It’s certainly been a challenging year for many areas of industry, but some sectors have clearly risen to those challenges. Gaming is among the success stories of 2020 and, while many of our personal circumstances have helped to boost revenues, innovation is another decisive factor.
To be successful in the gaming industry, it requires a creative mindset and those who adapt and improve will stand out in a crowded marketplace. So how has gaming thrived in the current climate and, what can we expect the sector to achieve in terms of innovative developments before 2020 comes to a close?
Biggest moves
The gaming industry always seems to be one step ahead of the competition and is among the first to either develop new technologies or to take advantage of innovation carried out by others. A simple example of this lies in the switch to mobile gaming and the flexibility and convenience that this has produced.
While the bigger screen experience of console gaming will always have a place for players at all levels, that element of convenience has helped to make mobile gaming a big driver of revenue. In fact, figures from 2019 show that mobile gaming now provides 60% of all revenue in the global video game industry.
The sector has also moved quickly to embrace other tech and to keep gaming buoyant through any financial climate.
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Time to subscribe
Apple Arcade came along in September 2019 to provide a video game subscription service for several platforms including macOS, tvOS, iOS and iPadOS. While many games like the free bingo games can currently be played at no cost, the subscription offer added a new dimension to gaming with a number of exclusive titles available. Overall, the subscription, which currently comes in at less than $5.00 a month, offers some exceptional value.
Other tech advancements to be picked up by the gaming industry in recent times include the new iOS14 platform, together with the opportunities provided by the development of 5G. It’s been a productive period and some areas of this sector have adopted the technology with great enthusiasm.
Apple has looked into improving the gaming experience on their products by introducing new updates and improving the Game Center.
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Gambling industry innovation
One sector to have enjoyed significant growth in recent years is the gambling industry. A lot of their revenue increases are down to innovation and we’ve seen this in a number of gameplay areas. The internet and advancements in technology have contributed to the gambling industries growth allowing this sector to thrive.
New styles of casino games are appearing all the time with online slot games seeing the most innovation. Online slot providers like Wink Slots are hosts to a large number of creative slot games with many having a theme or style to attract players. A popular game is Slingo which is a combination of slots and bingo giving players the best of both worlds. It’s not just online slots that have seen innovation, there has also been other developments in the world of online gambling too.
Live casino rooms allow players to enjoy an experience that is as close as possible to the real thing. It comes with live dealers and croupiers plus real tables and equipment to boost the atmosphere. Live casino is an innovation in itself but it has been around for a while: The developments that we’ve seen in recent times include significant improvements in sound and graphics which now bring world class visuals to our screens.
Innovative games including lightning roulette have also seen this sector enjoy greater revenue. In fact, there has been such a fast development online and it’s led to concerns regarding the future of land-based casinos.
The online gambling industry is a shining example of how gaming has thrived in challenging times and we can expect that innovation to reap even more benefits in the final quarter of the year.
The future?
So, what will the remainder of 2020 bring in the way of innovation to the gaming industry? In some respects, the future of gaming is already here with several titles making use of the advances in Virtual Reality. This element has been around for some considerable time but many feel that the sector has yet to take full advantage of its possibilities.
The reason for that could be down to cost, plus the size and weight of the equipment. Whatever the potential issues may be, it’s predicted that VR will be making more breakthroughs across the remainder of 2020.
Developers acknowledge that Virtual Reality remains something of a niche when it comes to gaming and that there is work to be done. Current VR headsets weigh more than a pound and, they are strapped tightly to the user’s face. Keep that set on for more than a few minutes and you’ll become extremely sweaty and uncomfortable.
Comfort has been key to gaming in the past and that essential requirement has been holding back the march of VR. Social trends also show that players may have evolved from the couch but comfort remains key. The first point to address, therefore, is that cumbersome headset and we may well see movement in terms of lighter headgear before the year closes out.
People predict that VR will breakthrough towards the end of 2020.
It’s a similar situation in the sphere of artificial intelligence and this is an area where developers are known to be focusing on. It can get quite technical at this point but it’s all about collecting data relating to how the player experiences the game. Their reactions to certain developments, particularly in strategy games, could be second guessed by the software which will then adapt accordingly.
It’s a concept that has generated mixed feelings among the playing community, many of whom are concerned that they need to remain in control. Others, meanwhile, are happy for games to evolve in this way and to continue to offer different challenges.
The future is largely unknown but, there is that clear focus on Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence and this is where further 2020 innovation is set to lie as the year draws to its conclusion.
