Humans love to have fun, and leisure and entertainment will always be a major industry. But this isn’t the only factor that can explain the rise of online gaming. We can partly thank global events for the recent explosion in online gaming, but the sector was already massive before the pandemic. Online gaming has many benefits that make it such a huge industry today, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Here are a few reasons why online gaming is so popular today.
Accessibility
Easy access is probably the biggest reason why online gaming is so huge. With consoles like the Nintendo Switch, people can get in a game with people on the other side of the globe on the bus or during their lunch break. Or they can pick up their iPhone and play a game of online BlackJack from the comfort of their home or while going to work. Consoles like the Stadia make online gaming even more accessible by allowing players to switch from their PC to their mobile or tablet without missing a beat.
Community
Another thing that helped boost online gaming growth in popularity is how strong the sense of community is. Communication tools allow players to feel like they’re playing in the same room even though they might be miles apart.
Chatting tools like Discord and streaming channels allow people to interact with their favorite gamers and each other. Everyone can have a stream up and new tools and platforms are making it easier by the day. Online gaming allows players to feel a sense of connection in a world where we’re growing increasingly disconnected.
The Options
There are so many different online gaming options available, and it keeps on growing. One of the biggest sectors right now are MMO games that mix the strategy aspect of role-playing games with teamwork and competition. Another massive sector is first-person shooter games, but there is also a big fighting game and professional online sports scene with Madden and NBA2K being two of the most popular games. Then you have massive sandbox games like Roblox and Minecraft that allow people to develop their creative side.
Affordability
Another major benefit of online gaming is how affordable it is. Many of the top games are free to play. As a matter of fact, the two biggest e-sport games in terms of total winnings, Dota 2 and CS:GO, are both totally free to play. Compare this with the $50+ you have to pay for the average console game, and you can see how it can contribute to popularity.
Mobile games are also often free and have online options. And even when players have to pay, we’re talking about under $10 in most cases, which is nothing compared to the prices people had to pay for games on traditional portable consoles.
Online gaming is here to stay and we can expect the sector to keep growing exponentially over the next few years. We can also expect new technology to keep blowing us away and change the sector forever.
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