As our reliance on internet entertainment gets stronger, the online gaming world continues to grow, change and develop in line with emerging technologies and innovations.
It’s easy to overlook the sheer impact that the internet age has had on our fundamental concept of gaming. Thanks to mobile technology and internet connectivity, we now have the freedom to play our favourite games on multiple different devices from anywhere with a decent Wi-Fi connection. From online casinos to multiplayer RPGs, there is simply no area of the gaming world that hasn’t been revolutionized over the course of the past decade.
No doubt that we can expect plenty more progress across the board as we continue charging headfirst into the digital age. Here are a few key areas of gaming to keep an eye out for.
iGaming
The size of today’s online casino industry is truly incredible compared to where the market was at 10 years ago – and competition is stronger than ever. That means we’re seeing unprecedented levels of investment in up-and-coming technologies from both new and older iGaming companies.
Live streaming is one of the main trends we can expect to see much more of over the next 12 months. To put the strength of such innovations into context, online casinos such as Aspers have invested heavily in developing their own live casino section in an effort to create the most immersive gaming environment possible – players are dealt cards and see the roulette wheel being spun by human dealers in real time. No doubt that many more operators will soon follow suit.
eSports
The idea of professional gaming was once a pipe dream for game-obsessed kids and teenagers. Well, that’s certainly not the case today. The world of eSports has opened up new and exciting career paths for those people who are dedicated to perfecting their skills and prepared to do battle against the world’s players.
Certain games such as Fortnite, Fifa and Dota II have proven extremely popular on a global scale, leading to more and more official tournaments, contests and chances to win huge prize purses for coming in first place. The world record for the largest prize pool was recently set at a Dota II tournament – offering players the opportunity to compete for over £15 million. Other up-and-coming titles like Apex Legends are also fuelling greater interest and investment in professional gaming, something which is bound to continue for the foreseeable future.
Augmented reality
Most of us can recall the wildfire popularity that Pokemon Go enjoyed upon its release a few years back, yet it feels like we’re still only scratching the surface in terms of what’s possible with AR technology.
Plenty more game developers have been working exclusively with augmented reality as they try to conjure up the next global smash hit. Games like Army of Robots, Ingress and Zombie Go are all making waves in the online gaming world, although there’s every chance that an even bigger AR title is just around the corner.
Whatever you do, make sure to keep your eyes peeled over the next 12 months!