A decade on, online gaming has accelerated at a breathless pace: the culmination of a perfect storm, as faster, cheaper broadband connections and machinery that can manage increasingly realistic virtual worlds have met a growing tide of insatiable gamer appetite. Technological tinkerers, though, crave constant novelty. There is always another way, another increasingly deep, rich experience that can be hatched and served up to the world's online gamers; and here are a few of the innovations currently doing just that.
Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: Building a Secure and Transparent Future
Cryptocurrencies (such as Bitcoin) are enabled using blockchain technology, in which every transaction is recorded – in real-time – in a secure and distributed ledger. This open and sophisticated territory promises to have an impact on online gaming.
Secure and verifiable transactions could theoretically be facilitated, giving players much-needed peace of mind when it comes to security. One area where people would really want to make sure that their payments are verified is when playing online casino games where players are making bets of all sizes. When you're playing slot machines, you are making frequent, smaller bets, so any payment issues can really ruin the flow of your game. Using cryptocurrency and blockchain in these games can be beneficial to players, verifying the payout and transaction percentage rates for people who play Bitcoin slots instantly. It can also allow a quicker and cheaper payment mechanism for in-game player-to-player transactions.
Another potential benefit is through the digital ownership of in-game items. Blockchain has the potential to record and verify permanent ownership of game items. This empowers players to own the game assets they purchase. Second, it will enable a thriving in-game economy based on secure auctions and peer-to-peer trading. Third, it will enable players to take their characters, items and experiences with them as they migrate from game to game.
Cloud Gaming: A Revolution in Accessibility
Without the need for expensive high-end hardware, a game can now be streamed from remote servers to any device that has a decent internet connection – and playable on almost any portable gadget. It lets hundreds of millions of people get access to cutting-edge titles, democratizing the gaming process, making it accessible, and creating more equals.
Platforms such as Google Stadia, play a crucial role here too. Imagine having a seamless experience where you may start out slotting on your mobile device, and jump to a live dealer lobby to enjoy a game of blackjack on the same platform. With the help of cloud gaming technology, online casinos could extend their reach beyond borders and possibly take on new markets, attracting even more demographics.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR): Stepping into the Game
Now, imagine exploring an entire fantastical world or dispatching in-game enemies in your living room. VR and AR – virtual reality and augmented reality – are blurring the lines between the virtual and physical worlds. With VR headsets, a player steps fully into another world, while AR overlays digital elements onto the real one. Think Half-Life: Alyx (2020) for VR's immense immersive potential, and Pokemon Go (2016) for AR's immense ability to blend the virtual with the real.
Clever implementations of VR and AR could usher online gaming into a whole new world of social interactions and naturalistic, multi-sensory play. All of this will be possible only if we prepare for a time when there's no competition between the online and real worlds.
The Rise of Esports: From Niche to Mainstream
Still, video game competitions such as esports (short for 'electronic sports') are very much on the up. Major high street brands are sponsoring competitions and subscribing to channels on streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube Gaming as a way to tap into the dedicated and enthusiastic online community.
The staggering growth yields marketing opportunities for game developers and publishers. Esports, with its focus on competitive play, can be designed from scratch to support spectator features and competitive modes.
Artificial Intelligence: From Smarter Enemies to Personalized Experiences
Finally, we have artificial intelligence. AI can adapt to players' changing strategies, making games more dynamic and challenging while a player is still in the game.
It also works with recommending new games; recommendation engines would suggest new titles based on playing habits or AI-enabled difficulty scaling would adapt the complexity of the game to keep it interesting without being overwhelming or condescending.
It makes sense to tailor the game to the player depending if this is their first round or hundredth, by using AI developers can make sure that everyone is enjoying the game as much as possible regardless of their skill level.
The Future of Online Gaming
Cutting-edge technologies such as cloud gaming, artificial intelligence, virtual reality/augmented reality and blockchain are driving innovation across the online game industry, empowering developers to provide new dimensions of immersion with more layers of experiences beyond the main gameplay.
As technology continues to advance, we may expect further innovations that will reshape how we engage in play, connection, and competition in the online gaming world.
