The global gaming industry is a continuous source of innovation. So many of its tech advances have been adopted by and integrated into a range of industries, from entertainment sectors through to the corporate world, and even healthcare (pretty amazing, right?). Immersive technologies like augmented reality are only just breaking into other industries, but they’ve been a core foundation of the modern gaming landscape for close to a decade now. Even trending futuristic concepts like the Metaverse, with its avatar-driven virtual environments, have long been an integral element of mainstream gaming.
Gamer – artistic impression. Image credit: Unreal via Pixexid, CC BY 4.0
The popularity of gaming is such that the market was predicted to generate approximately $184 billion in 2023. It’s undergone such incredible growth and evolution in the 21st century that it’s hard to imagine just how much further the boundaries of innovation can be pushed. Well, if the latest key trends are anything to go by, there’s still a long way to go before tech developments in the gaming industry slow down – and that’s pretty exciting!
Understanding Gaming’s Impact
There was once a time in the not-too-distant past when playing video games was seen as nothing more than a niche hobby. How times have changed! These days, gaming is a behemoth and, as we touched on above, it’s having a marked influence on plenty of other industries too.
While traditional video games remain a core element of the landscape, the industry is now composed of some pretty diverse segments, some of which have created brand-new markets of their own. Take esports, for example: professional gaming is now a billion-dollar industry in its own right, with a massive global fanbase.
Esports has grown to the point where millions of fans tune in virtually or attend arenas in person to watch elite gamers compete in tournaments centered on hit games like CounterStrike 2 (CS2). Keen to capitalize on fan engagement and with pro gaming being increasingly legitimized as a valid sport, bookmakers have even opened betting markets for esports events – and these aren’t in their infancy, we assure you! Esports betting has gone global and gone big (extremely big) in recent years. As a result, we have fans reading about odds on a CS2 betting site and placing wagers on their favorite teams and players, proving the wide reach and impact of gaming.
What’s In Store for Gaming?
Of course, without the major tech developments initiated in the gaming industry this century, esports wouldn’t be possible. And neither would playing games in “the cloud,” or VR and artificial intelligence, all of which have a vital role in the future of gaming.
Cloud Gaming
After the demise of Google Stadia in 2023, it seemed as though cloud gaming was indeed just a flash in the pan in the gaming market. While, arguably, things like blockchain gaming have garnered more attention, cloud gaming still remains a viable and important new sector. The main issue with Stadia is that it simply didn’t catch on with consumers at the right time – but it was nevertheless underpinned by some pretty solid technology.
Now, other cloud streaming services have come to the fore, all of which have unique USPs that make them appeal to different sections of the gaming demographic. NVIDIA’s GeForce Now is a favorite with die-hard PC gamers, enabling them to play their existing library across a spectrum of devices. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming appeals to console players thanks to its cross-play potential.
Interestingly, however, it’s Netflix that’s ushering in a new era in cloud gaming – yes, we were surprised too! The content streaming giant branched out into mobile games a couple of years ago, but at the end of 2023, it launched a beta trial for Its desktop gaming platform in the US. The brand has plans to increase revenue in gaming over the next few years, and leveling up with a cloud gaming platform could be a major step in achieving this.
Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality has been a fringe sector of the gaming industry since the late 2010s. Although each new iteration of VR headset has had the potential to take the tech fully mainstream, high prices, and somewhat niche appeal have prevented it from being utilized at its fullest. However, that may change.
The fact that metaverses and extended reality are now a burgeoning trend outside gaming indicates that 2024 could actually be the year when VR achieves its true potential, especially if Apple has anything to do with it! Its upcoming Vision Pro, despite being the most expensive consumer VR device to hit the market, is set to change mainstream perspectives on virtual reality gaming. It’s a bold move, but then the tech giant does have form for introducing groundbreaking devices that change the game. It’s hard to imagine what the adoption of this tech could do to the esports betting world!
Artificial Intelligence
AI is seemingly everywhere these days, but this too is an advanced technology that has been part of the gaming industry for quite some time. AI tools have been used in the creation of games for decades, with automated programs taking on menial tasks to improve development times and process efficiency. Now, though, it’s generative AI that’s taking prominence.
The new wave of AI will impact games and the gaming experience in several ways. Firstly, generative AI is revolutionizing NPCs, non-playable characters that traditionally run on limited, predefined scripts. The new generation of NPCs is becoming intelligent and natural, helping to create unique experiences for gamers.
Another crucial way in which AI is developing the future of gaming is in the area of user-generated content. Several games already offer ways for players to get creative, with Halo’s Forge Mode, Age of Empires’ map editor, and titles like Roblox and Minecraft being just a few examples. With generative AI tools becoming more commonplace, players can potentially curate in-game virtual environments to enjoy personalized gaming experiences. Wow, what a future!