Gaming is one of the industries that change so fast that users have a hard time trying to keep up. It looks like the growth has been unprecedented since the beginning of the pandemic. As the gaming industry relies heavily on technology, it changes with every new breakthrough. This year has been a great one in terms of gaming-enhancing innovations and upgrades.
#1 Enhanced multiplayer gaming
One of the gaming trends that have been brewing for a while but actually peaked in 2021 is multiplayer gaming. This year, players have been blessed with such gens as Valheim, World War Z: Aftermath, and Hell Let Loose. The highly anticipated Call of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield 2042 will soon be released as well. A lot of factors contribute to the popularity of multiplayer games, especially co-ops, including both psychological and technical ones. During the pandemic, people across the globe have struggled with social isolation, and multiplayer gaming is a great coping strategy. Besides, the tech advancements that help reduce lags (which are quite common for online multiplayer games) have improved the user experience.
#2 Social gaming
This is another pandemic-boosted trend that emerged largely thanks to tech advancements. Now, social gaming is a bit of an ambiguous concept. It encompasses a lot of things, including such games as Minecraft or Animal Crossing (that encourage communication and experience-sharing among players), the likes of Mafia played with one’s friends offline, and definitely social gambling that happens on social media. None of this is a novelty, but free-to-play social games have never been as high-quality as they are now. Players starved for communication in lockdown, and game developers responded. Now, live gambling has become a new reality, thanks to live-dealer casinos and social games. The same is true for gaming.
#3 Mobile gaming
Mobile optimization has also affected gaming in 2021. Even though mobile games will not replace PC and console games any time soon, players appreciate the convenience and easy access that mobile gaming provides. They are a great option on the go and do not necessarily require as much time and financial commitment as their desktop and console counterparts do. So it is not really surprising that mobile games have been growing increasingly popular over the past few years. This has been a great year for their fans so far. Some of the great new releases include Another Eden, Unruly Heroes, and League of Legends: Wild Rift (among many others). Diablo Immortal and Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis are yet to come.
#4 Cloud
Still, the biggest tech enhancement in the gaming industry is the growth of cloud gaming. It is the fastest-growing segment of the industry, with the rates of new subscribers comparable to giant video streaming services akin to Hulu and Netflix. Players’ interest in cloud gaming is perfectly understandable: cloud games do not require any storage space, allow cross-platform play, and are much cheaper than buying new releases one but one. Until recently, technological limitations were the only serious barrier to cloud gaming, but it looks like the industry’s leaders are past them. Cloud gaming has grown exponentially this year.
#5 AR gaming
Finally, Augmented Reality (AR) games have become more popular than ever. Their remarkable asset is that AR games offer players a truly immersive experience and a unique chance to see the real world around them through a new lens. AR games have been quite popular in the past few years, ever since Pokemon Go was released back in 2016. Aside from Pokemon Go, must-try AR games include Ingress Prime, Jurassic World Live, and Nightenfell: Shared AR. Sadly, 2021 has not been rich in good AR game releases. Instead, online casinos are finally tapping into AR. If the trend lives, AR might well become the next big thing in gambling.