Firstly, what will these games be played on? The answer is not a console as we now know them and not a PC. The main gaming device will be the humble high definition television, with the addition of a very powerful gesture interface. All the games, all the processing power and all the storage will reside in remote servers, it is the only way they can possibly work. They will be so vast and involve so much interaction that it would be impossible for them to reside in individual home platforms. Advances in the internet will make this work.

The game itself will be like entering the most amazing theme park with almost infinite possibilities. Here are some of the features:

• A number of racing circuits including the full F1 season circuits. Where you can race in any vehicle ever made (and some that won’t be made) any time you want against the same vehicle or a variety of vehicles. Driven by other humans or by bots. Race a Caterham R500 against a Ferrari 312T, against a Ducati 999 against a Porsche 917 around the Nordschleife in the wet.
• An airfield where you can go and fly any aeroplane ever made anywhere you want and in any way you want. Take an F22 to the Battle of Britain. 
• A cinema where you can watch any film ever made any time you want.
• Pitches and courts for every known ball game where any time you want you can play with whoever you want against whoever you want.
• Lots of shops where you can buy an immense variety of both in game and real world items.
• Your own apartment with amazing social networking tools a hundred times more powerful than FaceBook and MySpace combined. The apartment is uniquely furnished and decorated with items you have bought from the stores. There is a television on which you can watch any TV station in the world, or replay any television programme ever broadcast. And a radio that has the same level of abilities.
• A holodeck where you can play an immense variety of games from a development of what we now call FPS, through RTS to MMOs and many other genres, some of which have yet to be invented. Everything will be possible. Many players will write their own games, or part of them, either alone or (mainly) in teams. The level of immersion and the suspension of disbelief will surpass the best Holywood capabilities. Interaction, connectivity and non linearity will prove their enormous superiority.
• An amusement arcade with hundreds, maybe thousands of different arcade games for you to choose from. All the great classics from gaming history will be there. This will be casual gaming heaven where you can just drop by for a few moments fun, or an afternoon of classic arcade action.
• A casino where you can play games of skill for money. This will be a major money earner for the game publisher.
• An adult area, strictly for 18+. Where adult things happen.
• A religious area with churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and every other kind of worship possible. Tree huggers, Jedis and witches welcome.
• A self improvement area with schools and colleges. Enrol on a course to improve your language skills or get a world class tutor to explain to you the differences between the different schools of Greek philosophy. The Open University will be here as will hundreds of other learning institutions.
• Nightclubs and discos where you can go and interact with other players. Win friends and influence people. Maybe find someone to visit the 18+ area with.
• Internet and knowledge aggregators of every kind. You will have the sum of all human knowledge at your fingertips, ready to take and use elsewhere within the game, or even in the real world.
• Advertising will be everywhere, just as it is in the real world. The big difference is that adverts can and will be interactive.
• Police and courts. Where the laws of the game are upheld and justice is seen to be done.
• And so much more, I am limited by my imagination. When this game happens it will contain the creativity of thousands and will surpass our wildest expectations.

In this scheme of things what we now know as the TV industry and the Film industry will become just small, subservient parts of the game industry. The game industry will be by far the biggest entertainment industry on earth and will be as big as industries such as automobiles. Eventually it could be bigger than the oil industry.

A game will no longer be something you buy and own. Piracy will be impossible. Payment will be by a combination of (possibly) monthly subscription and (definitely) micro payments for the facilities and services used. Certain gaming celebrities will be allowed to use it for free or be paid for being there. They will be part of the attraction of playing the game.

You will be able to dip into the game for a few minutes or spend your life in there. And you won’t just be playing it at home. Your mobile device (to call it a phone any more is patently silly when it does so many things) will also connect to the game. So you will be able to play anywhere.

So when is this going to happen? The answer is now. We are already some way along a pathway that will lead us to this. As the months, the years pass more of this is coming to fruition. You can see the milestones along the route with your own eyes.

And what will this game be called? Xbox Live is a very good bet, as are Steam and Sony Home. Outside possibilities include Second Life and WoW. Of course it could come the other way and be MySpace and FaceBook. Or it might even be called Google.