Tag Archives: Online Gaming

What Gaming Companies Thrived in 2020?

2020 was an impressive year for gaming. There were a number of important releases and milestones which will make 2020 a memorable year for those inside the industry and the gamers who enjoy their products.

Most of the world’s gaming discourse revolves around PC and console performance titles. This is where many major budgets are spent: huge game releases and new iterations of PC components and consoles. As such, generally, fans and casual observers pay close attention to the hype and reaction. However, despite this dominance over social media discourse, mobile gaming still holds the majority of the market share, in part thanks to its popularity in Brazil and India. It’s a busy field with plenty of developments affecting smaller and more global parts.

Are you curious to learn about the specific companies that are thriving right now? These are the names to be aware of.

Game Development Companies

Microsoft

This tech giant has not had to delay many releases due to current events. With the release of the Xbox Series X console and record numbers for the company’s live streaming service, Mixer, Microsoft is very stable right now. They are also pursuing the purchase of Discord, the communication platform which is hugely popular with gamers – the amateurs and the professionals. It is building out its gaming services.

Plus, Xbox Live subscribers and Xbox Game Pass users are also up. More people now than ever before are using Xbox products and services. The company continues to thrive on multiplayer games and shows no signs of slowing down.

In 2021, Microsoft completed the acquisition of Bethesda, the studio who’ve produced major titles like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout game series. The justification and motivation for this deal was to expand their Xbox Game Pass exclusive games catalogue. Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV, and their video content streaming service competitors have proved that original and exclusive content is where gains can be made.

Sony

Sony is doing much like Microsoft right now. The company saw an increase of 75% in their video game traffic- which is an outstanding number. With the release of their new console, more players are buying new games and placing pre-orders with the company.

Long considered the best console makers in the market, the PlayStation 5 continues the company’s reign. Their expansion into virtual reality is where it seems they’ll continue to focus their energies to help differentiate themselves for Microsoft and its Xbox.

The release of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake last year was amazing for the company. It even was featured at the IGN Game Awards in 2020, gaining the company a lot of attention.

Nintendo

While Animal Crossing New Horizons was a big one for the company, plenty of others gathered attention as well. Super Mario 3D All-Stars was a limited release and the continued performance of other exclusive titles see the Japanese company compete with Microsoft and Sony in their lane.

More games are in the pipeline for the console as is an updated console.

Other Gaming Companies

Aside from the big three developers, several other gaming-related platforms are continuing to grow. These include plenty of streaming services that focus on gaming.

Amazon

While the Amazon store sells games and lets fans pre-order their favorites, they also own Twitch now. Twitch is the world’s largest live streaming service- which focuses heavily on gaming. Now, there is an average of 1.2 million viewers using the service. Professional gamers, esports organisations, and broadcasters make use of the platform, making it the default home of live gaming content.

Google

Another live streaming service experiencing significant growth is YouTube, YouTube Gaming in particular. Viewership increased by 13% during the start of 2020 and only has gone up since. The platform is looking to become the exclusive streaming partner for esports events as well since its deal with Activision.

Plus, people are doing more than just watching their favorite streamers. Baking, knitting, and art videos are popular. While others are attempting to become YouTubers themselves and creating videos in their free time.

Mobile Gaming

We can’t leave mobile gaming out. It is too popular to not. PUBG reached one billion downloads just recently. It appears that new technologies like VR, MR, and 5G all benefit mobile much more than PC or console. 5G, coupled with cloud computing, will alleviate the stress of processing and rendering from the handsets themselves, enabling gamers to use whatever device they have access to, meaning that the most expensive options might not always have more positives. It could be that people can begin gaming at home on their TV before transitioning to their smartphone screen as they begin their public-transport commute to work.

Conclusion

Gaming’s future holds many answers to questions we’re only beginning to ask. The predominant means of entertainment could well be unrecognisable, and what is a game and what is a film could be more blurred than it even currently is. What do you want from it?

Games During the Challenging Pandemic Times

The new world in the times of Corona or COVID-19 pandemic has witnessed people trying out new means and modes of entertainment. From board games, video games, arcades, puzzles, racing games, word games, jigsaws, and online warcraft games – people are constantly looking to keep themselves occupied and have a little fun too at the sides. The Internet has brought the people stuck in their locked-down lives closer.

People are connecting digitally for work and leisure. There are video games available in the market that help network and invite friends across the globe to duel with each other. The challenges of meeting and greeting each other for the sake of playing are over.

The new world in pandemic times is a digitally connected world. No matter what country you live in, you can always play with a user online. Time zones do not create hindrances anymore, whether you reside in Australia, America, Egypt, India, or the far of Bahamas, you can always connect and play.

