To the Infinity and Beyond - The Evolution of Space-Themed Games

Outer space has fascinated humans since time immemorial. Movies and books about space exploration abounded during the 20th century, a trend that can be verified in games. The moon landing happened in 1969, but the first adventure of that kind was released in 1961: Space War for PDP-1, a minicomputer.

Gaming technology has changed significantly over the past 60 years since the Space War, but the passion for adventure among the stars has never faded. Here’s how this genre has evolved.

The Pixel Pioneers

The life of a pioneer is never easy. PDP-1 computers had 18-bit memory, but they would cost over GBP 800,000 in today’s money. It means there weren’t many around, except in a few university labs, such as MIT. Indeed, not many people could play it outside the campus, but it has changed the gaming world in so many ways.

For instance, Spacewar also pioneered esports competitions, with its Intergalactic Spacewars Olympics, a competition held at Stanford University in 1972. The funny Olympics had about 24 players disputing the top prize of a one-year subscription to Rolling Stone magazine.

The first commercially viable space-themed game came out in 1984: Elite, for Acorn Electron and BBC Micro. Elite was a few light-years more advanced than its predecessor. It has maintained the same combat logic as Spacewar, but its 3D graphics were incomparably superior, and its gameplay involved more than shooting everything that moves.

Players could choose to be bounty hunters or pirates, or simply mine ores from asteroids and raid destroyed trade ships for remaining goods. In fact, trading was an important part of its gameplay, as players could choose between legal and illegal trading across the galaxies. Some argue that Elite was the first open-world game, given its freedom and complexity.

Into the Open Space

Elite was a groundbreaking game with several sequels, inspiring countless copycats over the 1980s. However, in the early 1990s, developers started to dream bigger, significantly improving the pre-existing 3D graphics and adding more complex controls, allowing for more interactive gameplay. Star Wars: X-Wing (1993) for PC aimed to bring George Lucas’ adventure into the gaming world, premiering a long franchise of Star Wars-based games.

Meanwhile, against all odds, Elite III (also known as Frontier: First Encounters, from 1995) was a massive disappointment. Console-based games of this genre could be found for Atari 2600 and the likes, but they were really subpar compared to PC-based options. This situation began to change with PlayStation in the late 1990s, and its Colony Wars, finally bringing 3D graphics to video games.

The 2000s were marked by the console battle between PlayStation and Xbox, resulting in legendary titles like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Halo 3. Nintendo did what it always does, and sent Mario to outer space with Super Mario Galaxy. Meanwhile, a revolution was afoot on the PC front. MMORPG titles began to sprout, like EVE Online, which was made possible by faster internet and widespread PC ownership.

Fast-Spinning Adventures

Space stories are part of the so-called “pop culture,” thanks to sci-fi novels, blockbusters like Star Wars and Star Trek franchises, and a constellation of games. Naturally, the online casino industry wasn’t immune to its charms. Slots like Cosmic Cash demo abound, using the theme to create special features like cash rewards, multipliers, and fat jackpots.

These and other similar games can be found on top-notch platforms like Sportsbet, and, better still, players can try them for free before tossing in their coins. The endless allure of the final frontier also influences other casino games, including roulette, blackjack, poker, and others.

Blurred Frontiers - Indies in Space

The abyssal quality gap between PC and console games was finally closed in the 2010s, with several titles coming out for both platforms. Franchises like Starcraft (1998) initially launched for PC, but later received PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo versions. Thanks to warp-speed leaps in gaming technology, new space-based titles have nearly cinematic graphics, incredibly realistic physics and mechanics, and compelling storylines that players actually care about.

However, more notable perhaps is the rise of indie games. The Kerbal Space Program (2015) deserves an honourable mention regarding realistic physics and mechanics. Kerbals are funny green little aliens trying to fly rockets designed and built by players. Despite the quirkiness of Kerbals themselves, the engineering behind rocket designs is pretty solid and, quite often, the poor little Kerbals end up exploding mid-flight.

No Man’s Sky (2016) has such stunning graphics and complex gameplay (enough to receive a version for PlayStation 4) that it barely looks like an indie game. Yet, it is. It didn’t take flight immediately, as players criticised its first version due to missing features. Luckily, the developers paid attention to the players’ demands, upgrading open-world exploration features while honing its gameplay. Today, No Man’s Sky is one of the most popular titles of its genre, and an example of how a game can grow with player feedback.

Regardless of the mixed reactions to its recent release, Starfield (2023) is often cited as one of the best space-themed games of all time. Starfield is an open-world RPG adventure, mostly focused on map exploration and character building based on the player’s choice. Indeed, it has superb graphics and engaging gameplay, but some players complain that it lacks a cohesive narrative.

New Frontiers

Digital technologies evolve at meteoric speeds, and the gaming industry is right on its tail. Space raiders can expect future games to include VR headsets, high-fidelity graphics, and much more refined AI algorithms. Virtual reality is the latest word in immersive gaming, and it can allow players to explore spaceships and countless new worlds.

VR headsets used to be pretty expensive, but prices have dropped considerably over the past few years, due to industry competition between big tech companies. However, VR headsets won’t be mandatory for a fantastic gaming experience. Companies like AMD and Nvidia have notably developed their cards, which can now handle heavy graphics and ray-tracing. So, new adventures will likely look gorgeous, even on flat screens.

Artificial intelligence already plays a pretty big role in the gaming industry, but it still can do more. Non-playable characters will finally leave those couple of pre-programmed sentences to become lifelike allies (or enemies) thanks to generative AI. AI technology has been extensively used in No Man’s Sky to manage NPCs and create in-game assets and missions on the go.

Into the Wormhole

Space-themed games have embarked on an extraordinary voyage from the humble beginnings of Space War on university campuses to sprawling, AI-driven galaxies of Starfield and No Man’s Sky. Indeed, today’s adventures are light-years away from the space pew-pew of 18-bit computers and early consoles. Nowadays, players can build interstellar civilisations, handle complex diplomacies, and fight endless wars with nearly photo-realistic graphics.

The core allure remains the same: humanity’s fascination with the final frontier. As technology rockets forward with VR immersion, AI-generated companions and foes, and ever-more powerful hardware, the next evolutionary leap promises even deeper odysseys. The passion ignited by those early pixels continues to propel countless fans and a multi-billion-dollar industry to the next release, always promising innovative features and storylines. The next great leap awaits, and it may come at any moment.