New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Like all major
entertainment industries, the global gaming industry is incredibly trend-driven. By actively incorporating the latest developments in advanced technology, and keeping a future-oriented focus on innovation, the trends established in the gaming world often prove influential in other mainstream tech and digital markets.
As always, the start of a new year brings with it a whole host of new gaming trends. While many will fade as the months progress, there are some that are destined to stick around for the long haul.
In this article, we'll be taking a look at four gaming trends to watch in 2022 and beyond.
Celebrity Investment and Mainstream Sports Involvement in eSports
During the last two years, eSports has proven to be one of the fastest-emerging gaming markets, and 2022 is set to take eSports to the next level.
As gaming pushes further into the mainstream, major celebrities, entertainment brands and sports clubs are queueing up to be involved in the eSports scene.
European football clubs have already begun to invest in eSports teams, with the likes of Premier League mainstays Man City being one of several clubs to compete on the digital pitch.
NBA player Spencer Dinwiddie, meanwhile, has become an investor in eSports venture capital firm Eonxi. Even Jay-Z has branched into eSports with Roc Nation Sports, and Netflix seems set to cinch an eSports deal before the year is out.
Mobile-First Engagement
The mobile gaming segment has become increasingly dominant in the industry and, in 2022, it's set to become its most lucrative market.
Thanks to recent advances in both the processing power and the growing sophistication of mobile devices, the smartphone is now taking centre stage when it comes to games development.
Buoyed by the success of the release of NFL Clash as a mobile-first global game, other games development studios are expected to follow suit over the next 12 months. 2022 is already lining up new gaming entries to the mobile market with the release of the likes of Apex Legends on portable devices. In addition to this, the continued rollout of 5G will make mobile cloud gaming more accessible than ever.
Blockchain Gaming
Blockchain experiences within the gaming industry have, so far, been slow on the uptake. 2022 will be the year that will bring about further integration for these sectors, building on a growing momentum experienced during 2021.
Last year, blockchain tech took a big step towards gamification with the successful release of numerous NFT games. Axle Infinity, Alien Worlds, Splinterlands and Upland were just four of the games released in 2021 that demonstrated the potential of blockchain and crypto for video gaming.
With players across the world now becoming more used to the play-to-earn elements of NFT gaming, which reward players with in-game tokens for completing certain tasks or reaching specific levels, major games development studios are now jumping on board.
Additionally, seeing the popularity of blockchain adoption and integration in multiple industries has bolstered the efforts of the likes of Activision and EA to integrate crypto and NFT features into their games.
In 2021, venture capitalists invested a total of $4 billion into the blockchain and cryptocurrency space, providing further encouragement for traditional gaming companies to get involved in the market in 2022 and beyond.
Educational Opportunities will Accelerate Gaming's Mainstream Integration
An industry that's now worth over $180 billion is no longer a niche market, but gaming is set to achieve even greater legitimacy in 2022 with the emergence of educational opportunities pertaining the industry beginning to appear across the globe.
There are hundreds of degree programmes, publisher partnerships and new gaming labs on the horizon that are not only educating players, but developing the next generation of pro gamers, designers and developers.
Segments like eSports are also, in turn, creating their own business eco-systems, providing further opportunities for new job roles and education.
Gaming is here to stay, particularly now that we have some of the finest educational institutions across the world pouring significant resources into its future.
