Online gaming has gained global recognition andincreased popularity over the last decade. The online gaming industry is a thriving market and statistics indicate that there are more than 11 million gamers in South Africa alone. As the industry continues to grow, we can start to predict what gaming trends will be popular throughout the year. Here is our list of gaming trends to watch in 2022.
Online Casinos
Online gambling and casinos are a fun way to have an at home casino experience and make some money. It is safe to say that the pandemic has had an influence on the growth of online casinos.After land-based casinos were forced to close their doors, many people embraced the online gambling world instead. Additionally, a lot of online gambling and casinos are mobile friendly which means userscan play on the go. This certainly increases the appeal of online casinos as it makes the experience easier and stress-free. It can be something you can casually do on the side as opposed to having to sit down and properly concentrate. However, if you did want to create a more immersive experience, many online casinos give you the option to play live. Playing live can help make you feel like you are in a real casino as you must be focused and always ready to play your turn.
Cloud-based Gaming
Cloud-basedgaming is a relatively new gaming concept, but it is definitely one that is on the rise. Instead of downloading a game onto a PC, or buying a console and a disk, you use a remote server to stream games directly to your display. It is a similar idea to that of Netflix or Disney+ where you stream content online instead of buying a physical DVD. As the digital age develops, people have shown that they prefer the option of directstreaming as opposed to having to wait for a download or own a physical copy. Cloud gaming has recognised the appeal of streaming and have applied it to the gaming industry. While it certainly has potential, there are of course some downsides to cloud-based gaming. Namely, that it requires a consistent and strong internet connection which cannot always be guaranteed. Having said this, it is important to remember that cloud-based gaming is still in its early stages of development, so it is likely that we will see vast improvements to the technology in the coming years.
Virtual Reality Games
The concept of virtual reality (VR) is one that dates back to the 1950’s. Despite the concept being around for over 50 years, virtual reality gaming has only started to gain real traction within the past decade or so. A lot of the virtual reality gaming concepts couldn’t really offer a proper immersive experience, until we had effective VR headsets. These headsets gave users the ability to actually explorethe world of virtual reality.The headsets could be used to be explore pre-historic landscapes, ride a rollercoaster, or fight in a great battle. More recently, however, the metaverse is the popular concept consuming the virtual reality industry. The metaverseis essentially a virtual reality space where users can interact with eachother in a fully computer- simulated environment. You would have your own virtual reality avatar which could communicate and interact with other avatars. Although it is still a concept in development, it is definitely one that could take over the online gaming industry.
ESports
ESports is a huge gaming trend that only seems to grow in popularity. The concept of eSports is very simple, it is competitive video gaming, where multiple users compete againsteach other in various tournamentsfor a cash prize. The entire game is veryorganised, and people can even watch the tournaments in person. In essence, it is the same as classic sporting events.Thanks to huge coverage in the mainstream media, eSports have exploded within the gaming industry. But it not just the gaming industry that is recognising eSports, but the Commonwealth Games Federation have alsojust announced that eSports will be included as a pilot event in this year’s games. This is a huge deal for the online gaming industry and if the feedback is positive it could set in motionthe opportunity for other online games to gain the recognition they deserve.
Summary
As online gaming continues to grow in popularity, we can start to pick up on various gaming trends. The gaming industry is constantly in motion, always looking to improve user experience and demonstrate the best games there are to offer. Some gaming trends seem to stick around year by year, while others only have a short spot in the limelight. Hopefully, this article has been helpful in explaining some of the gaming trends we think are on the rise this year.
