The gaming industry surged during the pandemic when many people were bored in their houses and as they isolated themselves, avoiding contact with people outside. By 2023, the gaming industry is expected to grow by $ 321 billion worth, and it’s tipped to boom even more years later.
Gaming has helped with people’s mental health with lockdowns, keeping them engaged and distracted as they play their favorite video games from different gadgets at home. Looking forward, more and more people are becoming players, and if you haven’t tried video games yet, there’s a chance that you’ll get hooked soon.
And with all these latest technologies reigning in the gaming industry, playing might be harder to resist now.
Esports
Consisting of large audiences, sponsors, and tournament-focused video gaming with professional leagues, esports is becoming the next big thing in the gaming industry. Esports has allowed players across different generations, genders, and ages to come together and play. This has made esports more appealing than traditional sports that tolerate the underrepresentation of diverse communities.
What’s more, if you’re a fan of Major League Baseball and softball, then you’ll definitely enjoy Esports as a new discipline in these sports. If you follow the Giants, Royals, Astros, Tampa Bay Mariners, or San Diego Padres odds, then you definitely have a place in the Esports arena. The Esports game WBSC baseball: Power Pros is now available worldwide, with versions available for up to four players on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
Traditional Esports will continue to thrive, but mobile esports are also surging as more sports fans enjoy their favorite tournaments through more handy and accessible mobile devices. With more refined 5G technology, mobile internet connections will improve, thus boosting the viability and stability of Esports.
Metaverse Gaming
Metaverse gaming was one of the biggest video game trends in 2022. It is a type of gaming that allows players to enjoy an immersive 3D world, like starring in a sci-fi novel. But in recent years, the metaverse has shone away from fiction to more lifelike.
According to an article published by Time, the metaverse is a “centralized virtual world” where players can engage with other players through their avatars. From assets to the environment, everything is ideally connected in a metaverse. Like you are in the real world, you can play, communicate, gather trash, and own a digital property in a metaverse.
Some basic elements of the metaverse are game mechanics and objectives, an interoperable 3D virtual environment, ownership of in-game assets material or immaterial to the game’s objectives, players participating and interacting through their avatars, and VR hardware that allows players to join.
Cloud Gaming
Cloud gaming is like the gaming counterpart of Hulu and Netflix. It’s more convenient than any traditional game where you need a personal computer or console. With Cloud gaming, you can play remotely across devices like TVs, tablets, and smartphones. Truth be told, gaming consoles and computers are expensive, but with cloud gaming, you can use any device you already own. Plus, you can pause midgame and resume playing on another device, regardless of location.
You will not download or install the game on your computer or console since Cloud gaming relies on remote data centers to stream and run the game over the internet directly to your phone, television, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Google Chromecast, among other devices you have. No cables, no software, and no extra storage needed. You must secure a high-speed internet connection, video streaming devices like laptops, tablets, or smart TVs, and a compatible keyboard or mouse.
So long as you have a reliable internet connection and a subscription, you can save your progress and resume playing whenever and wherever you want. According to Newzoo, a gaming analytics platform, in 2022, $2.4 billion will be spent by 31.7 million people on Cloud gaming and services. And those numbers are set to soar to 86.9 million users and $8.2 in revenue by 2025.
Fitness Gaming
Also known as exergaming, exertainment, and active gaming, fitness gaming brings about two popular concepts: fitness and video games. People engage in fitness gaming for different reasons.
Some just want to have fun, stay fit, socialize, dance, or just enjoy the challenge of the game. Players may have come up with different reasons, but one common benefit makes fitness gaming on-demand. These are the improved cognitive skills and holistic health benefits it provides.
Many studies support the positive side effects of fitness gaming on anxiety, stress reduction, problem-solving skills, and social skills, among other aspects of well-being.
Cross-Platform Video Games
Cross-platform video games, or “crossplay,” are a gaming concept that allows players to connect with other players across different platforms. Cross-platform and Crossplay are interchangeable terms so that you won’t be confused.
By saying across different platforms, you can play a game using an Xbox platform with someone playing the game on a Playstation platform. It allows a collective and seamless gaming experience that has massive implications for the gaming industry.
Final Thoughts
From 2024 onwards, the video gaming industry is expected to grow by leaps and bounds, prompting the industry to surpass every commercial and technical benchmark. With people’s evolving gaming choices along with technological evolution, the video gaming market will always be in motion, keeping gaming communities dynamic in the coming years.
