Online Gaming: Difference two years ago
More and more people have been at home since the end of 2019. Social isolation and limited opportunities for other entertainment have boomed the gaming industry. Millions of people who signed up for cloud gaming services for the first time bought their first physical video game or watched their first esports tournament.
According to a Facebook survey, these new players continue to gamble all at once after their lives return to normal. In this article, we’ll look at how the gaming industry has evolved over the last two years and what this means for the future.
1. Mobile games are champions
Mobile games are a trend that dates back decades (think Game Boy). However, formerly a small niche market in the gaming industry, mobile games have become almost as popular as non-mobile games in recent years. Not so surprising. As smartphones and tablets become more powerful, so does their ability to deliver high-quality games. The fact that smartphones and tablets can be used for other purposes is also an important factor in their growing popularity. The game is easier to access and easier than before, and the barriers for non-gamers are significantly lower. If you use your mobile device daily at work or socializing, you can easily try video games.
2. The surge in online gambling
Gambling and gambling are becoming more and more similar. Online casinos are constantly expanding their offerings and investing heavily in their quality. Think not only about graphics but also about playability and more sophisticated storylines. In regular games, gambling elements are increasingly integrated into the gameplay, such as casino mini-games and loot boxes for large games like FIFA. The line between games and gambling seems to be becoming more and more blurry.
3. Females Enter the Market
Games have traditionally been a male hobby. This has already led to stereotypes like gamer geeks. When you were playing online (about 20 years ago), it was very rare to meet a woman. Today it is very different. The number of women who play frequently is increasing rapidly around the world. This is often the case with more popular and simple games such as Candy Crush, but you may also encounter more “female gamers” in more serious work.
4. Revenue Model Changes
In the past, making money with video games has been fairly easy for businesses. He created a series of physical games and distributed them to thousands of stores around the world. However, this business model is declining. Video game companies are increasingly making a living from their (monthly) subscriptions. Nowadays, you can regularly find free games that you can download and play for free. However, if you want to access all the features or continue playing, you can use the monthly fee. See.
5. Cooperation with other sectors
Overall, games are a larger market than movies and music combined. Other industries are not blind to the millions of people who play games. They often seek to take advantage of this by increasing their presence in the game through product placements and event sponsorship. Some games are very popular and have become part of the culture of a particular country. Consider Pokémon Go, Minecraft, Fortnite. All of these are well known outside the gaming world and are widely covered in mainstream media.
6. Increased acceptance of eSports
eSports is not only very popular with gamers, but also culturally accepted by the general public. Tournaments for games such as CounterStrike, Fortnite, and DOTA 2 are aired live, gambling sites include esports, and the industry is booming thanks to the attention of sponsors.