The digital age has brought groundbreaking change to many industries, with online platforms playing a pivotal role in our modern lives. The gaming industry, in particular, has seen an unprecedented change in form as brand-new online entertainment platforms emerge from pop culture phenomenon MMOs such as League of Legends and the futuristic metaverse to the unstoppable tide of iGaming, with frontrunners such as Jackpot Village.
Below, we’ll look over some of the main aspects of the total paradigm shift that online entertainment platforms have created in the gaming industry.
The evolution of online entertainment platforms
Online entertainment services began their evolution with early streaming services in the 1990s – the early names that laid the foundations for giants such as Netflix and YouTube. The refreshing accessibility gradually changed the way people accessed and consumed content, and what began as a slow intrigue from the digitally savvy found its popularity fueled by the snowballing advancements in internet infrastructure and portable devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops.
Online gaming: a global phenomenon
Gaming is one of the world’s oldest hobbies and it took no time at all for this industry to grasp another opportunity for growth. Online gaming has emerged as an international phenomenon that surpasses borders and connects players across the globe. Multiplayer gaming is convenient, social and exciting – it’s an activity that connects us as a race at the most basic and significant level.
Rise of online gaming platforms
While online gaming began on isolated platforms like the cult old-school RuneScape and flashy iGaming sites, it wasn’t long before big gaming companies established specialized online gaming platforms such as Steam, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. These provided gamers with a centralized hub to organize, browse and purchase a vast array of digital games. The platforms also support and enhance multiplayer functionality, DLCs and cloud saves, bringing a refreshing new simplicity to gaming.
The advent of cloud gaming
A huge innovative jump in online entertainment has led to cloud gaming. With technology giants introducing revolutionary new services like Google’s Stadia and Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming, players can stream games directly from servers. This brings a whole new level of accessibility to an industry that has often been associated with high base costs for consoles or sufficiently-specced computers. Now, players have no need for high-end gaming hardware and can quite literally play anywhere at any time.
Subscription-based gaming services
Online entertainment quickly settled into a subscription-based model, with users able to dip in and out of services as they please. The gaming industry has followed in the shoes of Netflix and Amazon Prime by introducing services such as Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Now, where players can pay a nominal fee to access vast libraries of games, promoting far more diverse tastes.
Esports and online streaming
Gaming has always been competitive, and the integration of online platforms has catapulted competitive gaming into the mainstream. Esports are broadcast on satellite TV channels and millions of viewers worldwide tune into streaming services like Twitch and YouTube. New screen-recording technology makes this even easier for streamers. It’s a unique opportunity for gamers to showcase their skills and is a real viable source of income for players while still providing fantastic entertainment to viewers.
Social aspects and community building
Online gaming platforms have become far more than just a place to play games; they’ve evolved into social hubs for gamers. Where players would once join each other in front of a console, they’re now free to connect with an unlimited number of like-minded individuals across the globe, interacting with friends and strangers – all from their own homes. New communities are forming both in-game and on discussion forums, and a fresh new sense of camaraderie has emerged, transcending both geographical distance and cultural boundaries.
Impact on traditional retail sales
There are downsides to the rise of online gaming. With digital games being so easy to access and often offered at lower prices due to reduced overheads, physical game copies and traditional video game stores are facing a downturn in sales and business as players shift toward digital purchases and subscription services. It has changed the face of marketing and while the maintenance of these digital platforms creates an economy unto itself, physical storefronts are looking at near-extinction.
Technological advancements and immersive experiences
With recent technology advancements, the gaming industry is beginning to push into truly futuristic experiences. High-speed internet and roaring graphics capabilities have allowed developers to create immersive and visually stunning games. Virtual and augmented reality technologies are on a steep upward trajectory and gamers will likely soon feel as if they’ve been dropped into the game itself.
