Five Gaming Trends To Follow This Year And Beyond

A huge part of modern-day culture, gaming will be massive in 2024. Alongside following the celebrities people love, most of society has a gaming product they turn to in times of need. From immaculate PlayStation 5 titles to an array of enhanced smartphone games, there is a game out there for everyone.

Given the fast-paced nature of the gaming environment, though, it can be tough to keep tabs on the pivotal trends that shape the industry. With technology-based innovation showing no signs of slowing down, gaming is an area that is continually evolving. As such, there are some fascinating trends that are beginning to emerge and could become even more prominent in the future.

Fitness gaming 

In order to combat leading a sedentary lifestyle, people everywhere are embracing fitness gaming. A clever combination, these products are helping to dismiss suggestions that gaming is only for people on the sofa. Instead, fitness gaming products challenge people to stay active through a wide range of testing games that champion fitness. People have to punch the air for points, move in time to the beat, dance away any calories, and so much more. A way of bringing fitness to new audiences, fitness gaming will only get bigger and better in the future, particularly given the emergence of VR and AR.

Esports 

Gaming is highly competitive these days. Be it through global battle royale hits like Fortnite or slot games with a classic feel, such as Joker’s Jewels online game, players are desperate to succeed in a variety of online products. This has gone one step further with the emergence of esports gaming, an offering where skilled players compete in tournaments as professional gamers. Similar in many respects to conventional sports, esports is attracting huge sponsorship deals, it has been aired on television, and it’s turning regular gamers into stars. With a huge audience behind it, there is even recent news emerging that suggests esports gaming could become an Olympic sport in the future.

Metaverse gaming

Although millions of people are still trying to get their heads around what exactly the metaverse is, it promises to be truly special when it does eventually spread. In terms of gaming, many studios are already developing products for the metaverse. Be it through a centralized or a decentralized product, the immersive gaming package on offer is unbeatable. Rivaling traditional gaming products, players can interact with open worlds, create avatars, and engage with other players in a virtual environment. Essentially, like a whole new world for gamers to explore, the gaming community will almost certainly reap the rewards from this truly groundbreaking introduction.

Generative AI

We’re hearing about artificial intelligence on what feels like a daily basis. When it comes to gaming, Generative AI has the ability to make it even better. Essentially, it is a way in which gamers can interact with each other in a virtual space and influence the content they consume through their own virtual actions, so the potential for Generative AI is humongous. Players can create believable characters, interact with fellow gamers without a script, and shape a game’s direction by the various things they do. There are an endless amount of possibilities when looking at Generative AI’s potential, something game-makers are getting excited about.

PC gaming platforms 

While most PC gamers have been lucky enough to sift through the thousands of games that are housed on prominent platforms like Steam, the options are growing. Steam is facing stiff competition, with new digital distribution networks popping up regularly. Although many of them will probably never rival Steam, options like GOG, Epic Games Store, Origin, and UPlay are gathering serious momentum.