10 Big Technology Trends Changing the Gaming Industry

It’s one of the biggest industries globally and is growing year on year. Thousands of people turn up to conferences and events to be the first to see the latest releases, and hundreds of thousands more follow the action online.

With a global worth expected to reach $118.6 billion by 2019, it’s an exciting time for the gaming industry. New technology developments are having a huge influence on the industry – both for developers and gamers. The days of Snake on your old Nokia phone are well and truly over.

Here’s a look at ten of the big technology trends that are changing the gaming industry as we know it.

1. Virtual and Augmented Reality

From the moment Facebook acquired Oculus Rift for $2 billion in 2014, it was only a matter of time until Virtual Reality started having real impact on our daily lives. And now, we’re starting to see VR completely changing the gaming industry as well.

VR headsets are slowly coming down in price and becoming more accessible to both regular and casual gamers alike. Big publishers like Ubisoft are stepping up their research into VR and Sony have created a huge buzz with their PlayStation VR headset.

There were some pretty big announcements at E3 2016, and VR featured heavily including the much anticipated release of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard PlayStation with complete PS VR capability. This really is just the beginning in the relationship between VR and gaming.

Similarly, Augmented Reality is a growing trend in games. Pokémon Go is an early adopter of AR, and it certainly won’t be the only game that experiments with taking games and characters out of the virtual world and bringing them to life in the real world.

2. Micro-Consoles

Developers have been taking powerful mobile processers and putting them into low-cost consoles for a number of years now. Yet so far, the PS Vita and Wii-U have been commercial flops. However, this looks set to change in the coming months.

As the CPUs and GPUs powering these devices become more sophisticated, graphics improve and gaming experiences change, micro-consoles look set to make a comeback in a big way. After all, the desire for gaming on the move isn’t going away. Gamers just want the experiences to be better.

This move will see many mobile titles migrate to the living room, with many mobile-only titles moving to these micro-consoles and even smart TVs. It’s a huge opportunity for developers to overcome a challenge, and once and for all make micro-consoles a success.

3. Wearable Tech

Since the launch of the Apple Watch in 2015, wearable technology has become more and more commonplace. Because of this, one of the biggest emerging trends in the gaming industry is capability for wearable technology.

This is a really interesting development within the industry. Games will of course need to be developed to be compatible with the smaller screens on these devices, but there are a number of ways that wearable technology can provide an extension to popular games.

For example, you could take your favourite computer or console game on the move with you. Not playing full levels, but being able to make small changes and updates as and when. This would keep games fresh and immersive. Developers could also send notifications about updates to games via smart watches and devices.

4. Cloud Gaming

Cloud technology has been making its mark across a whole host of industries, and the world of gaming is sure to be next. By gaming “in the cloud” you instantly have far more storage space than ever before, making access to information faster and easier.

Cloud computing gives developers the opportunity to create infinitely larger worlds and environments than ever before, without the restrictions of console or device memory holding them back. It also means that can support thousands more gamers at any one time, while providing access through streaming, downloads and instant updates.

Games would then become as easily accessible and readily available as movies and music.

5. Growth of Mobile

Games have been synonymous with mobile phones since the early Nokia handsets and the game Snake. And while technology has advanced considerably since the days of Snake, the growth of mobile gaming is showing no signs of slowing down.

As it stands currently, there are a whole host of publishers creating mid-core and mobile-first brands. The growth of mobile though, will see more traditional brands and console-based games taking off on mobile devices.

Activision is leading the way by diving into mobile gaming and the Nintendo-DeNA alliance is sign of big things for the industry. It’s clear that this is a trend that isn’t going away. In fact, mobile is only going to grow in importance.

6. Twitch and YouTube

In the era of Twitch and celebrity YouTubers, if game developers haven’t yet started paying attention to these online forums, they risk getting left behind. Gamers are increasingly becoming interested in watching how games are played before they invest, and seeing how other people are playing their favourite games.

These tech trends are also contributing to the growth of so-called “eSports”.

Video game tournaments are nothing new, but thanks to Twitch and YouTube they’re more accessible – and popular – than ever before.  As it stands at the moment, many of these so-called “eSports” events are available to watch for free. However, as this trend grows the industry may look into how they can monetize it.

7. Growth of Freemium Gaming

One tech trend which is showing significant growth is that of “freemium gaming” – or mobile and free-to-play games with purchasable in-game content. Games such as Clash of Clans, Hearthstone and Destiny are hugely popular with players, and developers are looking to these games for inspiration.

This is a great way to track audience engagement with a game, and introduce new levels and added extras. It helps developers identify the players who are of the most value to them, and has huge potential for rewarding such players.

It’s important that developers don’t rely on this too heavily though. Consumers who’ve downloaded free-to-play games will soon switch off when they have to constantly spend money to progress. It’s a trend that needs to be used sparingly.

8. Transparent Game Design

Crowdfunding is by no means a new trend, but we are starting to see it move into the games industry opening up some really interesting possibilities. Not only is it a great way for smaller and indie developers to raise money for a game, it’s also one of the best ways to gain a dedicated community.

Gamers love to feel like they’re involved and have been part of something from the beginning, and this is one such way they can do that. By being involved in the development process, players are instantly drawn in and are committed to the game.

Transparent game design and crowdfunding is gaining popularity, and it’s only a matter of time before some of the larger developers and brands look at the ways they can get their fans involved in games from the beginning.

9. Social Media / Gaming Cross Over

We’ve already seen a number of virtual worlds that operate as both a game and a social space. Games such as Moshi Monsters and Club Penguin. Both games are aimed at a youth market, but have been hugely popular, and developers have noticed.

As broadband connections improve, a new generation of games is being designed to exploit this and create more dynamic and immersive social experiences. The rise of Minecraft for example, is a clear sign that the cross-over between social media and gaming isn’t going away.  Players love being able to meet and make friends whilst working together towards a collective goal.

Consoles like the PlayStation and Xbox have allowed co-op play for a while, and as tech develops the cross-over with social media is growing. In the future, we can expect this to become more and more commonplace across games on all platforms.

10. Nostalgia in Gaming

With the internet buzzing over the return of Crash Bandicoot, it’s clear that nostalgic gaming is a huge trend. While gamers love new technology, they also hold games like this dear to them. Developers that can combine the two are on to a winner.

The graphics and gaming is supped up, but the characters you know and love are still there. It’s this juxtaposition of the retro and the conventional that give these games a real edge, and is why this is one tech trend now going away.

What’s Next for the Gaming Industry?

As the worlds of technology and gaming collide, consoles, devices and the games themselves are only going to get more sophisticated. Only time will tell what take-up of these and other trends will be, but one thing is for sure: the technology and gaming industries are intrinsically linked now, and they’re helping each other to become more and more exciting.