There are so many different ways to experience video games, but online gaming has consistently proven to be one of the more popular ways to do so, and this year has been no different. The trends are ever-changing, of course, but that can be an exciting prospect for someone who has yet to dive into it, as what’s new might finally provide the right appeal and incentive to do so.
Alternatively, you might be someone who has carved out a particular area for themselves within online gaming but is interested to see if what’s popular at the moment could expand your interest. In any case, investigating new trends can be an interesting indication of what’s to come.
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Competitive Mobile Gaming
The competitive scene has reached mobile gaming. This comes in the form of cross-play games like Fortnite, but that’s not all. Some exclusive experiences are going to be offshoots from franchises that you might expect to see on other consoles, as is the case with games like Call of Duty: Mobile or Diablo Immortal. However, others might be brand new names entirely. Genshin Impact and Raid: Shadow Legends are examples of these that have reached high levels of popularity.
Competition doesn’t always have to be against other players, however, not when there are stakes at hand. Gambling experiences are also made more accessible and popular through online casinos, of which jackpot city casino is a prime example. While this particular casino has been open since 1998, its incorporation into the modern gaming landscape has allowed players to take full advantage of the 400+ games available, meaning that even those familiar with the gambling scene might be able to experience something new through this regulated platform.
Cloud Gaming
The topic of cloud gaming comes up again and again in recent times. Cloud technology in itself has been a hot topic on the digital scene for some time now, so it’s natural that this made its way over to gaming eventually. The way that it’s used and incorporated in regards to video games can vary, though, most often being referred to in how it allows users to stream games through services like GeForce Now, or XCloud, enabling them to play a game that the hardware might not otherwise be equipped to handle.
It’s not hard to imagine why this might be appealing to a lot of people, and its presence is even something that has led some people to choose one console over another. As this continues to play a larger role in the gaming scene, it’s interesting to think about what this might mean for the future, and how companies might lean into it more and more.
eSports
The wider online gaming scene often gets drawn back to eSports, due to the amount of money around that competitive scene, as well as the marketability of it. The eSports community is a unique one to watch evolve, as so many of the games that are popularly played are quite old but show no sign of being put down anytime soon.
Dota 2 and League of Legends are prime examples of this. However, that’s not to say that there’s no new blood here at all. DragonBall Fighterz remains regularly played, and Call of Duty Warzone 2.0 shows that there is room for games to break into the eSports scene.
It might be that you have a particular interest in one game among them, which might be all the connections that you have to eSports so far.
However, looking at the different games that are popular here might quickly lead you to some new favourites. With some games, like Rocket League, being free to play, you even have room to try some of these other games without the investment that usually comes with that.
VR and Metaverse
Virtual reality is finally getting to the point where it’s deemed consumer ready – accessible and affordable enough with strong developer support and a wide variety of games. The PSVR2 shows that it’s a platform that’s capable of mainstream attention, but how well does that translate to online gaming? It’s easier to associate VR with single-player experiences, with examples like Half Life: Alyx proving that these games don’t have to be simplified versions of what you’ve come to expect.
The answer to the question of multiplayer might lie in the metaverse. This is likely a term that you’re hearing with increasing regularity as it comes into popular focus, and it refers to a shared virtual space that is enabled by these headsets. The lack of strict form here opens it up to the possibility of being used for gaming, and that’s exactly what’s happening in how such experiences are being integrated into the wider virtual framework. This is very much an unconquered frontier and, as such, there is plenty of room for this to change and grow.
