Technology is changing all of the time, and so are the ways that we continue to live and do things in our lives. One area that is continually being changed by advancements in tech is gaming. Technology and AI are changing the gaming industry drastically, and often for the better. Not just for players, but also for technology companies and anyone else who might have foot in the world of computer, offline, and online gaming. Throw advancing technology and AI into the mix, and who knows where gaming could be in just a few years from now. Today we are going to take a look at five different ways technology is transforming the gaming industry, and where we might be headed in the coming years.
1. The Big Players Still Dominate the Space
Without a doubt, the big money companies are always going to play a huge role in the success of online and offline gaming, and what direction their gamers are headed. With names like Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, controlling most of the console gaming market, online players like Blizzard and others have a good handle on the online and MMO gaming market. The attraction towards many of these open world games is that they allow for players to explore a new gaming world, and not be limited to a flat interface and limited functionality, that most games were previously created on. However, even with these big players in place, there is still room for new technology and advancements to be made. This can currently be seen with mobile and VR gaming technology companies are changing the landscape in their own ways.
2. Mobile is the New Focus
Mobile gaming is completely changing how people play games and use their mobile devices on a daily basis. What used to be a fun way to play with friends, is now an obsession, that has nearly everyone on their phone for endless hours per day. As reported by Mediakix, as of 2017, there are 193 million mobile gamers in the U.S., which amounts to more than half of the country’s population. By 2020, the total number of U.S. mobile gamers is predicted to rise to 213 million. From a business perspective, the mobile gaming industry is a gold mine. Just as an example of how lucrative this business has become, nearly every employee at SuperCell is a millionaire, thanks to the massive success of their Clash of Clans and ClashRoyale mobile app games. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as there are now thousands of mobile gaming companies will billions of players across the globe.
3. Download Games for Instant Updates and Usage
When you look at gaming over the past several years, you will see a dramatic shift towards online game usage, gameplay, and also how games are purchased and updates. Not only has this been greatly influences by the likes of popular MMO games like ‘World of Warcraft,’ which, despite being released in 2004, still has a huge user base in the millions of players. It’s also being adapted by console and gaming systems as well. In recent years AI has overhauled MMOs in many ways, especially in improving NPCs (Non-playable characters). With all of these different gaming methods now in play, the idea of going to a local store to pick up a physical copy of your game seems like old-technology.
4. YouTube is a Video Game Company’s Best Friend
The idea of sitting around with a bunch of friends and watching one of them play a video game isn’t very exciting, however — this is what YouTube and online gaming is now all about. Take a look at any of the top channels on YouTube, and you will find that many of them are actually gamers recording their gameplay, and they collectively have hundreds of millions of subscribers. Not only has this changed the way video game content is played and consumed, it’s also led way to a new and profitable world of competitive online eSports.
5. The Future of eSports and Where We are Headed
As previously mentioned, everything mentioned above has lead to the eventual creation and success of eSports, which is now a multi-billion dollar market. Gamers from around the world can now find fame and financial success through their gaming skills and performance. Of course, there will be plenty of big money to be made for game developers and sponsors as well. As the world of eSports continues to grow, this is something we will just have to sit back and enjoy — unless we are putting our gaming skills and expertise to use, while helping to change the existing and future of online gaming in the world today.
Final Thoughts
Gamers and developers are both experiencing major changes in the gaming world – and we have tech to thank for that. As technology continues to advance, the gaming industry will continue to evolve. It’s an especially exciting time to be a gamer.