The World of Gaming online
Take a closer look at online gaming with our guide to this global phenomenon
Gaming online has seen a massive increase in popularity over the last few years, largely down to the way that mobile phone technology has developed. The numbers of people who play online games has risen massively. Almost everyone you know, including people over the age of 40 who are not necessarily the first people who spring to mind when you mention online computer games, will have played some form of online game in the last few weeks.
This has been partly due to social media, of course, which provides accessible platforms where almost anyone can find games to play that suit their lifestyle and interests. Sports games have become very popular, while we have all heard about games like Candy Crush.
Other types of online computer games remain very popular with younger people who like to play online games. Massive multi-player online games, often referred to as ‘MMOs’, remain hugely popular. World of Warcraft, for example, has become a cultural phenomenon that extends far beyond people’s computer screens or gaming mobile phones and has spawned books, a movie and other cultural products.
Here, we will take a closer look at the world of gaming online and at some of the gaming trends associated with it.
What is gaming online and how do you get started?
Even if you have no interest at all in the digital world or technology, the chances are pretty high that you will have heard of online gaming. It is, of course the act of playing games on the internet. There is tremendous variety in the number and types of games that you can play online nowadays, though. From retro arcade games, to intellectual puzzles, to role playing games, to traditional board games like Scrabble, you really can play almost anything you want online these days.
According to Juniper Research’s published white paper, the numbers of people who now play online games regularly is huge. The Newzoo 2018 Global Games Market Forecast stated that mobile gaming and mobile games has been raising online casino revenue. The proportion rose from 18% in 2012 to 51% by 2018. The Newzoo report also predicted that this trend will continue, and it expected gaming online to contribute up to 59% by 2021.
There are also significant geographical trends in the world of online gaming. In November 2018, China made up almost 28% of global mobile gaming revenue, according to tech website iWeb. Japan is another country which makes a massive contribution to the wealth generated by gaming online. A big role in this is played by the way that gamers in Asia have moved away from their computer screens in recent years and started to use gaming mobile phones.
Online gaming and esports betting
It is possible now to pick up skins during online gaming which can be used to bet on esports. Skins are items that improve the cosmetic appearance of your character in some online games. They do not usually have any effect on the actual gaming performance of the character. They are a particular feature of games like Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Defense of the Ancients 2.
Gamers soon found another use for these skins as competitive esports grew in popularity over the last decade. As esports became more popular, increasing numbers of people wanted to bet on the matches and events for games like CS:GO, Dota2 and the International tournament.
While the betting companies were lagging behind demand, many gamers started betting using the skins that they had collected from their own gaming activities. This allowed gamers to use their skins as a kind of cryptocurrency for betting.
It is also possible to sell skins for real money, something that means successful esports skins bettors can actually make some genuine profit from their betting. It will be interesting to see how the concept of skin betting develops in the online computer games world in the years to come.
Highlights
While we have not been able to cover the entire vast breadth of the topic of gaming online in this article, you now have a snapshot picture of this vast phenomenon. As 5G technology develops and becomes more widespread, we are sure to see more new and exciting developments in the world of online gaming. More powerful, faster gaming mobile phones are sure to arrive on the market too.
As the number of games to play increases new gaming trends are sure to emerge in the years to come, especially with the advent of 5G. Concepts such as virtual reality are sure to have an impact too, especially on the world of esports and esports betting. It is an interesting time to be alive for all fans of online gaming across the world!
Gaming
-
Battle Infinity Continues to Rise Despite Crypto Winter
Despite the crypto winter, the Etherium-powered play-to-earn fantasy sports platform Battle Infinity is continuing to rise in popularity and value. $IBAT, has seen a nearly 20 percent rise in price over the last week while the game continues to get updates according to its roadmap. Fantasy games and crypto projects with a strong community focus tend to do well despite any crypto winters or market disruptions and Battle Infi [...]
-
Laguna Games announces four new mobile titles
Laguna Games, blockchain research and game development studio, will expand its Crypto Unicorns franchise with four mobile game titles designed to introduce Web3 games to the hyper-casual mobile crowd. The team will be developing the games in-house with the help of three strategic partners to introduce popular characters from the Crypto Unicorns franchise to the mobile market. According to Laguna Games chief executive off [...]
-
Brazillian esports team Loud launches NFT-focused platform
One of the largest esports organizations in Brazil, Loud, has launched Spacecaps to focus on providing its fans with Solana-powered NFTs and crypto games. https://twitter.com/LOUDgg/status/1563990113687937028 Other esports teams such as OG, Team Vitality and Team SoloMid have made forays into blockchain technology in the past through brand partnerships, NFT drops and metaverse events. However, these teams are still losin [...]
-
Limit Break raises over $200 million to launch ‘free-to-own’ model
Global Web3 gaming startup Limit Break has raised over $200 million across two rounds of funding to launch its innovative "free-to-own" monetization model. The funding rounds were led by the chair of mobile gaming firm Mino Games, Josh Buckley, alongside investment firms Standard Crypto and Paradigm. The company, whose name was inspired by a combat mechanic popularized by the Final Fantasy series, was founded in 2021 by Gab [...]
-
The Legends of Bezogia beta launches globally
Zogi Labs, previously known as Bezoge Earth, has recently released the beta version of its crypto-based MMORPG, The Legends of Bezogia, to global audiences on PC, with a full release slated for Q1 of 2023. The game describes itself as "a massive open world with a thrilling storyline, action-packed combat and sophisticated game mechanics". In order to stand apart from competitors, The Legends of Bezogia is attempting to crea [...]
-
Xterio raises $40m to develop future Web3 titles, ecosystem
Cross-platform publisher and mobile game developer Xterio has successfully raised $40 million in a funding round to develop its blockchain platform and fund the development of multiple Web3 game titles. The funding round was led by FunPlus, FTX Ventures and XPLA. Xterio is looking to combine play-to-earn and GameFi-as-a-service products for developers partnered with the platform. Mobile strategy game developer FunPlus has part [...]
-
Metaverse More Popular Among Younger Audiences, Study Says
A study by Bain & Company found that the metaverse is more popular among younger audiences which could have long-reaching effects on the entertainment industry as a whole. The same study also noted that video games had eclipsed other forms of media, such as music and television shows, as the preferred entertainment medium. The study — covering areas from the U.S., Brazil, China and Japan — also shows that the primary audience [...]
-
Gala Games announces two mobile-focused Web3 games
Gala Games has announced its partnership with OneUniverse and NDream to release two multiplatform Web3 games optimized for the mobile experience. OneUniverse is developing Champions Arena, a turn-based RPG where players can collect over 100 NFT Champions. Each NFT Champion can be customized with NFT equipment and evolve into more powerful versions of themselves. These Champions can take part in real-time PvP battles, coop m [...]
-
Battle royale NFT shooter BR1 rewards players with tokens for kills
BR1 is an in-development battle-royale shooter by Bravo Ready where players pay to spawn but can make back their investment using kill-to-earn mechanics. The game features two game modes. The first is Infinite, which has a large, open map that incentives players to move deeper into the center. The deeper a player explores the map, the more powerful weapons and items they can find. This comes with a challenge, though — obstacle [...]
-
Tier One Entertainment begins venture into Web3
One of the Philippines' first gaming and esports organizations, Tier One Entertainment, has recently announced its intention to venture into the Web3 ecosystem via three main projects. Its first project, the Alliance program, will see Tier One Entertainment recruit a lineup of influencers and personalities to create content for the Web3 ecosystem. The second project involves Web2-based gaming tournaments in partnership with We [...]
