Online technology and innovation have become pivotal in the growth of the gaming industry over the last 20 years. There was a huge shift in the paradigm and market before the internet emerged. Gaming showed great promise as early as the 1970s, when arcades would be packed with gamers every waking hour. As this shift moved toward home video consoles and the dynamic changed, it didn’t impact the audience. If anything, the number of people accessing the market grew much faster than experts predicted at the time.
While home video consoles were costly devices back in the 1990s – and still are – we’re not here to discuss whether they’re too expensive. A major driving force behind their popularity, especially over the last decade, has been their ability to tap into the massive online audience. They’re not just gaming consoles today; they stream movies, play music and can access a host of streaming platforms such as Twitch. They’ve entered a totally new dimension in their capability, and it’s all due to the evolution of the online space.
The growth of online casino gaming
Some innovations within industries become so successful that they blossom into their own gigantic, standalone global titans. Look at how AI has risen so dramatically to the top of the tech sector over the last three years – it has generated trillions of dollars and thousands of new jobs.
Look also at how electric vehicles have transformed the automotive industry and how the smartphone has essentially replaced the term “mobile phone”. These markets have one thing in common – they have channelled the ingenuity of the changing online world.
We can apply the same theory to online casinos. Even though land-based casinos have been able to maintain some element of control over the luxury casino gaming market, the rise of online casinos has resulted in a shift whereby the majority of marketing and game design that those in the industry undertake is almost exclusively for the online casino gaming market. Within this market, Online Slot UK has established itself as a review site that measures and collates the main criteria that separate the top casinos from the rest.
It’s a great example of how the growing online space is changing the gaming industry. Before the advent of the internet, there was simply no market for casino reviews. The market consisted of hyper-localised pockets and businesses that essentially controlled it.
However, as online casinos faced international competition from large iGaming corporations and much smaller startups, there was a growing demand for review sites, where experts could signpost customers to sites and operators that they believed had a better model than other businesses.
Bye-bye to physical discs?
I’m old enough to remember when going to the shop to buy a game was an event. I’d eagerly count down the days and head down to the local game shop to get my hands on the latest game.
Nowadays, although hard copies of games still take up a decent section of gaming stores, most of the big sales happen online, with people downloading new titles directly to their consoles.
Obviously, this would not be possible without the evolving online space and its influential impact. A couple of decades ago, the mere idea of this would’ve been difficult to comprehend, and this speaks volumes about how quickly the online space has evolved and continues to reshape the foundation of the gaming industry.
Old releases, upgrades to classic games, and modifications or additional gaming packs for current hit titles are all big markets now. Sure, there will be people who prefer to purchase physical copies of games and don’t want to clog up the hard drive on their PlayStation or Xbox, but overall, the market is heading increasingly online.
Even game advertising has taken on a new role, with companies opting for sites like YouTube rather than traditional platforms such as TV. They’re also using digital newsletters and email lists rather than conventional posters and newspaper advertising, which dominated gaming marketing as recently as the late 2000s.
Professional video gaming – the rise of esports
Few subsidiary industries have been able to branch out from the broader gaming market as successfully as esports has over the last decade. Not only professional video gamers but also streamers, some of whom earn more money from gaming than professional video gamers who participate in esports tournaments, have benefitted from this rise.
The evolving online space has meant that those who want to work in the esports industry can connect to those already in the industry via online forums like Reddit and social media sites like LinkedIn to make their first move into the sector. So, not only has it transformed gaming and created a whole host of new jobs, but the evolution of the online space has also resulted in new avenues for people seeking out opportunities in the industry.
Final thoughts
Online technology has been so transformational in the world of gaming that it is an entirely different beast compared to what it was at the beginning of this century. Gaming developers, marketers and those who are now turning to streaming and other online facilities have captured the essence of this innovation and have created ideas and brands that will be around for generations to come. The evolution of online gaming and the broader investment in digital technology helped to lay the foundation for this seismic change.
As the gaming industry continues to move and adapt to new technological changes, such as AI, VR, blockchain and cryptocurrency, it’s impossible to speculate what the industry could look like a quarter of a century from now. However, this ever-changing space refuses to stand still, simply because innovators from all over the globe are constantly chipping in with fresh ideas.
In the 1990s, North American, Japanese and UK companies were responsible for much of the innovation. These companies had the time and capital to set up shop and invest months and years into gaming innovation. So much of today’s modern market is channelled through online platforms that any gaming company that is innovative enough will be able to make significant headway in the industry.
