Games and gaming have existed for as long as human beings have – ancient dice have been found that are believed to be tens of thousands of years old. No matter where in the world or at what time, human beings have loved to play games, gamble and engage in sports.
However, the last century has potentially witnessed more change than any other. Games have gone from being a pastime enjoyed at a certain point of the day – for some people enjoyed only in the games or parlor room – to something which most people can enjoy at any point of the day or night either alone or with strangers from around the world.
Board games and early parlor games
Board games have been enjoyed for thousands of years and there are even paintings from ancient Egypt depicting emperors playing board games like senet, the world’s oldest known board game. However, the period from the 1880s up until the 1920s are considered by sociologists to be the golden age of board games.
Board game popularity exploded in North America during this time because methods of mass production became readily available. This allowed millions of people to have access to the same board games. Although there is not a huge amount of quantitative information on the topic, it is believed that the 20th century saw something of a decline in the popularity of board games as a hobby and family activity.
Aside from board games, parlor games became extremely popular and remained popular through to the 1930s. There are hundreds of different parlor games, and they were first enjoyed by Victorians of the middle and upper classes because they had the leisure time, space and social circles to partake in them.
New generations of video games
The very first video games created in the 1950s and 1960s were essentially just simple extensions of electronic games which were made using a type of video output from computers which took up entire rooms. A completely new type of game hit the market in 1972 with Pong. Suddenly, the market began to boom with thousands of new arcade games being produced annually until the market crashed in 1983 as a result of oversaturation.
Around the turn of the 21st century, video games began to focus on what was called “triple A” games. These were big, expensive blockbuster games and, as a result, smaller independent companies and companies which wanted to produce niche games were priced out of the market.
Since then, it has become increasingly possible for small, indie companies to design and produce video games for large distribution. This has greatly increased the diversity of products on the market and opened up completely new demographics to the world of video gaming.
There has also been a renewed interest in new consoles as companies such as Nintendo and Microsoft release new, innovative consoles. One of the most exciting consoles to hit the market in recent years has been the new PS5, which features an incredibly sleek design along with impressive tech specs and innovative new features. Other video game console producers have taken the hint, so consumers can expect to enjoy a series of new consoles hitting the market over the next few years.
What is next on the horizon
Another sector of the gaming industry which has exploded in popularity is the online gambling industry. Launched in 1994, online gambling is now one of the most popular, and lucrative, forms of entertainment. The online gambling industry is especially popular and competitive in Finland as a fun, exciting hobby and way to pass the time. A wide array of different online casinos are available in the Finnish language for gamblers to choose from. Every online casino supporting Finnish language options has its own game library, including innovative options such as live dealer games.
There has also been a rise in online gaming, as opposed to console or PC gaming, over the course of the last few years. Online gaming has become more popular because it is less expensive than console or PC gaming, sometimes even being free to play. Many gaming companies are starting to transition to a subscription model of payment or rely on in-game purchases for revenue.
These innovative new forms of monetizing games are allowing more players than ever to join in on the fun – including players from around the world. It is likely that they will continue to be incredibly popular and we could see more exciting online game titles entering the market fairly soon.