There are quite a few phenomena in this world that are currently important or popular but weren’t a decade ago. Think about soaring sales of mobile phones, laptops and touchpads. Think about the decline in physical book sales and the rise of kindles. Do you notice a trend? There has been a significant shift to the digital world and funnily enough, even how people entertain themselves, has turned digital. Within the digital entertainment world, there is one sector that must be taken note of, purely due to the rising number of users, namely online gaming.
The gaming industry is said to be worth over $317 billion by 2027. Therefore, its impact and reach is massive. Whether you are somebody interested in online gaming or not, seeing an industry that is perhaps 20 years old and worth over $300 billion is mind-boggling and highly interesting. So, this article aims to shed light on some of the reasons behind this massive surge of popularity and offer insights into the next few years of online gaming.
Digital Interfaces Have Become Commonplace
It’s hard to say whether or not digital interfaces becoming the norm is good or bad. Some might argue that it’s bad, as it impacts your sight and hearing, people can get rather antsy when they don’t have their digital devices with them, there is a level of dependency that perhaps develops and the list goes on. The same though, could be said in the positive. Being able to be online 24/7, having access to whatever you want whenever you need could be seen as super and again, the list goes on.
It’s not so much about trying to point out the good or the bad but rather that there seem to be a few important facts and the fact is that an industry that is going to be worth $317 billion by 2027, is one in which it is clear that digital interfaces, which is what you use for online gaming, is clearly commonplace. Whether or not it’s something you engage with, promote or denote, is another question. However, you can’t deny that having access to phones, laptops and Wi-Fi has led to a rise in how people entertain themselves. These tools are no longer only communication tools but entertainment devices.
Technology Has Advanced
The advancement of technology has had a profoundly positive effect on a lot of industries. However, its use in online gaming and the increased number of users, again, could be seen either as positive or negative.
For online platforms that are trying to make a name for themselves in the gaming industry, advanced technologies are brilliant, as they allow them to offer a variety of games at very high levels. You can now find free slot games without downloading or registration in no time at all, whereas, trying to find those slot games 10 years ago would’ve taken you hours – there are just so many more games online and they are so much better than they were before, that you could see technology in online gaming is something positive here.
However, there is a clear argument against it. Because technology has become so advanced, games have become too realistic and therefore users are now preferring games over what they actually see in real life. In fact, games are not just realistic they are hyperrealistic and they are sometimes even more tantalizing than the real world, which is why a lot of people prefer to dive into digital games than they do into real-life games. This could be somewhat problematic. If it weren’t for advanced technology, chances are, that a lot more people would still be playing cards however, this is not the case in this digital age.
There is Global Interest
In terms of curiosity, this has also changed over the past decade. There has been a strong surge toward global interest and a global community. Think of all the social media sites that you see nowadays and all the possibilities of travel all around the world – these changes and developments have created a pool of global interest. This means that those who are limited to online games that were offered in their countries 10 years ago, now have access to a whole host of digital games that are offered worldwide.
Online gaming platforms are also very much aware of this and therefore they try to tweak all of their games, have them translated, culturally appropriate and the list goes on to suit as many users as possible. Furthermore, a lot of governments and councils are trying to work together to relinquish the impact and severity of borders and create a global marketplace, which has obviously had an impact on the popularity of online games, as they are far easier to access than ever before.
Looking to the Future
It’s not easy to predict the future, however, when it comes to online gaming, it’s pretty clear to see that advanced technology is at the helm. Therefore, technology such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality are likely to become commonplace over the next five years in this industry. It’s not a prediction, only a suggestion, however, seeing how the online gaming world has transformed in the last decade, it seems like it is pretty plausible, wouldn’t you agree?
