2023 was a successful year for online gaming, so there’s little doubt that 2024 will be the same, if not better. With online gaming player bases growing, there’s no better time for gaming companies to implement their strategies to see which works best for their long-term goals.
As game providers race to the top of the online gaming market, expect them to implement new techniques using up-and-coming technology that will revolutionize how we play games, whether they be on mobile, consoles, or computers.
These days, one of the most popular areas of the gaming market is online casinos and iGaming. It’s taken the world by storm since now people are playing from their mobile devices during commutes to burn a few minutes, or in their comfort of their own homes.
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With that in mind, let’s look at the top trends to watch out for in the gaming industry.
AR gaming
Pokemon GO really set a trend when it took the world by storm a few years back. For many people, it was their first look at augmented reality, and the experience of playing a game that way was a memorable one.
In 2024, we can expect developers to continue working on the next big AR game in hopes of creating a viral sensation like Pokemon GO was. That, of course, is a tall order. But AR gaming still has a lot of potential. And for the most part, it’s still in its infancy. In all likelihood, the greatest AR games have not even come out yet, or even been developed for that matter.
Smart glasses are getting more and more advanced. Google Glass has already been in existence for several years. Competitors have had plenty of time to catch up. And over the next year, we should see some progress in games designed for smart glasses.
VR & Metaverse gaming
The term “metaverse” might just sound like a buzzword, but virtual and augmented reality are on the rise, so it makes sense that game providers will use these technologies to offer more immersive and unique gaming experiences. After all, who wouldn’t want to play games in a 360 degree virtual world where you can interact will all types of virtual objects, people, and places? It’s a perfect example of state of the art entertainment.
Of course, the main challenge of implementing this is the technology itself. Metaverse is still such a new technology / platform that it doesn’t appear as advanced and smooth as everyone has hoped, especially after Zuckerberg invested a mountain of money into it. But the technology has plenty of time to develop. Several years from now, it should look and feel even more impressive.
Plus, the games people play need to be made well enough to run smoothly in such an environment. However, technology develops quickly. On top of that, VR/AR units need to be more accessible to everyone for people to enjoy these virtual worlds.
Apple is just releasing their landmark Vision Pro, and other VR headsets have been on the market already for a couple of years now. Meta Quest 3 seems to be poised for the most sales in 2024 among all of them though. It’s probably the best suited for gaming. And having already had a couple of iterations under its belt, Meta has an advantage there in terms of being able to refine the player experience as best they can up this point.
Demand is certainly high for VR games, and in the future, VR could be the platform of choice for the biggest brands in gaming. As the technology refines, VR gaming will become accessible and suitable for a wider audience. It’s likely that we’ll see more metaverse and VR gaming through 2024 and beyond.
Netflix Games Could Break Through
Netflix is currently offering games through its mobile gaming service, Netflix Games. This hasn’t exactly been a game-changer for the market or Netflix, but if they decide to bring TV-based streaming of games to their standard subscribers, it definitely could.
Netflix is developing a currently untitled with Joseph Staten (formally from Halo). This seems to indicate that Netflix really means business about their future in gaming. 2024 could be the year where they take a big leap and begin their journey toward becoming one of the big names in gaming.
Data-driven personalization through AI
You’d have to live under a rock to not be aware of the increased use of AI. From education to translation and everything in between, more and more companies are adopting AI to enhance their operations.
This is why we expect online games to harness AI when delivering personalized experiences to each player. Games can feed player data to the AI, which can then give players a unique experience by providing implementing recommendations or even curtailing gameplay based on their users’ preferences. As a result, players will feel more engaged and immersed in the games they’re playing.
Increased focus on mobile gaming
As 2024 continues, we expect gaming developers to develop more and more mobile games. We can also expect some games that weren’t previously on mobile to have a mobile version to make the games more accessible to their players.
After all, people are using their phones these days more than ever. This trend should only continue in the coming year and beyond that. Smartphones are the device of choice for many people these days, even for games. So more and more games made from respected developers should continue to pop up.
Increase in the popularity of esports
Gone are the days of treating esports as a passing trend for those who play video games. Its success throughout the years has captured the attention of businesses, and such events nowadays draw in millions of viewers in-person and online.
In 2024, we expect esports to continue to ascend in popularity. The more games become eligible for esports tournaments, the more people will play them. Twitch and other platforms like it have become extremely popular. Over the next year, Twitch and its fanbase will only continue to expand. And as the entertainment of watching esports catches on to more and more people, competitive gaming as a whole should also see a rise.
Conclusion
2024 should be a very interesting and exciting year when it comes to online gaming. The trends above should start heating up within the next 12 months and beyond. If this year as as good as it could be, then 2024 will turn out to be a landmark in gaming, and be the turning point to a new era of online games.
