Gaming has always had trends that come and go throughout time. For instance, when the Wii was first popular and games started using motion control. Remember when lots of people had those fake plastic guitars they used to control Rock Band games?
It can be hard to know when something appears on the scene. Is it here to stay, or is it going to be one of those trends that quickly die out?
Some trends have been present because they were a means to an end. Things like split-screen multiplayer and memory cards. Luckily, they aren’t really needed anymore and people can enjoy the way tech has advanced. But when a new game or type of game suddenly grows in popularity (like the way the battle royale genre has) it is fun to evaluate whether this is a permanent change or something that people will get sick of.
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Crypto in Gaming
The gaming industry’s customers tend to be tech-savvy and receptive. So it makes sense that the industry has adopted cryptocurrencies. Microsoft accepts crypto payments through Bitpay, a third-party partner, and so do gaming companies including G2A, and streaming giant Twitch.
Gambling is the subcategory of gaming that has adopted cryptocurrency with the most enthusiasm, and it is estimated that as much as 60% of all Bitcoin transactions involve gambling.
When cryptocurrencies became mainstream in the world of gambling, it meant that a huge number of games were available to those who wanted to stake this currency on slots or other table games. A look at www.ignitioncasino.eu shows the choice that is available, including modern slot games, baccarat, and much more. Ignition Casino launched in 2016, and over the past seven years, the site has continued to grow in terms of the number of games available to its players.
The reason why cryptocurrencies featuring in games will likely be a permanent change is that it offers gamers anonymity and an extra layer of protection while they are playing. Crypto is also one of the speediest and most convenient ways to move money around, so some players prefer this method to traditional currencies.
Celebrities “Starring” in Games
This might be controversial, as some people do believe this trend will die out. We think it is here to stay.
Rewind 20 years and it was hard to make games that looked realistic. Even the celebrities that did allow their image to be used in games didn’t necessarily look like themselves, and who would want to be portrayed in a blocky, low-resolution graphic?
Nowadays, graphics have improved significantly, and many actors have become more accepting of the gaming industry. There is a debate about whether video games can be considered high art, but plenty of celebrities have proven that appearing in a video game will not ruin their career.
Just some of the names that have appeared in games include Keanu Reeves who plays Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077, and Rami Malek who plays a character called Josh in the adaptive horror game Until Dawn.
Since appearing in Until Dawn, Rami Malek has won the Academy Award for Best Actor. While some actors used to consider it a risk to appear in a game, Malek is proof that it can be a career boost.
Cyberpunk 2077 was known for being a very buggy game, the release was delayed and the game had a lot of issues upon release, but Keanu Reeves still has his reputation intact. Expect other actors to follow this lead and appear in games in the coming years.
Cross-Platform Gaming
Being able to play online games together no matter what console or device you are using just makes sense. Console wars used to prevent this, but Fortnite is credited as being one of the first big online games that brought console players together.
Minecraft was another game that made forward steps in cross-platform when it allowed console players to play against PC players in 2016. In fact, even earlier games such as Final Fantasy XI had dabbled in cross-platform, but it didn’t become a mainstream method until the current generation of consoles was released.
Now that cross-platform has become the norm for many games, we don’t expect it to go anywhere. The technology to allow players on different consoles to join the same game is hugely valued by the gaming community. A 2021 study found that 87 percent of multiplayer gamers played cross-platform games, and this number is likely to have grown since then.
Conclusion
It’s not always easy to differentiate the trends that nobody will remember in 10 years from the trends that drive the industry forward, but these three growth areas seem likely to play a big part in the gaming industry in years and even decades to come.
