanks for having me.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38You're very welcome, you're very welcome.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40This is weird. It's kind of like an interview,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42it's kind of like catching up with a friend
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and it's also kind of like a review. I'm going here with him,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48I'm going to resolve Fear, we'll keep them in line.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52"Attempt on any system that contains a Death Star, Star Destroyer or Super Star Destroyer.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56"If successful, gain one loyalty and two systems in this region."
0:18:56 > 0:18:59To quickly explain how the game works, it's really all about leaders.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02The Rebels have leaders, the Empire have leaders,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05and you assign leaders to missions and to regions,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09to move troops around, and the missions are really story-based.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12This is the cool thing about it.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14- Just two.- Fuck!- That's failed.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17So if you will excuse my friend's language, we are currently playing
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Star Wars: Rebellion. Richard, how are you feeling about this?
0:19:20 > 0:19:23- What's your first impressions of playing this game?- It's really good.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27It's got all the elements you want in a big epic board game.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31We have played loads of board games together
0:19:31 > 0:19:34and loads of epic-scale board games.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36This is one of the simplest ones I've played.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38You can learn the rules in about 5-10 minutes.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It's structured really well. You pick it up really quickly.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44It's done in such a way, and all good board games are,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48where they might seem really complex and involved,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50and indeed it is, but it's made in such a way
0:19:50 > 0:19:54where you pick it up quite quickly and all you need to do
0:19:54 > 0:19:57is play through a turn or two and you know where you are.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00He gets two extra successes added on to his die roll,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02- but he's only rolling one dice. - How's he get that?
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Because it's a special bonus. See that wee picture there?
0:20:05 > 0:20:07That's his particular expertise.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10One of the coolest things about this game is the fact that
0:20:10 > 0:20:12I don't know where this Rebel base is.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Richard knows where it is. His troops are hidden
0:20:14 > 0:20:18somewhere in the galaxy and I need to keep probing and moving around
0:20:18 > 0:20:22the galaxy, a lot of conquest, trying to find this Rebel base.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25How do you feel about this kind of hidden base mechanic, Richard?
0:20:25 > 0:20:29I think it's so effective that I forgot where my base is.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31- Well, you've got it on a card there.- Oh.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34See, he's got a card that he's got aside that has the Rebel base on it.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37I can move in my Super Star Destroyers.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38Pew, pew, pew!
0:20:38 > 0:20:42And destroy the wonderful British actor Richard Rankin.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47But we've been talking on the show, we've been talking on videoGaiden
0:20:47 > 0:20:49in this episode about the future of game design,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51and it's interesting that as we look into the future
0:20:51 > 0:20:53and we've got things like VR and all these exciting things,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56there's still a lot of people... Technology is just advancing.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59There's still so many people turning back to cardboard and paper.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01It's a beautiful thing. We had great nights.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03It's just the best way to play a game.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05I think this is the best format of gaming.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07It's a bit of a dream game, isn't it?
0:21:07 > 0:21:09This is the kind of board game I would have dreamed about
0:21:09 > 0:21:12when I was a wee guy, where it's like, I can be the Empire and my mate
0:21:12 > 0:21:16can be the Rebels and we can kind of play Star Wars on a table.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18And this game will take you about, I think, about four hours
0:21:18 > 0:21:20and it just tells a brilliant story.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23This is the tricky thing about a board game like this,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26you have to appeal to board-game fans and people that have played lots of board games.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29I appreciate it because it has clever mechanics,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31but it also is kind of effortless to play. Effortless to play.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34But it doesnae...you know, it's not accessible
0:21:34 > 0:21:37and feels kind of light and unsatisfying,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40it's accessible and still has all the story
0:21:40 > 0:21:44and the excitement and thrills and the decisions.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46- Done.- You're done?- Yeah.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49OK.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Of course, there are, remember, many,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53many other board games available.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55This isn't an advert for Star Wars: Rebellion,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58but I think it's just a good example of a game that really
0:21:58 > 0:22:02shows us where we are now in board games. It's great, isn't it?
0:22:02 > 0:22:05It's a great time to be a Star Wars fan again, that's the other thing.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08- Richard, when are you going to be in Star Wars?- Obi-Wan?
0:22:08 > 0:22:11- Look at this. That's why you grew the beard.- Exactly.
0:22:11 > 0:22:12Yeah, you could do that.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17You look like a younger, better-actor Ewan McGregor.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Anyway, let's get back to the game. So, where were we?
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- Where were we?- You had just subjugated a system down there.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27You know, despite us having went on this big journey
0:22:27 > 0:22:31and despite us having already spent our fee for the show, I don't feel
0:22:31 > 0:22:35like we've got any clear grasp yet of what the future of gaming may be.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37Did you say you got a fee?
0:22:37 > 0:22:38You know, Ryan,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41maybe we cannae conceptualise the future of video gaming.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45Maybe, Ryan, we are way too damn old.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Right, le me stop you there.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50It sounds to me like you're about to propose that we speak to
0:22:50 > 0:22:54someone younger than us about the future of games.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55No, I'm out.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59I can't, I don't... I don't believe in the young. You...
0:22:59 > 0:23:00Look, I'm out.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03- I don't believe in it, I don't believe in the young.- Ry...
0:23:03 > 0:23:05- I don't believe in the young. - Ry...
0:23:05 > 0:23:08I don't believe in the young, OK?
