ReviewsThe gaming industry is being shaped and enhanced by big trends. Some of the dominating trends at the moment are changing the gaming world as we know it. It’s creating a more flexible and diverse market, making room for change. Check out seven of the biggest trends in the gaming industry right here.
It’s an exciting time to be a gamer. The innovative changes in the industry these years are revolutionizing the way we’re able to play games. Big changes are underway, and we’re keeping a close eye on them. But it’s more than just technological advancement and enhanced hardware, it’s changing consumer behavior. Trends are emerging, changing, and disappearing faster than ever before. But with that being said, there are some trends emerging at the moment that we believe will play a big part in shaping the gaming industry in the coming years.
1. Indie gaming
It makes sense that indie games are on the rise. India games are nothing new – and in a way, their current success isn’t exactly baffling. Produced by (often) minor, independent companies, they stand in complete contrast to some of the obelisks in the gaming industry that have been heavily disappointing their player base for years. Another defining reason for this rise is the gaming platforms such as Steam. Steam has made it much easier for independent publishers to distribute their games. This gives gamers much easier access to the best indie games on the market. One of the best-selling games on the market right now is Stardew Valley. Of course, the most famous indie game of all time is Minecraft. It makes space in the industry for other publishers than just the huge game publishers.
2. Increased diversity
The old idea that gamers are only young men is dead. Today, statistics clearly show that almost half of gamers are female if we include all types of gaming. Also, gamers can be found in all age groups. As is the case in most other areas of society, there’s an increased focus on diversity in the gaming industry as well. Up until now, most protagonists in video games have been straight, white males. But this is starting to change. Developers are paying attention to diversity and representation in their games – acknowledging this as both an important sales tactic as well as a way to comment on social norms and add social commentary in an entertaining format. This means that there is an increase in women and minorities in video games. A great example is the massive release of The Last of Us Part II which has a female protagonist. At the same time, there’s a focus on getting more women to work in the industry as well which creates a more diverse work environment and helps create more authentic stories that aren’t centered around the predominantly straight, white, male archetype. At the moment, only around 30% of people working in the game industry identify as female – but that number is growing year for year.
3. Real money gaming
Real-money gaming is a trend that’s been booming in these last few years. We’re used to the popular online casino games, but today the options are much wider. Real-money gaming has been integrated into many types of regular video games. A great example is the massive interest in purchasing cosmetics such as skins. Another type is the cryptogames called play-to-earn where you can earn and trade NFTs in the games themselves. Online casinos are still the biggest and most popular genre with real money gaming, though. It has become so much more convenient now that you can play directly on your phone. In the US, the best providers can be found at www.americancasinoguide.com. Here you’ll find a guide to the most popular online casinos that continue playing a major part in shaping the industry.
4. New platforms emerging
For a long time, the PC gaming market has been ruled by one platform: Steam. They were first-movers in the market, and now they’re so dominant that almost half of all publishers choose to distribute their games on Steam. But this is changing. Steam is still dominant, but new platforms are emerging and starting to challenge the reigning supreme. Two platforms that have managed to break through the barriers are Epic Games and GOG.com with Epic Games as the bigger one. New platforms mean more diversity and organic change within the industry – as well as competition in prices, which is a huge plus for the consumer.
5. Cloud gaming
Cloud gaming is one of those genius concepts that has changed the way we play to the core. You no longer need to download games or invest in really expensive hardware in order to play the best games. Gamers are now streaming their games, and playing online. It makes it possible for gamers to play all kinds of games. At the same time, publishers are able to monetize older games many years after their release. The future is already here, and it’s called cloud gaming.
6. Early Access
Early access is a gift to both gamers and publishers, and it has quickly become the norm. It’s a chance for gamers to play a game while it’s still being developed and get to play sometimes years in advance. For publishers, it’s a chance to get real feedback from players and be able to perfect the game before the final publishing. It creates a natural win-win cycle that ultimately enhances the quality of the games available.
7. Remakes and reboots
In the retro era that we live in, it’s no surprise that remakes and reboots are big right now. Gamers want to play the old games again but without compromising on the quality of their gaming experience. These remakes are selling really well as these classic games get revitalized. It’s not a hard trend to spot – these remakes and reboots are everywhere. The Resident Evil 2 and 3 are great examples of these best-selling remakes that are shaping the gaming industry right now.
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