Has online gaming peaked and how can things grow from here?

Online gaming has continued to evolve and change in recent years, and it is reaching a stage where some people feel like it can’t grow any more, but they would be wrong.

Gaming still has a lot of growing to do. Even though some of the games we play now would not have been conceivable 20 years ago, that doesn’t mean there is nowhere to go in the future.

In this guide, we’re exploring the question of whether online gaming has peaked, and what the future of gaming might actually look like.

Naturally, it is hard to predict exactly what is going to happen, but we can gain a pretty good indication of the direction in which the industry is heading.

Has gaming peaked?

We can give you a one-word answer: No.

Okay, so the world of MMORPGs and other online gaming has grown to a level where some of us can’t really think of how it would improve. Exactly the same thing was said 10 or 20 years ago.

When you think the industry went from Pong to online games with incredible graphics, huge multiplayer interfaces and some really impressive, immersive storylines, in a matter of 30 or 40 years, the progress is stunning. It raises the question of where we will end up in another 30 to 40 years.

DId you know that some forms of gaming are even being considered for inclusion in the Olympics?

It’s not just traditional gaming that has grown, either. If you take a look at a casino review of a casino such as Mansion Casino, you will see that there are loads of options for slot games, and even live casino games with dealers, that we wouldn’t have thought possible years ago.

Where will the industry go?

What can possibly still improve? If you grew up playing 8-bit games you might think that we’ve hit the pinnacle, but we know from industry trends that improvements are in the pipeline.

Even better graphics

The current graphics are pretty amazing, especially on the huge titles released on Xbox or PlayStation, but they will continue to get even better.

There are plenty of games that don’t rely on graphics to be great. Think about the success of a game such as Minecraft and you will understand what we mean. However, those that focus on graphics can now enjoy things like ray tracing and incredible levels of graphic detail so that even the most minute of incidental details is in full definition.

Virtual reality

It feels like people have been saying this forever, right? However, virtual reality really is creeping into everyday life now, and with huge social networks now beginning to incorporate VR into their strategy, it is easy to see how it will become a bigger part of online gaming.

There have already been some cool VR games, but we expect a huge release to go viral and be the real breakthrough when it comes to virtual reality. Perhaps in the near future, every gamer will have a headset.

Big names in the world of gaming are continuing to put a huge focus on VR. Don’t be surprised to see it take the world by storm – finally.

Cloud gaming

We’re already seeing this starting to grow and become prominent in the industry. Cloud gaming means not having to install the game, as you can access it through a fast cloud server. This is an amazing way to cut down on install time and ensure your progress is always saved.

With cloud gaming, you are effectively streaming your games like you would a TV show. Eventually, installing will be a thing of the past, like VHS tapes are.

Games have relied on their own artificial intelligence for a while now, but AI is only getting more sophisticated. How long before the characters in the game can actually learn and become more responsive? This could revolutionise the way we all play games.

There are some kinks to iron out when it comes to gaming and AI. It’s not going to be perfect in the immediate future, but it won’t be too long before the characters in your game seem to have real intelligence and the capacity to learn.

Summary

These are definitely some of the directions in which we expect the industry to grow, but the truth is that there are limitless possibilities. Something we haven’t even imagined yet could be the next big thing. One thing, however, is certain – online gaming has definitely not peaked.