0:23:08 > 0:23:09- I don't...- Ry...
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Ry...!
0:23:17 > 0:23:19When you're talking about the future of gaming,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23here's the truth - it's not tech, it's not even us,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25it's them, our kids.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Games are about the players
0:23:27 > 0:23:31and our kids will be the ones doing the playing.
0:23:31 > 0:23:32Hey, what's your favourite game?
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- Minecraft!- Minecraft!
0:23:35 > 0:23:38If the gaming torch has been passed to our kids,
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Minecraft is the game keeping that torch lit.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43And one of the key figures in kids' passage through Minecraft
0:23:43 > 0:23:48and through video games is Stampy, the YouTube megastar.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Thousands of children the world over hang on his every word.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53What would you like for breakfast, Stampy?
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Erm, can I have a cake, please?
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Cake? Cake again?
0:23:58 > 0:24:01All right, all right, Stampy, cake it is, cake it is.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08So, you have a massive audience of kids out there, Stampy.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Do you feel a big responsibility there?
0:24:10 > 0:24:14Yeah, and it's not even just in my videos as well,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17it's because I feel like I am a role model to a lot of people,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20which isn't something that I, you know,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23really asked for, but it's kind of just happened.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26So, you know, how I am at events or even just in public
0:24:26 > 0:24:28or anything that I post on social media, like,
0:24:28 > 0:24:30I'm very conscious about everything that I do.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34But it's great, I feel like it's a chance to hopefully
0:24:34 > 0:24:36make a bit of a positive difference.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39When you did your first video of Minecraft,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43what made you want to keep on doing videos?
0:24:43 > 0:24:46When I made my first video... So that was my first-ever time
0:24:46 > 0:24:50playing Minecraft. I'd heard that your first night in Minecraft
0:24:50 > 0:24:52is kind of something quite memorable.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54I wanted to record it and I ended up uploading it
0:24:54 > 0:24:57and I immediately just got addicted to Minecraft
0:24:57 > 0:24:59and just loved making videos.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01And so since then I just haven't stopped.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Minecraft is a really special game.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Why do you love it and why do you think so many people love it
0:25:06 > 0:25:07and so many children?
0:25:07 > 0:25:11I think the amazing thing about Minecraft is that it can be
0:25:11 > 0:25:13a different thing for different people.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17It's basically a platform to play on rather than kind of being
0:25:17 > 0:25:19told to play it in a specific way.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Some people might be builders, some people like mining
0:25:22 > 0:25:23and the survival aspect -
0:25:23 > 0:25:26it can kind of just be used for so many different things.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29That's why it just appeals to so many different types of people.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32What do you think this next generation is going to be like?
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Because we've got kids who play the game, sure,
0:25:34 > 0:25:39but also a big part of their gaming life is watching YouTubers,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41watching Let's Play videos and stuff like that.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Are we going to see lots of kids growing up
0:25:44 > 0:25:46wanting to become YouTubers, do you think?
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Yeah, I think that definitely is the case
0:25:48 > 0:25:50and I think that is already happening.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53I think that the newer generations are kind of looking up to
0:25:53 > 0:25:55people that have been doing YouTube for longer
0:25:55 > 0:25:58and feeling like, "I want to be in that position."
0:25:58 > 0:26:01So I think that a lot of people are getting smarter about how
0:26:01 > 0:26:06websites like YouTube work, how to kind of play the system a bit
0:26:06 > 0:26:07to try and be more successful.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Thanks, Stampy.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Thank you, bye!
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Stampy, I wanted to talk to you a bit more personally.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21I know you are in bed and I didn't want to do it face-to-face.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26See, I don't think that the future of video gaming is going to be
0:26:26 > 0:26:29anything to do with VR, everybody all trapped away in VR helmets
0:26:29 > 0:26:33and all that, I think it's in community, friendship.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37My wee lassie, she's had a difficult year to negotiate,
0:26:37 > 0:26:38a lot of changes,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41a lot of grown-up stuff to deal with,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43and you, directly you,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46have made it a lot easier,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48being there with your regular videos, making her laugh,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50sparking her imagination.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52It's really made a difference, a massive difference.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56When she's been here at my house, you've been here.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59And when she's went to her lovely mum's house,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01you've gone there with her.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05And it's been a pleasure for us all to have you, you know?
0:27:05 > 0:27:06Your craft, your compassion,
0:27:06 > 0:27:10because it matters, what you do, what people like you do,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12so here's to you, Stampy,
0:27:12 > 0:27:13all the ones like you.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16And you know what? Here's to video games
0:27:16 > 0:27:19for tying us all together in one big family.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24And here's to a beautiful future, whatever it holds.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31You know, I blame Night Trap.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33You always blame Night Trap.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37How could we possibly visualise the future of video gaming
0:27:37 > 0:27:40when we were stupid enough to believe all those false dawns that
0:27:40 > 0:27:45we were sold in the past? We are relics, mate, we're relics.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49What you're saying is it's time to pass the torch.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51See, you're saying torch.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Nobody even uses torches these days.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56The young team are all just using the light fae the screens
0:27:56 > 0:27:58on their pagers.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02The future will be... what it will be, I suppose.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08My friends, we're all interested in the future,
0:28:08 > 0:28:13for that is where we will spend the rest of our lives.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17And remember, my friends, future events such as these will
0:28:17 > 0:28:20affect you in the future.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Grrr!