The iGaming industry has evolved immensely from the days of primitive and blocky sprites to modern-day 3D mobile gaming. Technology plays a significant role in the evolution of the online gaming sector.
Today’s cutting-edge technological innovations such as cloud networking, mobile gaming, ultra-fast 5G internet connectivity, virtual/ augmented realities, NFTs, and digital currencies are all changing how we consume online games.
Discussed below are some of the major trends the best sports betting sites in the USA found here have adopted in 2022. These trends will go a long way in enhancing your online gaming experience.
The Growth of Mobile iGaming
Since a majority of online gamers prefer using their mobile devices, game publishers and suppliers have taken the initiative to invest more in mobile compatibility. The goal is to offer users the best gaming experience over mobile browsers and gaming apps.
Some of the top online casinos and betting sites are all taking mobile gaming a tad more seriously. If you are looking to enjoy your favorite online casino games or place sports bets using your mobile device, the services are readily available and accessible.
Cloud-Based Gaming
Since the launch of video gaming in the ‘70s, players have always been compelled to embrace new innovations that alter how they access and consume gaming titles. Over the years, players had to keep updating their PC and gaming consoles every five years, but this trend is about to come to a halt.
Major online gaming brands are now offering their game titles via cloud-based subscription services. Brands such as Sony, Tencent, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Nvidia are investing top dollar in cloud online gaming projects.
With this new online gaming approach, players will not have to upgrade or buy expensive hardware to enjoy new game releases. Under this model, all players need is a smart TV and lightweight streaming devices such as FireTV or Chromecast.
The games are offered directly from a central cloud data center, with output beamed directly into the player’s home in form of streaming videos. The ongoing rollout of the ultra-fast 5G network will help guarantee easier access to online games.
The Metaverse
While Microsoft and Facebook talk grandly about their plans to build an immersive persistent online world for leisure and work, online gamers are already accustomed to the virtual universe as a source of great entertainment.
In 2022, the concept of iGaming is being expanded to incorporate other forms of entertainment. This explains the music concerts in the popular game title Fortnite and the branded marketing pop-ups in the Roblox universe. These new approaches to online gaming have a huge impact on the industry’s culture and norms.
Some of the biggest game titles and franchises are already repurposing as platforms that allow more flexibility in terms of user experiences. While some gamers will still want to log into the latest release of Call of Duty to fire guns, others are in for the sociability aspect and other forms of shared interactions.
Online game developers are finding more value in keeping gamers hooked and immersed in their platforms. This helps grow their loyalty and the businesses can easily monetize the audience.
The Booming World of Esports
Esports are essentially a product of the evolution of video games. The former deems video games as a professional sport, one in which gamers can compete in tournaments for prizes and other rewards.
Major aspects associated with esports include live audiences, leagues, tournaments, salaried players, and sponsorships. Today, there are numerous esports leagues and tournaments to keep an eye on.
Like most digital entertainment niches, esports exploded in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, the sector generated about $1 billion in revenue. A huge portion of this revenue came from sponsorship deals and media rights. The esports industry is expected to hit the $2 billion mark by the close of 2022.
A total of 73 million people tuned in to spectate the finale of the League of Legends World Championship in 2021. That was a 60% growth from the number of views recorded in 2020. This year’s tournament is expected to draw even more views than those recorded last year.
From these statistics, it is self-evident that online gaming is gradually growing into a spectator sport. Over the coming years, we can expect to see an increase in the number of professional gamers and the size of prize pools.
Blockchain and NFTs
Some of the leading game developing brands have already made their intentions to create non-fungible tokens (NFTs) within their game titles clear. This is a great way to let gamers win, earn, and trade in-game items. We are likely to see some of these projects come to fruition over the summer of 2022.
However, the idea might not be vastly popular with all players due to the huge amounts of processing power needed to sustain blockchain algorithms. But as more game publishers declare NFTs as a strong part of the future of iGaming, we are seeing a willingness-to-spend among both developers and gamers.
Another current trend is the explosion of play-to-earn titles that reward players with digital currencies for participating in daily play. Axie Infinity, for example, has more than a million active daily users. Some of these gamers earn up to $250 each day.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is gradually finding its place in the online gaming sector. This technology seeks to bring gamers a more realistic online gaming experience by blending the virtual world with the real physical world.
Pokemon Go is a great example of how augmented reality works in the online gaming world. The game’s developer managed to demonstrate that even players who do not consider themselves pokemon fans can participate in and enjoy the AR-powered game.
The popularity of the game and its success were partly due to the incorporation of this innovative technology. While AR is still in its early stages, industry experts seem to unanimously agree that the technology is set to revolutionize the online gaming sector.