Short for interactive gaming, iGaming refers to games played on smartphones, tablets or laptops
By Anton Rublievskyi
As once the appeal of the sport was strong, now it is the game that keeps millions hooked. A combination of lockdowns, light-speed advances in technology, innovation and improved connectivity has converted thousands to the thrill of iGaming.
Short for interactive gaming, iGaming refers to games played on smartphones, tablets or laptops. These would include casual and real-money games (cards and casino), as well as fantasy sports and e-sports.
iGaming has evolved from video parlor and arcade games to those we used to play on our consoles or mobile devices, and now to multiplayer interactive games. Today we can bet on games on the go.
Read: Metaverse: Sony embraces the virtual world, others are not far behind (May 19, 2022)
But, in such a rapidly changing landscape, which technology trends dominate?
Play on the Cloud
No need to periodically download updates for your favorite game. Regardless of your device of choice, games are now accessible via cloud servers or remote streams, saving you money and precious gigabytes on your device.
With 5G and its fast service already present in some territories (and on the way in others), the field of cloud gaming is set to grow by leaps and bounds, helped by more and more video game heavyweights offering their creations (and the latest avatars from their games) via a cloud-centric subscription service.
Virtual reality & augmented reality
Here is a pair of technologies that promises to revolutionize our relationship with the world of iGaming. So far, exorbitant costs and lack of accessibility have hampered the growth of virtual reality and augmented reality, but this scenario will not last long.
While AR games overlay a digital setting on a user’s real environment, VR games, on the other hand, take the user to an alternate world through headsets.
Both are addictively immersive, but as headsets become more affordable, interest in VR gaming is about to increase.
An exciting future awaits esports
Swap physical venues and real-life athletes for virtual stadiums and professional gamers, and you have esports (“electronic” sports), as good “live” as they are real.
The use of gaming technology has allowed Esports to become as popular a spectator sport as any sport played on a field, track or court, and with all elements of the latter, including competition , live crowds and jaw-dropping cash prizes.
Like cloud gaming, the Esports ecosystem has grown through cutting-edge cellular technology, but here too AR and VR will play a key role in propelling it into an even more lucrative future. And in 2023, the postponed Asian Games will see the debut of esports in a global multidisciplinary event.
Presentation, the metaverse
Players may exist in the real world, but it’s another world they enter when they put on their “gaming” face. In fact, gaming professionals have stolen a march on us lower mortals, already enjoying experience in a virtual universe.
They thrive in such an environment, pitting their wits against their adversaries. One can envision major players in iGaming, including developers and franchises, expanding the space for gamers into something much bigger, more interactive and immersive.
Read: The main technological trends revolutionizing the video game industry (July 30, 2022)
The Metaverse may still be all the rage, but the basics are in place, as are the multiple platforms that await players.
These are just a few of the trends that can be spotted in the iGaming industry today. But, as 2022 turns into 23, the ground beneath players’ feet will have shifted yet again, bringing another series of jaw-dropping developments to further transform online gaming.
(Anton Rublievskyi is the CEO of Parimatch International)
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