Online Gaming: The Definitive Guide (2021)

What is Online Gaming?

The definition of online gaming “It is a video game that plays on Smart TV, Computer or Laptop and Mobile through internet or any other available network.

Here is the list of online games are available in the market

1) Pubg

2) Clash of Clan

3) Free Fire

4) Teen Patti

5) Dream 11

6) Call of Duty

7) Online Rummy

Online gaming has over the years evolved from just being a favorite time pass into a professional sphere. You would say what are we talking about right? Well, to make it simple just see the development in your gaming experience over the last few years. 

From being confined to limited graphics and satisfactory excitement the online gaming has evolved to global intense gaming like PUBG. Today online video gaming has most of the things that a real gamer would have loved to have a few years back. 

The rise in the quality and gaming experience has been because of the expansion of the user base that has been rapid. 

Online gaming has turned into a full-fledged industry with a net worth of USD 162.32 billion in 2020. The industry is expected to grow towards becoming a USD 295.63 billion one by 2026. Massive numbers right. 

Well, these figures also explain why you would have an android game app development company occupied with demands for the rendering of Android game development services, mobile game development services, app development services, etc. 

One thing is clear that online video gaming is not any more just fun but a serious business. Further, the gamers are not just users but a kind of client for the firms to whom they want to deliver the best of the experience. 

The idea here is simply to provide the best experience to make the user hooked to the game. In the race of that, you see firms fighting it out to develop exciting features and engagement in the game. The year 2021 would not be different from this development. 

The Pandemic Effect on Online Gaming

A major thing that has happened in the gaming industry since last year is the pandemic effect. While people around the globe are forced to be inside their houses fighting the deadly COVID-19, online gaming has got a massive user base boost. 

Going by the searches and data online gaming searches have seen a multi-fold rise. Further, the app downloads and new user registrations have shown that gaming is going to be the industry to watch out for. 

Coming to the year 2021, the scenarios and situations are kinds of the same. Lockdowns, work from home, schools and college closure is something that is common with 2020. 

What this means is that online video gaming would keep adding the user base which is active. From the perspective of business, the firms would be eyeing to grab the opportunity to make the users addicted to their platform. 

From the perspective of a user, it is an opportunity to get something more exciting and addictive being added to their gaming experience as firms fight it out. 

Having talked about the volume of the industry and the business side of it, it’s time we get going. As you have made a unity game into the year 2021 holds for gaming we won’t disappoint you. 

Let’s take a look at what is there to look out for gamers and firms this year. 

Cloud Gaming 

Though it’s been a point of discussion in the past few years it’s now that we see a push into it. Cloud computing is surely the future of gaming if not all games then surely the high-end ones. 

Well, cloud computing is like extending gaming as a service on demand. Yes, gaming is going to be offered as a service on demand just as you have on-demand food, taxi, or other kinds of services. 

This would mean that you can purchase the games online as a subscription just as you have subscriptions for OTT platforms. 

To explain it further just take an example of Netflix. You purchase the subscription plan of the OTT platform and then you can access any content on the platform. 

Similarly in cloud computing, you buy subscriptions from a particular service provider. Then you can play all the games online that are available on that particular platform. 

Now, here is something more that this brings to the gamers.  You don’t have to worry about the system configuration. 

Yes, the biggest problem of disk size, RAM, and all that restrict one from playing the game of their choice would be gone. With cloud gaming anyone can play the game they want just they have to buy a subscription. 

It would no longer matter which system you have. At present, there are options available when it comes to cloud gaming. However, these are not much popular or lack that crowd base. Some of them to name are:

1) Shadow: 

This platform offers services that can technically be called cloud computing gaming and not cloud gaming exactly. However, the benefit of this is that it offers low latency services. 

The platform is the only popular one in the market with a big gaming library thus, it has a good number of users on it. The platform offers services like Ultra HD gaming, storage space expansion of up to 2 TB, smooth operation among others. The subscription price starts at USD 35 per month. 

2) Geforce:

With a subscription of USD 8 a month this is one of the most effective options out of the available ones. The platform allows you the option to run on a Shield TV, Shield Portable, Tablet, and Mac and provides stretch streaming for 4 hours. 

3) Project Xcloud: 

Here is the one from a big tech giant. Project Xcloud is Microsoft’s baby which is going to be a big thing as the industry grows out. 

Currently, the platform is available for certain gamers on invitations. The one unique feature of the platform that uses the networking system of Azure is that a user can turn off one screen and start playing on another device screen right where it was left.

