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Fifty years ago, Atari released Pong to the world. Although the game was simple, it was a major hit. Even these straightforward gaming mechanics promised hours of fun as gamers ferociously slid the controller from side to side to keep the ball from getting through their defenses.
However, gaming was reserved for a niche audience. Since most video games were only available in arcades, it was usually just the biggest gaming fans who went to play regularly. Even when the arcade culture died down and consoles went domestic on a larger scale, the general public saw gaming as an individual activity.
All of that changed thanks to the internet. Gaming has become a much more social activity thanks to high-speed connection and communication. Gamers can link up with others worldwide to share tips and recommendations. On top of that, the internet has also made software accessible, so even amateur developers can create new games and diversify the gaming market.
With diversification and increased socialization, the gaming industry has expanded exponentially, reaching an array of new audiences in a short amount of time. Seeing the positive feedback from experimenting with unique gaming features and formats, developers are investing in new gadgets that could further innovate gaming.
The internet has also helped many people make careers out of gaming, including developers, artists, professional gamers, and content creators. Platforms like Twitch and YouTube prove how gamers are dedicated to learning more about their favorite games, creating their own niche in the gaming industry.
As the global gaming market reaches its projection of $300 billion, experts suggest that the industry will continue to thrive well into the next decade. The gaming industry has spiked in a few sectors in the past few years, including those listed below.
VR/AR Gaming
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Believe it or not, virtual reality is not new at all. It was considered the ugly duckling of the industry for years. Initially a 1960s experiment among MIT computer scientists, virtual reality was an immersive audiovisual experience rather than a gaming experience.
It wasn’t until 2012 that a developer duo created the Oculus Rift, the most popular VR technology today. Later that year, Facebook bought the Oculus Rift patent and, since then, has collaborated with numerous developers to create immersive video games. Considering the relevance of mobile phones and social media today, VR makes much more sense now than it did in the 1960s.
While VR has slowly but steadily increased in popularity, Mark Zuckerburg’s announcement to build the Facebook Metaverse made the sector shoot to the top of the pile. Since most Metaverse activities require a VR headset, developers have hurried to innovate the technology, such as through advancing avatar creation, 3D environments, and gamification.
Online Gaming
In recent years, the online gaming industry has exploded in popularity. With this recent growth, developers have had the time and resources to create new, dynamic games.
Since gaming companies have so many titles to offer, they have the room to give players attractive deals and promotions. Take online slots as an example. Among the numerous online slots titles available, gamers regularly receive special features and benefits for playing. Companies give new gamers special deals for playing a game, like a sign-up bonus, which then offers them a certain number of credits to play with.
Developers have also created innovative new features for online slots, such as scatter symbols, which means gamers can get points even if the symbols aren’t on the same row. All in all, this new growth is fascinating for both gamers and companies alike.
Console Gaming
As the gaming industry innovates with new technology, gamers still love their classic consoles. Although there have been discussions about cloud gaming making consoles obsolete, the gaming community remains loyal to their respective consoles, so far. Deloitte has projected that consoles alone will earn up to $81 billion this year, ensuring that they are here to stay.
However, to keep up with the latest technology, developers are finding ways to merge cloud and console gaming to stay up to date. In turn, consoles are offering more and more network-based games.
Additionally, gaming companies are making consoles more customizable. In fact, there are plans to create consoles that are just as open to personalization as PCs. In the next few years, these new rigs could have exclusive hardware designed for specific gaming needs, like customizable graphics cards. Console gamers could finally get even with PC gamers, who are known to have substantial advantages through building their own machines.
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