The online gaming industry is at a tipping point. The industry that has been significantly growing – thanks to smartphones and internet penetration which has ushered in a plethora of opportunities for various players in the sector.
The opportunities for entrepreneurs to create new games and monetize them are galore. They can collaborate with game developers and designers. It also opens a lot of opportunities for the technology professionals who can be involved in the testing of games, building in elements of artificial intelligence to make the games smarter and interesting, and designing various elements/ characters, etc. that form an integral part of gaming.
According to the State of Online Gaming 2020 research report, casual single-player games are the most popular in the gaming space. First-person shooter games come in a close second. Many of these gamers are turning professionals, creating an all-new line of business – video game live streaming.
Video Game Live Streaming and Professional Gamers.
Video Game Live Streaming enables professional gamers to record themselves playing games in front of a LIVE audience. This is like the LIVE telecast of a cricket match or a soccer match that you might enjoy watching on your television screens. Popular sites such as Twitch, which probably had the first mover in this space as early as 2010 witnessed more traffic than HBO’s online service HBO Go within four years of coming into existence. Today, YouTube, Facebook, etc. are also being used for Video Game Live Streaming. As per the Online Gaming Survey of 2020, nearly 40% of the online gamers aspire to become professionals which is a very good sign for Video Game Live Streaming.
Smartphone Adoption and Penetration
It is no surprise that smartphones are now the most preferred mode for online gaming. It has put the traditional computers, gaming consoles, laptops, and tablets behind. This is due to the ease of access and ubiquity that smartphones can bring.
Artificial intelligence in Gaming and Brand Placement Opportunities
Artificial Intelligence has made the gaming experience more immersive and smarter. You could now be playing your opponents and the game can intelligently deduce when you need moral support. Suddenly, fans could be seen chanting your players’ names or slogans to boost the team’s morale. These trends along with a LIVE audience have made games more immersive and engaging. It leads to captive eyeballs that get advertisers interested and place their brands in strategic slots when the LIVE games are on.
Immersive Experience with Gaming Hardware Advancements
The rapid evolution of hardware has also helped the gaming industry by leaps and bounds. These new games are complemented by new and powerful hardware that will enable the games to run seamlessly and empower better gaming consoles. The new Playstation 5 supports games with native 4k quality video output. These will further enhance the interest of gamers and lead to more traction for the gaming industry. With the hardware now enabling support for 3D gaming even on mobiles, we will witness a brighter future for the gaming industry.
Gaming Industry is here to stay. And Prosper.
Advancements in hardware and technology, internet penetration to the very last mile, smartphone advancements and 5G, clarity in graphics equipped by 4k, the rise of professional gamers, artificial intelligence usage, and interest by marketers and brands are factors that will cumulatively give a huge fillip to the gaming industry.
Are you game for this revolution? Which game do you think has the maximum potential to become a global phenomenon like Pokemon Go? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
