One of the best things about the gaming industry is that it's always changing. As a gamer, that means that things never get stale. Because the industry is so reliant on technology, it has made a point of incorporating new innovations as soon as they become available. While that may not immediately translate to what gamers see on their screens, it does have the effect of keeping the industry at the forefront of technological change.
Year after year, something new seems to emerge on the gaming scene. While it's not always groundbreaking, it's often enough to draw a lot of attention and get gamers excited. This year is no different and promises to bring new experiences for gamers, including the much-anticipated release of the Nintendo Switch 2, which is in line with gaming transitioning from computers and stationery consoles to a more portable experience. In this article, we look at the gaming trends worth keeping your eyes on this year and beyond.
While mobile gaming has been around for decades, it really picked up steam when smartphones made their debut in the late 2000s with the launch of the iPhone, Android, and app stores. Every gaming genre has embraced the trend, with the iGaming industry setting the standard, creating online experiences that bring the casino to our mobile screens. From platforms featuring mobile slots to card and table games, online casinos let us experience the gaming floor from wherever we happen to be in the world. As the prices of virtual reality (VR) headsets continue to drop, online VR casinos will likely become more common, taking realism to the next level.
Hybrid-casual games are another trend to pay attention to in the mobile gaming arena. These games blend the simple mechanics we all love from casual games with more complex features from mid-core games to create titles that have more depth and can keep us engaged for longer periods. Developers have found that these games attract all types of gamers because their easy-to-learn controls and progression systems are easy to pick up and play.
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Not long ago, one had to invest quite a bit of money to get started in gaming, especially if they wanted to play the top AAA titles. That's because you needed either a gaming computer or console to access these games, putting them out of reach of many. Cloud gaming is changing all of that, making even the most graphically intense titles available on any device, whether that's a budget laptop or a mobile device like a tablet.
Instead of purchasing expensive hardware, gamers can subscribe to a cloud gaming service to stream a wide variety of games. These services operate much like Netflix and Disney+, allowing gamers to stream all of the titles they want for a monthly fee. Remote servers make the magic happen by processing the game's graphics and other tasks and then streaming it to the user's device. The only drawback is cloud gaming requires a stable internet connection, and for those living in rural or less developed areas, where high-speed internet isn't available, cloud gaming isn't yet feasible.
It seems like we can't turn on our TVs or scroll through social media without seeing something about new developments in AI and machine learning. What many gamers may not realize is that the gaming industry has taken the lead in incorporating these technologies into their products.
Most veteran gamers have fond memories of non-player characters (NPCs) that followed boring scripts and were highly predictable. While these NPCs were fun to watch, they didn't add much to the gameplay. AI and machine learning are changing all of that, allowing NPCs to learn from what we do in a game and to adapt to our behaviors.
That means a game may become harder or easier as you play, ensuring that you never feel overwhelmed or under-challenged. As you play, AI algorithms are busy analyzing your behavior and, based on what they conclude, may recommend in-game items and other things to personalize your gaming experience.
