Hey you, come on inside! We’re glad you’ve taken the time out of your gaming session to engage with us. We’ve popped the virtual kettle on, hang in there a moment…
Aaah. With technology on a never ending quest for expansion, advancement and, whisper it, world domination, there have been some shape shifting new trends emerging in the iGaming world recently, making waves in 2020 and setting their sights on the new decade and beyond. Stay ahead of the curve, or at least surf the top of it, with these 5 trends we’re seeing in iGaming in 2020.
E-SPORTS
If stating the obvious was a sport, they’d have gamified it by now. And we realise that we’re not exactly putting our necks on the link when we say E-sports have well and truly conquered the gaming world.
Nevertheless, we’ll say it, since their exponential growth in popularity looks set to continue in 2020 and onwards further. Though there will always be a market for slots and other low-skill games in the iGaming industry, there is also a rising call for the development of new skill-based games and e-Sports responds to these calls perfectly. With the gaming world fixated on the rise of E-sports, many sectors are looking at how they can bring their own industry in line, creating competitive, professionals aspects of their key revenue streams. Expect to see gaming made increasingly appealing to spectators in the coming years.
VIRTUAL RACING
Many of us will have watched the recent virtual Grand National live from our homes, scoffing at the absurdity of it all but ultimately, rather enjoying it. And this virtual racing and other virtual competitive sports events (controlled by algorithms rather than remote human players) are set to become one of the biggest trends in iGaming in the next few years.
BITCOIN CASINOS
Bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrencies have become a viable digital currency exchange that many now use following their launches in previous decades. When it comes to casinos, many have been hesitant to allow bitcoin transactions because of the inherent anonymity that comes with them, and the vague sense of something shady occurring.
However, things are no changing and more casinos are becoming comfortable with players using cryptocurrencies for deposits and withdrawals; even going so far as to offer bonuses for those using these payment methods. That said, it should be noted that in 2023, in the UK, this type of online casino is illegal.
AUGMENTED REALITY
Virtual reality has been the next big thing for so long now that many of us have got tired of waiting for it to arrive. But the truth is, it’s already here, and prototype VR gaming headsets are already providing enthusiasts with fully immersive gaming worlds. In the next few years, the technology is set to both improve and become more affordable, and the era of true VR gaming is genuinely almost upon us.
In the meantime, the use of wearable tech and augmented reality (AR) is further blurring the lines between our physical environment and the gaming universe. We can already fully interact with many game worlds, but the best thing about VR will be when we can use it to create our own complex, fully immersive environments rather than passively interacting with someone else’s. The sky is no longer the limit; it’s time to reach for the stars. Expect to see such equipment entering the home video gaming experience soon.
TAKING THE CONTROL OUT OF YOUR HANDS
Whilst a removal of consoles from gaming might sound alarming to those who grew up with Playstations, Nintendos and the rest, a trend we’re certainly seeing more of is iGaming controls expanding in scope. Intel RealSense technology is one of the latest developments. This uses a 3-D camera to track your hand movements so that you can control and interact with the game through physical gestures, making you feel more fully in the moment and allowing more subtle actions and quicker reaction times.
Similarly, voice recognition technology is now making its way into online gaming, so you can simply tell your character what to do, and then do it they will. Next up is facial recognition technology, which will let you create a playable character in the virtual online gaming world who looks exactly like you. The possibilities, it seems, are endless.