The popularity of online gaming has progressively grown in recent years. As people look for new ways of entertaining themselves, gaming has become a bigger industry than sports and movies. Gaming operators, including land-based casinos, have had to adapt to the dynamic nature of the sector.
Technological innovations have been at the forefront of these developments. Therefore, it is correct to state that these innovations will shape the future of online gaming. On the other hand, land-based casinos are also thinking about going cashless to adapt to the times. You can click here https://www.chiangraitimes.com/online-gaming/are-cashless-casinos-the-future/ to discover more about cashless casinos. With that in mind, let’s take a sneak peek into the future of online gaming. Â
Technology Takes Center Stage
It is obvious that technological innovations will drive the future of online gaming. Here are the top-five technologies predicted to drive the future of online gaming:
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has been implemented in the gaming industry for a while. However, most of the implementation is non-player characters like Pac-Man’s colorful ghosts or Grand Theft Auto’s innocent bystanders.
In recent years, game developers have taken a more sophisticated approach to NPCs. For example, they design most NPCs with behavior trees that allow the games to make more complex decision-making. Excellent examples are the enemy aliens in Halo 2 that can work together and coordinate attacks.
But, NPCs are only limited to what is written in code. Even though their behavior seems intelligent, game developers determine it in advance.
In the future, gamers should expect to see a more advanced implementation of AI in games. However, experts have yet to agree on the direction the future of AI in gaming will take.
For instance, developers can attempt to create a wide-ranging AI system that allows a character to behave in different ways the designer has not anticipated. However, suppose there is too much of this, the developer cannot guarantee which way the game’s storyline will go! Furthermore, will it be fun?
This means that giving NPCs their own mind and allowing them a free ride in games can make the games less fun for the gamers. For instance, a rogue NPC can take you on a ridiculous quest where nothing happens. On the other hand, it can shrink its responsibilities and allow you to advance to the next level without a fight.
In this sense, computer algorithms and human designers will continue working together to develop next-gen games. AI will continue to provide valuable feedback to game developers helping them refine their creations on the fly.
Augmented Reality
Pokemon Go was the first popular implementation of augmented reality on a mobile game. Additionally, AR is also taking off swiftly in the gaming sector. People seem to love games that interact with their reality more than those that remove it from them.
This has led many technology experts to argue that AR will be a more fertile ground for developers than VR. For instance, some gamers claimed they would visit a place because it had Pokemon. This makes AR a critical social driver.
Therefore, the success of Pokemon Go will inspire more game studios to take advantage of this consumer demand. Developers might prefer to complement reality instead of trying to simulate reality.
So far, AR is very trendy in mobile games. However, top-rated tech companies like Apple, Facebook, Snap, and Magic Leap predict that AR’s future might be through special glasses.
Virtual Reality
We cannot talk about the future of gaming without mentioning VR. The technology has enticed gamers for years with the prospect of enjoying a completely immersive experience. However, it has yet to deliver this promise as swiftly as the gamers would have wanted.
Many tech pundits claim that VR has been a few minutes away from having its breakthrough for almost a decade! Currently, VR remains a niche category as it accounts for less than 50% of gaming sales.
Even though VR has not lived up to the hype, multiple tech giants like Valve and Facebook have invested significant resources to develop VR games and hardware to help advance the industry. These efforts have VR enthusiasts hopeful again that something great is on the horizon.
In the future, gamers should expect to see less bulky and more affordable VR headsets. Additionally, companies will have to work on the social side of VR as it offers a socially isolating experience.
Therefore, gamers should expect to see impressive innovations that will drive the gaming sector to the next level. But, the future of VR will only be bright through social VR, where users can interact and hang out. If it can unlock more social interactions, VR will play a critical role in the future of gaming.
Cloud Gaming
The future of gaming will not happen on your computer; it will be on the cloud! Cloud gaming allows gamers to enjoy video games streamed on their devices like you stream movies. Theoretically, this makes your local hardware almost irrelevant. You can stream your favorite game from multiple devices.
Moreover, cloud gaming has shifted the gamer’s mentality. For instance, since it is based on a subscription service, you have to change from the mindset of owning physical media to that renting digital content.
For instance, in recent years, Sony and Microsoft, which have been big players in the console market, have launched their own cloud gaming services. All these developments have shown that the future of gaming is on the cloud.
However, it would have to overcome the hurdle of laggy gaming experiences. However, it might be challenging for gamers without a reliable internet connection to enjoy such an experience.
However, most of the challenges standing in the way of technology becoming a big hit can be overcome. For instance, as the 5G network becomes more widespread, more gamers will be able to stream games smoothly. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that the future of gaming is on the cloud! Â