Options galore for gamers

When we were children, video games meant a trip to the video game parlour or playing arcade games on 8-bit/16-bit "systems" connected to the TV. Cut to the present and one can game on PCs, consoles, handhelds, mobiles, tablets, browsers and even your smart TV. In 2015, gamers' horizons would be widened still.

The new year will see the launch of bigger and more powerful mobile phones and tablets with clock speeds and RAM to match PCs from five years ago. This would mean newer mobile games making use of these enhanced capabilities to present a richer experience. Consider this: Some devices to be launched in 2015 are believed to match the minimum system requirements of the first Crysis game (well, not the DVD-ROM or Windows XP though). Most flagship devices from this year are great gaming devices. Plus, we've been impressed with the niche segment of gaming tablets (think XOLO Play Tegra Note or the NVIDIA Shield tablet), while we've also come across gaming phones such as the Mitashi Play Thunder Bolt (which looks like a cross between the PSP and the Tegra Note). Wish the Nokia N-Gage was around.

Apple will release the Watch in early 2015, and hopefully we'll soon see a wide variety of games for smartwatches as well. With the latest consoles supporting bigger and better screens, one can hope to see many more games supporting higher resolutions such as 4K.

Another technology gamers will look forward to in 2015 is Virtual Reality (VR). The Oculus Rift seems to have converted most who have experienced it while Sony's Project Morpheus has impressed in its initial demos. With the power of Facebook and Sony behind the Rift and Morpheus, respectively, one hopes they arrive in India soon.

With NVIDIA's Shield handheld, we experienced first-hand game streaming. It's simply streaming the game on your PC to your handheld. NVIDIA's Grid Game Streaming Service and Sony's PlayStation Now should find greater acceptance in 2015; especially since the PlayStation Now service makes the PlayStation 4 backwards compatible with games from Sony's vast repertoire. Microsoft, too, I guess will offer something similar for its Xbox One.

Last but not least, PC gaming will continue to flourish, especially since AMD's line of APUs have lowered the entry price point for gamers. My rig, powered by an AMD A10-5800K processor from early 2013, is able to give me decent frame rates when I play Middlearth: Shadow of Modor, that too, without a dedicated graphics card. When I played Thief on the Kaveri CPU, I was impressed with the details.

And gamers will of course look forward to the annual refreshes of AAA franchises and new titles. Happy gaming!  
Our playlist for 2015

Evolve: A cooperative/ competitive shooter, the game's USP is pitting four player-controlled hunters against an alien monster, controlled by a fifth player. Developed by Turtle Rock Studios, this game is scheduled to release on February 10
Platforms: PC, PS4 and Xbox One
  
Dying Light: Love spooky games? You're possibly looking forward to this open world zombie apocalypse-themed game set in Turkey's Urfa. The game is scheduled to release on January 30.
Platforms: PC, PS4 and Xbox One

 
Mortal Kombat X: The 10th title in Mortal Kombat series, scheduled for release on April 14 should still remain a test of skill and fitness, pitting two players against each other using a variety of attacks and those gory fatalities.
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360
 
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: The action in this open world action-adventure stealth game, developed by Kojima Productions, takes place in Africa and Afghanistan during the Soviet war.
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360
  
Batman: Arkham Knight
Developed by Rocksteady Studios, the game is scheduled to release on June 2. One plays as Batman to battle Scarecrow, who has returned to Gotham City to unite the Dark Knight's enemies in a plot to kill the superhero.

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One