CIOInsider India Magazine

Gaming is not merely a verb, but an emotion to many, keeping the gamer etched to a thrilling yet blissful experience all the way through. It’s one of the best cures to survive in the ever-dynamic world, especially considering all the tough times packed along with the good in a lifetime. Ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic which strictly rules the world to be indoors, gave more family time but also increased the amount of time to indulge in front of PCs, tablet, or mobile screens.

Along the way, games such as 'Among Us', 'Call of Duty', 'Free Fire', 'Roblox' and more have risen more in fame and have been doing great in delivering entertainment more than ever, with a lot of gamers joining in virtually for gaming than ever before. This gave rise to the worldwide gaming market valued at $151.55 billion in 2019 and is predicted to grow to $ 256.97 billion by 2025, with a CAGR of 9.17 percent from 2020 to 2025.

Game developers in emerging economies across the globe are constantly attempting to improve gamer experience by launching and rewriting codes for a variety of consoles/platforms, such as PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows PC, all of which are bundled into one package and sent to players via the cloud platform. Likewise, a wave of trends also emerged over the years, gradually transforming the entire gaming franchise into a more exciting, thrilling, interesting and mind-boggling experience. Here are some of the notable trends driving the gaming world.

Cross-Play Platform
Since the pandemic opened for more virtual connectivity, cross play games conveniently took on the high note with a lot of gamers hopping in online to join the fun. Although some fuss about not having enough players for multi-role play games, as not many own a PS5 or laptops that supported only certain games. There is the desire to play very popular games expecting the same quality for any device gamers use, which can be challenging at times, considering the device they use.

Cross play simply connects users using any platform to play the game. Casual games are also getting cross-platform support. Even though it was released in 2018, Among Us was a huge cross-platform hit in 2020. It's now available for Android, iOS, PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and the Nintendo Switch. Since there are no standards in place when it comes to crossplay, each game handles the function differently. This trend will continue in 2021, fueled by the ongoing 5G rollout, the rise of cloud gaming, and the arrival of more premium mobile gaming experiences.

Cloud Gaming
The successful conception of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), the model has been applied in the gaming industry as Gaming as Services (GaaS). The gaming industry could be transformed by this model. Many video game firms are likely to migrate to this business model soon. This type of service would allow gamers to play online games regardless of their PC or mobile device configuration. In other words, an end-user would be able to play online games on a typical device without experiencing any performance degradation.

Cloud gaming's future appears to be far more exclusive than any other service, and when it is fully implemented, gamers will be able to play and stream at the same time. Since they eliminate the need to download or buy a game, subscription-based gaming services will soon become as widespread as Netflix.

AR VR Experience
The term VR (Virtual Reality) rings a bell more than AR (Augmented Reality), even when most have already been using AR unaware of its presence in the mobile apps. AR and VR have come a long way to become what they are now. By 2021, both AR and VR technologies will have progressed to provide a more realistic visual experience. Without the requirement for a display, video game makers might employ this technology to improve the whole gaming experience. According to the calculations, both technologies will generate close to $20 billion in income by 2021.

Esports
For the past several years, esports has been on the rise, with well-established events and leagues showcasing the finest players on the planet. However, the year 2020 was a watershed moment for gaming as a spectator sport. The enormous esports income and size of the viewing audience attest to this.

Furthermore, there were 272 million casual esports viewers and 223 million fans, bringing the total audience to just under half a billion! China was the largest esports market in 2020, according to Newzoo, with $ 385.1 million in revenue. In 2021, the boom of esports is expected to continue, and game makers will need to adapt their games to accommodate the spectator element.

Socialization Over 5G Connectivity
Another area where mobile gaming will benefit greatly is the continuous drive for cloud gaming and the 5G deployment. 5G networks' high speeds, low latency, and high bandwidth allow for more complicated mobile gaming content on the go, as well as more social and collaborative gameplay between users. The year 2020 will be remembered as the year when mobile games got much more social. Expect the trend of social play to continue in 2021, with the introduction of 5G making it easier than ever to stay connected no matter where players are located.

Self-Care Games
While many games focus on magical escapist experiences, SelfCare transforms everyday activities like getting out of bed into pleasant and meaningful experiences. Other games, such as Guardians: Unite the Realms from MIT's Media Lab, use a fantasy-based game to teach good habit building and abilities that are useful in combating depression. Self-care games will give rise to a genre that gets real by linking to real-world circumstances and delivering actual self-care aid as individuals become more aware of their mental and physical needs.

As the sector continues to adapt and evolve in a variety of ways, the consequences of the pandemic, increased interaction from consumers as well as other industries, and increased government/regulatory scrutiny will bring some intriguing developments.