The online gaming trends of 2016

The online gaming industry is huge and thanks to advancing technology such as tablets and smartphones, it is now worth a staggering $45 billion.

But what else do know about this year’s online gaming trends?

Currently, there seems to be a theme of integrating two categories which are recognizably different. For example, games and social media, the pairing are worlds apart but together, they allow users to interact. Businesses and consumers are also teaming up in a financial manner. Crowdfunding is not only a means to fund games, but also a way to fund the rewards of playing them. This is one trend that is not going to away and is expected to continue for the duration of 2016.

We’ve already got started on the trend of social media and gaming but the lines are becoming increasingly blurred. The latest game releases are equipped with lightning fast broadband speeds and impressive network features. Not only does this create a smoother and more enjoyable game play but it also allows for social interaction whilst playing.

The age of the stereotypical lone gamer is over, in fact, games are not actively encouraging its users to socialize.

Destiny, the popular first-person shooter game, is calling for its users to socialize and share in order to succeed. Minecraft are also placing huge emphasis on its gamers interacting, the sandbox video game is no longer just about constructing your personal world, but also about working together to construct worlds with others. Gaming is no longer a reclusive experience and is now as much about socializing as it playing the game.

The online gambling market is even in on the action with a growing number of exciting new bingo sites and casino sites introducing live gameplay in which users can play along with others.

There are, however, several issues that come with the integration of social media and gaming. Players often need paid-for memberships like PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live which can lead to hefty fees. More importantly, the social doors can lead to children being targeted by cyber bullies or abusers so if you’re a parent, guardian or gamer yourself, be sure to be vigilant.

A pleasant growing trend in 2016 is the adoption of freemium game design in premium games. Rather than having to buy a new edition every so often, which leads to great expensive not the loss of progress. But now, the likes of Destiny, who have analysed player feedback and server data, release regular downloadable updates. This of course allows a player to keep their original game, any saves and characters.

Augmented reality is a huge hit recently, and perhaps the most popular of 2016. In short, it is the superimposition of computer-generated sensory input. This can include sound, video, graphics and GPS data, all of which would be implemented onto a real-world environment. This proved be a huge hit with the Pokemon GO app, in which users must navigate their way around the real world and catch computer generated characters which appear on their screen, still in the real life setting. This proved to be so popular that the game is now worth $29 billion. Virtual reality is also proving to be a popular trend, with headsets being released from the likes of Samsung and a device from PlayStation on the horizon.

Much like virtual reality, the toys-to-life is a genre of video game requires a physical device separate from the game. This time, gamers must use physical toys to interact within the game. The toys tend use near field communication which communicates with a partnered portal which sees the physical toy’s character and related player data ‘transported’ into the game. This trend is set to develop further with the advancement of NFC technologies.