Gaming has been among the top industries for years and the future seems brighter than ever. Where Covid-19 has affected every single industry, it has also shown a new future for gaming. With that in mind, the industry is expected to reach $2.2 trillion by the end of 2021. Moreover, it is also projected that by the end of the same year, over 2.7 billion people worldwide would-be gamers. That is about one-third of the global population. 

The credit mainly goes to the outstanding mobile gaming experience, amazing graphics, mind-blowing storylines, and easy access to good internet services. Even the ones living in rural areas have access to providers such as HughesNet internet and can use the connection to download and play the games.

In this ever-growing industry and larger community than ever, one question often pops up in the mind. “What the future could hold for the online gaming industry?” 

The Future of Online Gaming Industry

If you had asked me a few years back, I would have probably said VR. But we have all seen the challenges that it is facing. From expensive hardware to bulky headsets and the thought that it is socially isolating, several things are holding it back. Since companies haven’t yet succeeded in making it consumer-friendly, it is currently limited to theme park experiences.

On the other hand, several other things are expected to shape the future of the gaming industry. Some of these will be here in near future; others might take time to gain popularity and acceptance.

Mixed Reality

Where VR is socially isolating and goes against the norms of connectivity, the experts are seeing a future in mixed reality. The ultimate combination of AR and VR, where the users are interacting with each other in the real world as well as in the gameplay. That would be able to connect them with reality, rather than removing it.

Imagine playing a game where you are running around, can pick up the ammo with your own hands rather than a joystick, go to places in search of your next mission, and interact with reality as part of your gaming experience. That would certainly be something magical.

AI

Another thing that we will get to see soon in gaming is the use of advanced AI. Currently, AI is only being relied upon for procedural content generation and taking off some load from the creators.

However, we can expect to see AI designing entire new levels of the games based on what users are enjoying the most. Along with that, another expected direction is the open-world experiences where nothing is sketched out ahead of time. The AI will unfold new levels of the game, as the player will advance. Though that might not be possible to this extent in near future, it is something certainly worth considering. 

Other than game design, AI can also help in the game experience. Creators are thinking about using AI to enhance the NPCs (Non-Player Characters). By that, it doesn’t mean they will randomly start flying, but they will be able to make complex decisions and improve the game experience. 

There are also talks of building advanced AI systems that can give NPCs a mind of their own. But since that might also mean compromising the game experience, not everyone is ready to consider this right now.

High-Fidelity Graphics

In the late 90s, when I played the Doom for the very first time, I could have sworn that everything in here is super realistic and the graphics are incredibly realistic. If we revisit the same game now, it would seem nothing more than some pixelated shapes and barely recognizable faces. 

In this pursuit of ultra-realistic graphics, we have come a long way. Nowadays, if you look at games like Last of Us 2 and the Red Dead Redemption 2, you will see that the graphics are getting better and more closer to reality than ever. And soon, these are going to improve further if the companies want to move in this direction.

In term of high-quality graphics pc, laptops, and tablets are also playing very good roles. For laptops, gaming laptops under 400 are the best nowadays. From time to time they are improving both their graphics chips and higher IPS rate.

Crypto in Gaming

Another big advancement that will be seen in the future is the integration between gaming platforms and Crypto. Gaming platforms are embracing the possibilities of blockchain. That would mean that gamers could exchange assets, make any purchases, or send/receive payments without any delay. 

Similarly, the developers will be able to use the blockchain for monetizing their games and reap the benefits.

More Mobile Games

Though mobile gaming took years to reach where it is today, experts predict that over 50% of the gaming by 2025 will take place on mobile platforms such as tablets and smartphones. Due to that, we can expect to see more games with better graphics and enhanced gameplay for such devices. 

Another hurdle was the unavailability of a good internet connection for everyone. But with recent expansions in broadband internet services and the success in the 5G arena, more people than ever have internet services these days. That will prove to be a great thing for mobile gaming.

Moreover, the developers have overcome the challenge of optimizing the gameplay according to screen dimensions. That means the biggest hurdle in mobile gaming has been solved. So the developers can now focus on creating better mobile games and making the experience more exciting than ever.

Summing Up

Whether you are an AR fan or love to play games with hyper-realistic graphics, you would see many advancements in the near future. Moreover, the future of the gaming industry seems to be brighter than ever that will be full of new games and better experiences. What are your thoughts on it? Let us know in the comments section below.