Has Gaming Moved Online in Recent Years?

The gaming industry has undergone several revolutionary moments throughout its existence, with it seemingly appearing to go from strength to strength with each technological advancement that is experienced.

Indeed, gaming is perhaps one of the most popular pastimes for many around the world, with it thought that there are roughly 3.1 billion gamers across the planet, thus accounting for almost half of the entire global population.

Online gaming, though, has started to take over the industry as technology has improved and it has become cheaper to access for many, with the rise of mobile gaming having enjoyed a huge surge in popularity.

However, what are some of the biggest reasons why gaming can be thought of as having moved online in recent years? This article will explore each of them and provide a detailed explanation as to why they can be amongst the biggest factors to have made this happen.

The Rise of Mobile Gaming

As mentioned, the explosion that has been experienced regarding the popularity of mobile gaming is perhaps one of the biggest reasons why so gamers have moved online in recent years.

According to some figures, players had downloaded 82.98 billion games on their mobile devices in 2021, with it expected that there will be around 3.7 billion mobile players in 2023. Of course, there are perhaps a few reasons why this is the case.

Firstly, the level of convenience and accessibility that is provided will have been a huge factor; something that those who enjoy playing live dealer games will know all about and would have benefited from before. Convenience and accessibility have become important for players as they wish to be able to play their favourite titles whenever they can regardless of where they are in the world. Mobile games provide them with the opportunity to do so, with many of them connecting to the internet, as well.

Streaming through browsers

Streaming games through browsers has become a highly popular way in which gamers play online. This is likely in part since it eliminates the need to download, install, or update games. It also allows players to get into the game faster since there is no waiting period for downloads. Another factor could be that some games are only available online and cannot be played offline. 

Social media platforms such as Facebook, and Yahoo! have also become popular among gamers looking for a quick and easy way to play their favourite games. These sites offer a variety of gaming options that can be played for free or for a fee. 

Cloud gaming platforms have become available

As part of the evolution of technology that the gaming industry has been able to experience in recent years, cloud gaming platforms have been created, thus allowing players to stream games instead of downloading and installing them on a local device. This has made gaming more accessible to people who do not have the ability or desire to purchase a dedicated gaming console or personal computer.

Furthermore, it has eliminated the need for a player to have physical media such as the CDs that they used to be provided on, whilst also providing gamers with the opportunity to save valuable space on their preferred device, thus allowing them to continue to use their favourite device for whatever they need to use it for.

Final Thoughts

It is pretty evident that gaming has moved online in recent years and that it has provided several benefits to gamers. There are several advantages that can be experienced with each of them, although whether this is where the gaming industry will end up remains to be seen, especially if technology continues to improve at the rapid rate that it does!