It is not unfair to say that video games are the media of the current century. Film and television dominated the past one hundred years, but the interactive engagement of gaming dominates the modern era. That fact is most obvious in the rise of gamification. The concept is present in all industries today, including ones that have nothing to do with entertainment. It is most obvious in the iGaming sector though.
The gambling industry on the internet has shown incredible potential for growth. One platform capitalizing on this trend is Cwinz casino, which features games like slots and blackjack, as well as a plethora of titles that have become staples of gambling. The question then is what has iGaming got to do with good old fashioned video games? Have the two industries influenced each other in any way, or is their relationship a one-way street?
eSports are Dominating iGaming
The effects that gamification has had on the gambling industry are quite exciting to think and speak about. But it is important to understand that the relationship between iGaming and video games is reciprocal. That fact is most apparent in the sudden surge of eSports. Competitive gaming is quickly becoming the fastest-growing sport in the world, if one could indeed call it a sport. It certainly features the same elements of proper athletic competitions. Teams train together for years in order to stand out in international competitions after all.
The most obvious comparison that can be drawn between eSports and sports proper is the prevalence of gambling that is done in association with them. There is an argument to be made that betting sites have greatly contributed to the popularity of some of the top ranked games in eSports. But it rarely happens that land-based bookies or sports shops feature odds on the latest Counter-Strike matches. The global success of eSports betting has largely come as a result of the iGaming industry embracing the idea. Some may wonder why online sportsbooks were so quick to jump on the bandwagon.
That is where the symbiotic relationship between online casinos and classic gaming comes in. Studying the iGaming industry reveals that video games have had a profound influence on the creators of online slots and table games. That is the concept that most professionals nowadays refer to as gamification. The question then arises; how has gamification influenced online casinos?
Gamification in Online Casinos
Gamblers who frequently use internet platforms will quickly point out the prevalence of leaderboards. The players who use online casinos can now actually compare their own results and winnings with those of other players who frequent the same site. Any fan of old-school arcades can point out the similarities between this phenomenon and the ranking systems present in an arcade game. Those same ranking systems are now popular in online multiplayer games like Counter-Strike or League of Legends.
Many online casinos have also begun implementing an achievement system to keep players engaged. What we mean here is to say that gamblers will often get a badge or award for accomplishing certain tasks while playing their favorite games. The awards may be something small and insignificant, there only to give a sense of achievement. But they also could result in bonus features such as free spins and extra rounds. This reward-based system is lifted directly from the video game industry that utilizes similar engagement methods.
Perhaps the most obvious example of gamification in the modern iGaming industry is the inclusion of mini-games based around classic arcade staples. Slot developers are especially prone to imbuing some bonus rounds in their games, in hopes of breaking the monotony and providing players with a fresh experience. Some game developers even go the extra mile of adapting old-school games for a gambling audience. Such is the example with the fishing games that were so popular half-a-decade ago. They took inspiration from classic shooters like Space Invaders, but offered enough new features to make them completely distinct and unique in their own right.
What Can We Expect from the Future?
Both the iGaming and video game sector are growing markets in the current era. It seems that video games are continuing to thrive and attract new audiences annually. Online casinos have taken over the world, as European nations are becoming a lot more secure in legalizing these websites and imposing strict but fair guidelines. That can only mean that the future of both industries is going to be bright indeed. But there are plenty of people who are fascinated at imagining what may come of it.
There are those who believe that the crypto sector is going to become integral in the inner workings of the iGaming market. The success of crypto casinos has shown that there is indeed a rather large chunk of the population that is deeply interested in betting with Bitcoin. But the integration of blockchain technology into the iGaming sector goes much deeper than simple crypto-based wagers. We are talking about a revolution in the way that most people use the internet. Concepts like Web3 are seeing a sort of revival among fans of the gambling market right now. Similar discussions are being had about video games, with many going so far as to attempt and create blockchain-based multiplayer games.
Another technology that is bound to have an influence on both gambling and gaming is virtual reality. All of us have imagined a fully-realized virtual world that allows us to live out our wildest fantasies. But the reality of TRON may not be as far into the future as some of us believe. Virtual reality games have come a long way since they were first introduced in the late 20th century. The products now look crisp and clear and gameplay flows smoothly. The same principle that drives VR games could be applied to online casinos. We may see an industry that allows us to traipse through opulent gambling halls, and never even leave our couch.