Technological innovations that are transforming the online gaming Industry in India

Online gaming is advancing and growing by the day, more so post covid when the shift towards digital has become a necessary one. More time at home and limited socialization have resulted in a substantial increase in online gaming. And with the increase in playing time and user interest, new and upcoming games are providing a far better experience to players with enhanced visuals and higher quality. Online gambling for one has expanded like crazy, from betting on sports events and fantasy leagues to online casinos, it has taken the gaming world by storm. Back in the early days when there was no internet or portable gadgets, gambling was mostly done on-site and sporting bets were placed over the phone with bookmakers.

Technological advancements on the other hand have transformed online gaming to an extent that was difficult to predict 10-15 years ago. Some of these include the rapid rise of mobile gaming, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) among others.

The advent of Mobile Gaming

In the last few years, mobile gaming has become the new battle zone for developers, due to the vast number of audiences who now have access to a smartphone. Plus as mobile devices are getting more powerful, varied and complex games have started to take shape, even comparable to console counterparts in some cases.

Another factor contributing to the rising trend is the fact that smartphone games can be played anytime, anywhere as long you have the battery in your device. And with the diversity of games that are available nowadays, there’s something to hold everyone's interest.

Mainstream Integration of Virtual Reality

Virtual reality or VR is a technology that is alien to none, especially to the avid gamers out there. Although VR has been around for a while, it’s only in the last 3-4 years that it has started to gain mainstream acceptance. Advancements in computer and graphics capabilities have for one contributed immensely to the betterment of VR headsets, compared to the ones that were available initial stages. The current models have become more comfortable, more affordable, and better at immersing oneself in a virtual environment.

Growth of Artificial Intelligence

 Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way from being a basic computerized competitor in native games like Pong and Checkers to being used in modern-day game engines. Today, it can beat even the best human chess players and talk to us as if it were a real person. It has opened various possibilities for developers such as predicting player preferences and bringing the entire in-game experience to a whole new level. And going forward the AI tech is only getting smarter over time and is expected to power new innovation in 2022 and beyond!

 Introduction of Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality or AR wasn’t big until Niantic in conjunction with Nintendo premiered Pokémon GO, the mobile game that allowed players to capture Pokemons in surrounding physical areas using their smartphones. It became a global phenomenon but despite that, a majority of the users still mistake AR for Virtual Reality. And one can understand why. After all both the technologies pave way for digital immersion. But if we look closely there’s a massive difference between VR and AR. While the former immerses the user through the use of wearable technology, Augmented Reality incorporates gameplay aspects into the real world. This is the sole reason why it has found widespread acceptance among both developers and users as it doesn’t need an additional gadget to function, which is mostly the case with Virtual Reality.

This article has been written by Dmitry Belianin, Chief Commercial Officer, PMI.