There are gamers always available 24 x 7. No matter what country, time zone, or the region you are in. They are online and playing at all the places possible, from rural to urban to semi-urban. In fact, at any given point of time millions and millions of players are logged in from their systems to play.

Big brands like Sony, Pixar, Activision Blizzard, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, and many more are always advertising and attracting the games to their segments. They also organize gaming competitions and marathon with huge bounty and prizes to be bagged.

These companies run promotions on all platforms possible. They advertise online, offline, in print media, on radio, at events, through brand ambassadors, etc. Their advertising message and concept is more related to activations and real-time gaming. They even recruit online influencers to join their brigade and lure their followers to try and play their games.

Once a player gets the hang of it, they are glued to it forever. To name a few, some extremely successful games have been Mortal Combat, Mario, FIFA, God of War, F1 racer, Nintendo, Angry Birds, 8ball pool, etc.

Some of these games are heavily priced and are launched as seasons or parts. Example FIFA and God of War. There are games for the lower segment, mid-segment, and higher premium-priced segment as well. These games also offer memberships and in-game purchases also. They rake in big money for the companies developing these.

These games are available on gaming consoles, websites, and mobile applications too. While you are restricted to access the video games through the comfort of your homes, the mobile versions are easy to use and access from anywhere and at any time.

Online Gaming has taken a leap and now games with virtual reality are available too. With the right gadgets and internet connectivity, one can take the gaming experience to another and a notch higher. Many famous games are available on mobiles too.

A lot of these have mobile applications that are supported by both Android and iOS mobile devices, such as Angry Birds, 8 Ball Pools, Temple Run, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, and many more. Games also have age restrictions.

Some games are only meant for playing by 18 years people or older. One such game is the Aztec Game. It’s an online game that is available on android and iOS both. It sees massive traffic and has a big following amongst players.

The gaming madness is not just limited to games, players, matches, or scores. The gaming fans are a step ahead with the collectibles and special edition mementos that sell in the offline and online markets. There are caps, shirts, watches, gaming cards, stickers, pens, lasers, dolls, key chains, stationery and so much available for sale for the gaming fans.

The dot com world is buzzing with games all the time, 365 days a year. The gaming industry is huge and the numerous platforms available nowadays enable players to bet, play, and watch live games or sports online. Many gamers have made fortune playing these games. They play for money and even telecast their games live on platforms like YouTube and Periscope.

How 5G Connectivity Will Benefit Online Casinos

All of us are already aware of 4G wireless services. This type of data transmission has existed for the past few years and it continues to dominate the smartphone sector. However, we are now beginning to witness the introduction of 5G transmission rates in various locations; particularly throughout urban areas such major cities. This will have a massive impact upon countless websites.

It is also set to benefit the online gaming community, as more reliable connections and higher transmission speeds will offer players even more options than ever before. What does such a revolution signify for online casinos and how might these portals employ 5G to their advantage? Let us take a closer look.

What Makes 5G Different?

5G transmission rates are not revolutionary by any means. On the contrary, they are simply the fifth generation of wireless Internet that has recently entered into the marketplace. The main takeaway point is that data can be sent and received at a much faster rate when compared to 4G. Thus, users can expect to enjoy greater levels of redundancy alongside little to no latency when utilising streaming services.

More Detailed and Interactive Games

The first point to mention in relation to casinos is that the games themselves are expected to become much more immersive. In fact, several websites have noted that amenities such as virtual reality and three-dimensional games are soon to take centre stage. This is a massive improvement for players who wish to enjoy real-life experiences such as the possibility of communicating with live dealers during a match of poker or blackjack.

Furthermore, we need to take into account the lag times that sometimes occur when accessing an online casino. These can be frustrating, as delays of even a second or less could cause players to miss potentially lucrative opportunities. 5G will help to ensure that this type of latency is kept to a minimum (or reduced to mere milliseconds).

The Critical Role of Casino-Related Apps

Any article dealing with 5G in relation to online casinos will logically need to mention the prevalence of smartphone applications. As a growing number of players are accessing gaming websites while away from a desktop computer or laptop, it only stands to reason that such apps have had a massive impact upon the entire industry.

5G speeds will allow programmers to develop even more intricate software packages. This arises from the fact that fifth-generation wireless can support a greater amount of data at any given time. As a result, players will be able to enjoy even more realistic and engaging experiences while out and about.

It is finally important to mention that some locations are likely to experience 5G connectivity sooner than others. This is particularly the case with rural locations. Still, there is no doubt that 5G is here to stay. This is great news for the casino industry, as websites will be able to offer even more exciting and interactive games to players of all ages and skill levels.

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