The fast pace of innovation in technology has brought about many changes in gaming and that change continues at pace today. From the days of 8-bit technology up to the present, games have always been a popular pastime for many people, albeit for a niche demographic, but advances in technology are opening the industry up to more people than ever. Some of the biggest gaming trends of 2016 included the integration of social media, games as a service, and the rise of the genre as a spectator sport. With that in mind, see below for a look at 3 of the biggest gaming trends of 2017:
One trend that had already begun capturing the attention of mainstream consumers last year was virtual reality. [pullquote]While the technology has many wider applications gaming is where most of the focus was.[/pullquote] This stemmed from the popularity of consumer VR headsets such as the Samsung Gear VR for use with smartphones, Google Cardboard, and in the release of Sony’s PlayStation VR in particular. This year sees the release of Microsoft’s Augmented reality headset, Hololens, and the availability of more Virtual Reality content across all these platforms should make 2017 a big year for VR gaming.
The smartphone has transformed many industries and services already, and that is none more so true for the gaming industry. Gaming markets such as bingo survived the upheaval of the internet age by being early adopters of the medium as well as adapting when the web went mobile. Smartphone-based mobile games and other gambling applications were one of the most popular gaming trends of 2016 and that is set to continue this year. The popularity of mobile bingo has even given rise to the need for portals such as Bingo Sites UK where new and existing players can find games much more easily. Now available to more players than ever and more socially acceptable, bingo and other mobile gambling games will be a big gaming trend of 2017.
The PlayStation 4 console was seen by many as the advent of the Next generation of consoles, and in some ways, it is, together with Microsoft’s Xbox One. However, with Nintendo’s Wii U console lagging behind the two aforementioned machines which also had some compromises, gamers felt a little underwhelmed. Now Nintendo has once again fired the first salvo with its upcoming Nintendo Switch console, while Microsoft is planning to release a console codenamed Project Scorpio later this year as well.
Previews of both have been upbeat, and there is now much anticipation amongst console gamers for what’s in store. With so much expectation for the new Xbox and Nintendo consoles, it seems Sony may be forced to go back to the drawing board as its latest PS4 Pro console was only an update on the older model.
The trends above show that in 2017 gaming will focus once again on making the players’ experience more personal. Whether it’s immersing yourself in virtual reality worlds, playing mobile games during your commute, or the heavy expectation of upcoming consoles, 2017 looks set to be another exciting year in gaming.
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