Tech trends that played a big role in the gaming industry
Since they first became popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s, video games have remained a significant part of the entertainment business.
When William Higinbotham invented Tennis for Two, one of the earliest electronic games to incorporate a graphical display and the first interactive game built for an analog computer, in the 1950s, he had no clue he was establishing a business that would produce over US$180 million in sales by 2021.
It is obvious that video games have one of the greatest fan bases in the entertainment business, and what was previously considered a secluded and unsociable medium has now transformed into a dominant format, giving rise to new industries and professionals.
Furthermore, with billions of people throughout the world complying with social distancing measures, lockdowns, and quarantines due to the pandemic in the last two years, most of us resorted to video games as an alternate form of entertainment.
Over the previous few decades, video games have evolved considerably, inspired by new technology and gaming trends, but gamers’ need for distinctive gaming experiences has remained constant. As a result, developers push the boundaries to offer us novel methods to gaming, constantly reinventing the way we play video games.
The industry has probably benefited the most from technology advancements, and it has undergone incredible transformations in recent years as a consequence of new gadgets, more advanced hardware, and upgraded platforms. With each new technological innovation, video game developers create new gaming experiences and provide gamers with fresh options for online entertainment.
Live streaming
Since its introduction in the late 2000s, live streaming has played a big role in significant advancements in the field of online gaming. Aside from bringing previously obscure games to light, live streaming has proven to be an efficient advertising technique for publishers, replacing traditional mediums like magazines, television advertisements, and demo versions.
Furthermore, the notion that gaming can now be regarded as a professional occupation is owed in great part to live streaming and sites like Twitch. Twitch viewership grows year after year, with the site witnessing unparalleled growth in recent years, notably during the pandemic’s early phases. Twitch reported almost 30 million hours viewed in 2021, a 45 percent increase year over year.
Mobile technologies
When the Hagenuk MT-2000 was released in 1994 with a preloaded game – a variant of the all-time classic Tetris – mobile gaming was a novel concept. Given the state of mobile technology at the time, utilizing a phone to play video games was at least odd. Three years later, Nokia produced a range of mobile phones with a preloaded version of Snake, which became a worldwide hit and propelled Nokia to the top of the market, with over 350 million handsets worldwide having it installed.
With the introduction of the HTML5 framework in the late 2000s, developers were able to create new platforms and games that could be used across several devices, ushering in a new era of mobile gaming.
Mobile games now make for a considerable share of the video game industry, with developers increasingly favoring iOS and Android devices and releasing new titles on a regular basis. Mobile games like Garena Free Fire and PUBG Mobile are even being featured in esports leagues and competitions, while casual games like Candy Crush continue to be incredibly popular.
Mobile gaming advances may also be seen in the iGaming industry, with mobile devices playing an important role in the popularization of online gambling. As the number of smartphones on the market continues to rise, gambling operators have begun to make their offerings available on mobile devices, and bettors may now play real-money casino games and place wagers on big sporting events using mobile devices.
Cloud gaming
Cloud gaming is now becoming available throughout the world, allowing players to play video games on remote servers, effectively eliminating the need for long downloads and installation processes.
The concept has been around for a while, with the earliest attempts made in the early 2000s by firms such as G-Cluster and Crytek. However, due to limited infrastructure and poor bandwidth, development of this technology had to be discontinued, and we didn’t see any progress until lately.
Cloud gaming has become more viable in recent years as internet access and streaming technology have significantly improved. The recent debut of services such as Stadia, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation Now, and GeForce Now sparked interest in cloud gaming last year, and the expansion of these services in 2021 took it to a whole new level. But gamers aren’t the only ones who are excited about the arrival of this new technology trend, because cloud gaming allows publishers to monetize old games years after they were released.
Tech trends that played a big role in the gaming industry
Since they first became popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s, video games have remained a significant part of the entertainment business.
When William Higinbotham invented Tennis for Two, one of the earliest electronic games to incorporate a graphical display and the first interactive game built for an analog computer, in the 1950s, he had no clue he was establishing a business that would produce over US$180 million in sales by 2021.
It is obvious that video games have one of the greatest fan bases in the entertainment business, and what was previously considered a secluded and unsociable medium has now transformed into a dominant format, giving rise to new industries and professionals.
Furthermore, with billions of people throughout the world complying with social distancing measures, lockdowns, and quarantines due to the pandemic in the last two years, most of us resorted to video games as an alternate form of entertainment.
Over the previous few decades, video games have evolved considerably, inspired by new technology and gaming trends, but gamers’ need for distinctive gaming experiences has remained constant. As a result, developers push the boundaries to offer us novel methods to gaming, constantly reinventing the way we play video games.
The industry has probably benefited the most from technology advancements, and it has undergone incredible transformations in recent years as a consequence of new gadgets, more advanced hardware, and upgraded platforms. With each new technological innovation, video game developers create new gaming experiences and provide gamers with fresh options for online entertainment.
Live streaming
Since its introduction in the late 2000s, live streaming has played a big role in significant advancements in the field of online gaming. Aside from bringing previously obscure games to light, live streaming has proven to be an efficient advertising technique for publishers, replacing traditional mediums like magazines, television advertisements, and demo versions.
Furthermore, the notion that gaming can now be regarded as a professional occupation is owed in great part to live streaming and sites like Twitch. Twitch viewership grows year after year, with the site witnessing unparalleled growth in recent years, notably during the pandemic’s early phases. Twitch reported almost 30 million hours viewed in 2021, a 45 percent increase year over year.
Mobile technologies
When the Hagenuk MT-2000 was released in 1994 with a preloaded game – a variant of the all-time classic Tetris – mobile gaming was a novel concept. Given the state of mobile technology at the time, utilizing a phone to play video games was at least odd. Three years later, Nokia produced a range of mobile phones with a preloaded version of Snake, which became a worldwide hit and propelled Nokia to the top of the market, with over 350 million handsets worldwide having it installed.
With the introduction of the HTML5 framework in the late 2000s, developers were able to create new platforms and games that could be used across several devices, ushering in a new era of mobile gaming.
Mobile games now make for a considerable share of the video game industry, with developers increasingly favoring iOS and Android devices and releasing new titles on a regular basis. Mobile games like Garena Free Fire and PUBG Mobile are even being featured in esports leagues and competitions, while casual games like Candy Crush continue to be incredibly popular.
Mobile gaming advances may also be seen in the iGaming industry, with mobile devices playing an important role in the popularization of online gambling. As the number of smartphones on the market continues to rise, gambling operators have begun to make their offerings available on mobile devices, and bettors may now play real-money casino games and place wagers on big sporting events using mobile devices.
Cloud gaming
Cloud gaming is now becoming available throughout the world, allowing players to play video games on remote servers, effectively eliminating the need for long downloads and installation processes.
The concept has been around for a while, with the earliest attempts made in the early 2000s by firms such as G-Cluster and Crytek. However, due to limited infrastructure and poor bandwidth, development of this technology had to be discontinued, and we didn’t see any progress until lately.
Cloud gaming has become more viable in recent years as internet access and streaming technology have significantly improved. The recent debut of services such as Stadia, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation Now, and GeForce Now sparked interest in cloud gaming last year, and the expansion of these services in 2021 took it to a whole new level. But gamers aren’t the only ones who are excited about the arrival of this new technology trend, because cloud gaming allows publishers to monetize old games years after they were released.
