It’s like the industry has got a full house at poker, a full card at bingo and hit an exact number at roulette – all at the same time. The success of online gaming in recent years has been amazing.
Online gaming has certainly hit the jackpot. But will it continue?
The rise has been unprecedented. It hasn’t exactly defied the odds – but it has exceeded the expectations of any online gaming industry experts.
No-one thought that online gaming would become so popular, so fast.
Factors that explain in include the vastly increased use of smartphones and mobile tablets over the past decade. Everyone now has portable internet access though devices like these, anytime, any place.
This easy remote web access proved to be like lighting the blue touchpaper for the firework that has become internet gaming. The whole business has taken off.
Note how previously the choice of games available for online playing was rather limited – today the App Store and Google Play Store both offer a vast array of games to download.
These now range from simple puzzle games, like Wordle or crosswords, to elaborate complex role-playing adventures.
Millions of players all over the world are now regularly playing in some form online.
With such a huge audience and so many games now available, some are asking: has online gaming reached its peak? Can it possible grow any more?
This time the experts are more positive. Yes, it certainly can grow more, they agree.
More and more remote devices are becoming available – and they’re faster and more capable. Even the phone in your pocket is able to process the huge amount of data to play an advance video-style game.
At the same time companies are devising better and better games to attract players. Online casinos in particular have hired the best web-masters and games creators.
Once console games were considered vastly superior. Now the gap has closed.
Mobile games have become much more sophisticated in recent years. They are able to rival consoles and PC-based games for immersive gaming experiences.
Expect this trend to continue as online creators increasingly harness the power of artificial intelligence and advanced graphics.
Potential profits
The potential profits in the online gaming industry have attracted ambitious companies with big budgets. Casino-style games have never looked as good as they do on the top sites now.
Slot games are being developed with themes to match every taste, from top movies to favourite rock bands. Live international poker tournaments are becoming available too.
There are lively bingo sessions with live chat rooms alongside so online players can enjoy the classic social interaction of a bingo night.
The online casinos are also introducing more and more elaborate and sophisticated features to lure new players.
There are free introductory games, extra features that suddenly pop up, free spins, boosted jackpots and presentations that might include video clips and exciting soundtracks. Experienced online players are using sites like BonusFinder in the US to guide them to the best deals and bonuses.
Has it reached a peak yet?
It seems very unlikely – both the gaming operators and the online players are enjoying the process too much as it evolves.
There are also still huge areas of new technology for gaming to exploit.
The impact of virtual reality is largely unknown as yet. And the power of artificial intelligence has hardly been harnessed in the gaming world.
Both these are likely to have a major impact in the online gaming world in the next few years.
On the other side of the equation, the spread of very fast access with systems like 5G and ultra-fast broadband will further spread the appeal of gaming.
The latest figures show that the number of mobile users in the world this year is well over 7.3 billion. It is continuing to rise.
All the mobile users are potential online gamers – and the industry is working overtime to win their business. Using a pocket-sized device for your entertainment and leisure is now considered the norm all over the world.
Experts consider that the increasing number of mobile gamers and the increasing quality of the games on offer will continue to fuel a meteoric rise in the industry.
The number of players willing to pay for games and in-game purchases is likely to maintain the interest and investment from major online operators.
More than a US $100 billion a year is being spent by mobile gamers on in-game purchases – and it’s growing. That’s a big incentive to online operators to continue investing in the future of online games.
These factors have also attracted the attention of the big global media and entertainment companies. That’s why experts now predict that the amount of promotion and investment into the online gaming world is more likely to rise than decline in the next few years.
