In the new golden age of video game development, the gaming world is seeing a huge amount of technology developments and innovation that are pushing the limits of what gaming means. Gone are the days of merely pushing buttons to move a character on a screen. In the near future, users will be able to actually feel as if they are the character, with the help of haptics technology and virtual reality headsets. There has never been a more exciting time to be a gamer, as there are limitless options of gaming genres and titles, along with increasingly hyper-realistic graphics.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are at the forefront of this gaming revolution. This technology is able to blur the lines between reality and the game through digital elements overlaid directly on the player’s vision. It is already an extremely popular technology- there are 98 million VR users and 23 million AR users around the world. By 2027, both AR and VR will be used by 100 million users worldwide, indicating that it will perhaps usher in a new gold standard for the quality of games.
The rise of fitness gaming, also known as exergaming, is another significant development in the gaming industry. Players looking for a physically demanding and health-conscious gaming experience will find this genre appealing as it incorporates movement into the gameplay. Players must mimic their avatar’s movements on screen in order to participate in fitness games like WiiFit and Just Dance. The market for virtual reality fitness is expected to expand by 40% over the next six years, demonstrating the growing appeal of this active gaming genre.
Casino games are expected to grow in popularity as well. These games mimic the setting of a real casino, where they can choose to play popular games such as Roulette and slot machines. Depending on the game itself, users can bid with and win real money, which ups the stakes to an exciting level. Currently, some of the most popular games include Coin Master, Bingo Blitz, and Jackpot Party, which are each generating tens of millions of dollars in revenue. This gaming industry has been growing by 30% since 2018, and it is projected to continue this trend in the near future.
Beyond the exciting future prospects of these gaming genres, there are already some very popular games that are currently being played around the world. Gaming preferences often reflect the nation’s regional interests. For example, Madden is one of the most popular games across the US, which is unsurprising when considering that football is the country’s favorite sport. FIFA is the clear winner in most other countries, which is due to the fact that soccer is much more popular on a global scale outside of the US. There have been over 325 million copies sold of FIFA worldwide, making it the most popular video game of all time.
Even within just the US, there is quite a bit of regional diversity in the most popular games across states. Hogwarts Legacy, The Last of Us, and The Legend of Zelda are all winners across multiple states. There is not a clear video game genre winner across the US. Action-adventure, first-person shooter, strategy, and sports games all are jockeying for the first place pick across even one of America’s fifty states.
In conclusion, the global gaming industry is already booming, but is expected to grow even more thanks to future developments in gaming technology. The AR/VR space is expected to be especially interesting, where fully immersive gaming experiences may be the new standard. Hopefully there will continue to be a vast array of gaming options for future generations of video game players, where everyone can find their own type of fun in the digital world.