4) Google Stadia: 

Talking of the biggies, how can Google be left behind. Google’s Stadia gaming platform would be the tough competitor to Microsoft. 

Launched in 2019 the platform would stream games up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. It would be supported for high-dynamic-range gaming by the tech giant’s numerous data centers. 

Thus, we can see that the two big tech giants would be clashing it off in this emerging domain. Something that we see with the OTT market where Netflix leads the pack followed by others. This thing would happen as cloud computing would expand and would emerge as the new normal in cloud gaming. 

Here Microsoft’s Project Xcloud at present looks to take the lead. Google’s Stadia has so far been under preparation while Microsoft has presented a strong case with the preview of its platform. 

The Less Talked Gaming 

The word gaming instantly sends the image of high on graphics and sophisticated games. However, that is not all that the industry has. Everyone who uses a smartphone and plays any kind of game is a consumer of services for the firm. 

Thus, the Mobile gaming industry is not only the PUBG, Fortnite players but the localized gamers as well. Mobile gaming has reached the so-called low or dead kind of games like poker, ludo, chess, etc. The board games which were the part of family gatherings in the pre-internet era have now become localized and personal. 

The audience for such kinds of games is wider in fact. Now, people don’t look for a partner to play with, they play them online with players from across the globe. From 10 years old to 50 years old the user of such a game can be any.  

The excitement with playing an unknown opponent at any point in time and rising up the rank is something that was missing in offline gaming. In a pandemic, these games have already seen a huge jump in terms of popularity and user base. 

This would be the year of further push and consolidation for them. The majority of the users of this kind of game are not youth but mid-age group people. This means that they are driven by entertainment and low on excitement and don’t need an adrenaline rush like professional gamers. 

Further, the most preferred gaming device (which is common for all kinds of gaming) is mobile which requires the firm to invest only in the development of an app.

The app serves the dual purpose of providing gaming to the users while generating additional revenue through the advertisement. Thus, the user base is going to be as important as the ones of the PUBG line. 

In fact, if we take the business perspective then the low-end gamers carry a massive revenue and number. So, while we talk of advancements like cloud gaming, mobile gaming is not going to fade.

As the industry picked up last year many firms like LudoKing that had their app for quite some time pushed for aggressive advertisement. This came on the back of investments that the industry is attracting with a potential rise in the eye. 

In 2021 this would only go high. Game development firms would try to put their best foot ahead to take a lead in this competitive sub-domain of internet gaming. 

Online Gaming Trends To Watch Out

The year has already finished its quarter and we have seen the trends in internet gaming that could dominate this year. Some of the major trends where development in online video gaming is expected this year would be:

1) Artificial Intelligence (AI): 

In gaming artificial intelligence (AI) has been adding to the enhancement of the playing experience and excitement. It has helped the gaming to get more closer to being realistic and the gamers are for sure liking this. 

The introduction of AI into the gaming domain has led to them being more immersive, interactive, and engaging. The finest of the details of the gaming interface is now being noticed by the gamers and in this AI plays a good role to live up to the demands. 

2) A Profession: 

While many are playing games for fun, there has been a rise of people making it a profession. If you have seen streaming of gamers on YouTube or other platforms then you might have an idea about that. 

Gaming was not seen as a profession very lately till a few years back. However, in recent times it has become a popular sport. E-sporting tournaments have further fueled the adoption of gaming as a profession. 

Big game development companies organize their own tournaments as well to attract the attention of gamers. Further local gaming tournaments also provide opportunities for starting a career in the domain. Out of the total online gamers around 38% plan to take it as a profession. The figures are expected to rise with time. 

3) Mobile Is The Device: 

No points for guessing this one as it is obvious now in the context of almost all on-demand services. Mobile is the device the game development firms would be targeting. 

We have already seen popular PC and PlayStation games like GTA and FIFA coming in mobile versions. 

Further mobile specified games are also gaining popularity. With almost 3/4th of the total audience using the device for gaming, it is expected that it would only gain more importance in the new launches of the game development firms. Thus, you can expect some more action on the small screen. 

4) Interactiveness: 

If one thing that has really increased in gaming over the years is interactiveness. The concept of a storyline, a kind of mission-based gaming, has over the years attracted users.

In recent times the developers have taken to pushing up the visual engagement to add to that interactiveness.

Further, the games are becoming more responsive as there are features like voice-based interaction, gesture recognition, finger movement recognition, etc to keep the players engaged.

Features like chat and voice chat while playing multiplayer online games is a manifestation of how interactiveness has increased over the years.