"The first things we placed in Oblivion were a tree and a farmhouse," Howard says. "In Fallout, it was a destroyed building. A lot of the character of the game comes from the world itself." Howard
and Pagliarulo explain that these initial details informed the story, characters and everything else about the games.
Hensley describes the first steps into the virtual world as "critical." "They tell you what the tone will be, and that and the art style very quickly begin to determine the pace - and therefore gameplay - of the experience as well."
As the world is created, Hensley says, he believes in embracing what he calls "escalating weirdness."
"The environment should start our reasonably familiar (though it can still be cool and atmospheric), but should then build in weirdness and intensity to something that is completely over the top," he says.
The increase in detail, not only in graphics but also in physics models, is defining a new era of gaming. Precise rules for weight, mass and velocity create more and more opportunities to enjoy a game not just for the missions or the plot, but for the childlike ability to just play in them. Like a kid flinging a SuperBall around a room to see what breaks, more and more people are stacking red barrels or ramping vehicles every which way in order to test what is possible in games. You know something's up when more people want to see the YouTube video of a plane hitting a stack of crates in Crysis than any cut scene or footage from the single-player campaign.
Yet even a great physics engine needs a good story to make it a cohesive part of a game world. While the Portal gun is amazing, it's just a gimmick until you meet GLaDOS and learn about the moist, delicious cake that's waiting for you.
While world-builders have nearly infinite tools to make their visions stand out with the best graphics, story or most compelling gameplay, worlds can still collide. As Pagliarulo puts it, "Your game is only as good as the next good release."
"I truly believe that all video and computer games boil down to 'what's the next eye candy?'" Hensley says. "It's our job as designers to constantly provide incentive for you to see the next monster, magic item or environment just around the next bend."
As the future of gaming unfolds, the self-contained, personalized game-worlds will begin to mirror the real world even more. They will be adaptive, emotional and constantly changing, giving players an even greater sense of personal importance as their actions change the very world they live in. The non-game exploration of the world and its limitations will become more pronounced, and games might just start advertising their sunny beaches, lush forests and secluded Seyda Neen cottages.
Jeremy Monken is the former interactive entertainment editor for The Examiner and a lifelong student of all things comics and videogames. He currently freelances, designs and works on his comic strip, "Striving for Mediocrity," which can be found on his personal blog, The Church of the Red Barrel.
