In 2018, the entire gaming industry notched over $125 billion in revenue. For the past few decades, technology in gaming has gone from strength to strength, and now it is the driving factor behind the industry’s success.
We are going to look into a few cutting-edge technologies in the industry, and see where it has improved recently, and where it is likely to improve in the future.
Mobile Gaming
Arguably, the mobile phone is the one gadget which has advanced the most in the last two decades. In the early 2000s, Nokia was making great strides in mobile phone technology. Nokia 3310 went to market in 2000, and it was one of the first handheld mobile devices to have a colour display. It was also one of the first times that those who bought one were carrying around a game that they could play as much as they liked. The phone was a huge success, going on to sell 126 million units, and shaping the industry for the next generation of handheld devices.
Fast forward 20 years and nowadays almost everyone has a handheld device that is capable of high-definition gaming, as well as constant access to the internet to make even more entertainment available to them at any given time. As well as the internet, mobile applications are part and parcel of everyday life, with a range of apps to cater to all your needs. Even online casinos and sportsbooks have apps so that you can gamble on the go, and offer a range of bonuses to get you started, just like with bet365 casino bonus.
The improvement of technology has changed our expectations of mobile gaming, meaning that players are no longer satisfied with just a high score that they can show their friends. Players want a whole gaming experience that soaks them up into the action.
Computer Gaming
The ’90s saw the demise of arcade gaming and the rise of computer gaming, as more and more households were getting consoles and desktop computers. Computer gaming took off, as the graphics being offered were far superior to anything that had ever been seen before, as well as multimedia abilities such as CD-ROMS and sound cards.
Individuals having the ability to go and buy a home entertainment system opened up a whole new opportunity for the market, and one of the biggest console battles would take place in the middle of the decade that would just be the tip of a very large iceberg that still today isn’t showing signs of stopping. Sony unleashed the PlayStation onto the world in 1994 and sold over 100 million units in its 11-year production life. In that time, almost 8,000 games were created for it, making it hands-down the most successful console of its generation. Nintendo took Sony on when it released the Nintendo 64 in 1996. It is possible that it released it too late, as in the 2 years prior, PlayStation had taken over the market. The Nintendo was still fairly successful as it sold 34 million units, but when compared to the success of the PlayStation, it is often thought to be Nintendo’s first commercial failure.
VR Technology
VR technology is what the next few years of gaming will focus on. Right now, VR gaming is at a relatively early stage in its life, but is already creating an extremely entertaining gaming experience, and is revolutionising the industry. VR gaming is all about giving realistic and immersive gaming experiences, and as players demand more from gaming, VR seems the likely way to satisfy the appetite of the market.
VR gaming began in the early 1990s but didn’t make any great strides until 2010 when next-generation headsets were released. Since then, VR technology has made great strides and has shaken up the entire gaming industry. The market has not been this excited about technological advancement for some years.
Where can Gaming go?
This is a question that only the most creative minds could answer. But with the technology available in today’s world, and the improving technology coming through, it seems that if somebody has an idea then it can be possible to create. Just 50 or 60 years ago, it was almost impossible to think that we would all have handheld devices that we carried around 24/7, and could take pictures with, listen to music, gamble, play games, even write work documents. Looking forward, there is a limitless number of possibilities that could happen and it is all thanks to how technology has changed our lives.
