Blockchain Gaming, the Metaverse, and NFTs have been taking center stage when it comes to innovations in gaming for 2022. The value of true digital asset ownership is being realized, and many leading blockchain games have maintained steady users despite the turbulence in the blockchain world.
NFT popularity and sales made the headlines in 2021, but 2022 was when in-game assets came under closer inspection. Leading games like Alien Worlds, Splinterlands, Upland, and Benji Bananas demonstrated long-term value to their loyal community base. Now is a good time to consider the key blockchain game development trends for 2023.
AR and VR in Gaming
In terms of offering an immersive first-person video game playing experience, Augmented and Virtual Reality gaming have barely any alternative. The advent of Pokemon Go gave rise to AR gaming’s overnight popularity.
The AR and VR video game market will hit $ 11.0 billion by 2026. The growth follows an 18.5% CAGR from 2021 to 2026. (Industry ARC)
Integration of AR and virtual reality solutions in mobile and wearable devices and people’s craving for immersive gaming experiences propel this growth. As per The Economist, the VR headset price will drop in the coming years.
The VR gaming devices like VR headsets, hand controllers, etc., allow the players to get an interactive gaming experience.
Opposite to being fully immersed in a VR game, AR overlays digital objects and sounds onto the real environment of the gamer. It is what makes the format even more engaging and accessible. The rise of smartphone penetration has helped game developers tap into AR as a storytelling medium.
Metaverse Gaming
According to the classical definition
The metaverse is a permanent virtual space where people can interact with each other and digital objects through their avatars.
In addition to games, these can be purely social platforms where people communicate, attend events, buy virtual assets, etc. Following the success of the Fortnite music concerts, many tech corporations have taken notice of the metaverse’s potential to provide a wide range of experiences beyond pure entertainment.
In the future, global giants like Microsoft plan to further expand the capabilities of the metaverse, equalizing them with those in the real world. Remote work meetings using virtual reality technologies and digital avatars of participants are no longer something unusual. And while the metaverses are just at the beginning of their journey, they will evolve with the expansion of VR, AR, and AI to provide a unique real-time virtual experience to a huge number of people around the world.
Prospects. It is important to understand that the metaverse is indeed one of the newest gaming technologies, the shape of which will be set by the leading market players. As AR and VR become mainstream, they will touch almost every industry. These technologies will become part of everyone’s daily life in a few years. Still, they have not yet been monopolized and are available for research and implementation by various companies, even if not the largest ones.
Cloud and Streaming Video Games
Gaming as a Service (Gaas) or cloud gaming is a revolution that could redefine the entertainment and gaming industry. Cloud gaming will eliminate the need for high-end and expensive hardware, enabling remote access to gaming content.
With 5G almost on the verge of redefining internet speed, the gaming world will likely experience a reduced dependency on purchasing games. Streaming games is going to be the norm in 2023. Furthermore, this will eliminate the need for periodic downloads and encourage large-scale multiplayer gaming.
Blockchain and P2E. Real Earnings on Games
Despite fading enthusiasm for the NFT, it cannot write off. According to NonFungible, between August 2021 and February 2022, total NFT art sales reached approximately $1.7 million. And while many game developers have refused to incorporate NFT into their strategy, Ubisoft and Square Enix have decided to do the opposite.
The trend continues to hold when it comes to play-to-earn games, from the boom of Axie Infinity to the meditative metaverse of The Sandbox that allows you to create digital assets. Such games often do not require powerful hardware, especially attracting residents of not the most prosperous countries. People find an opportunity to earn money by playing games. And even blockchain skeptics eventually join these activities.
Special Bonus Trend
Films based on games are not some new gaming technology trends or news in general. We know films based on such games as Tomb Raider, Need for Speed, Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat, Silent Hill, Prince of Persia, and more. Most of them are known for consistently collecting negative feedback from players offended by the desecration of game lore by ignorant directors. But in recent years, there have been many more successful projects.
For example, Sonic the Hedgehog, with the incomparable Jim Carrey and fun, dynamic storytelling, got off to a great start and grossed over $320 million in total on an $85 million budget. Positive feedback prompted the creators to shoot a sequel, where other characters joined Sonic in the universe − Tails the fox and Knuckles the echidna. With about the same budget as the first part, the second collected $400 million worldwide. How about the third part?
The creation of entire series based on games is also gaining momentum. Netflix’s The Witcher, starring Henry Cavill, has set the pace and has already gained 2 seasons of 8 episodes. The launch of the first season was impressive, with over 76 million viewers in the first month of its release.
New Platforms for PC Gaming
When new gaming frontiers are popping up on the surface, many people think that the days of PC gaming have come to the edge. However, this thought is utterly wrong. PC gaming will revive with all of its glory in 2023.
- The PC gaming market worldwide will touch $31.52 Billion by 2028. (Globe News Wire)
For years Steam has been there as the most preferred PC gaming platform. But new kids on the block are approaching to give Steam tough competition. Due to its enormous collection of recent releases and classic titles, the digital distribution network GOG is becoming increasingly popular among gamers.
Along with Origin, UPlay, and other platforms, Epic Games Store, the people behind Fortnite, is another to keep an eye on. Another online gaming platform Roblox, which has led to a massive spurt in indie games, is another trend to watch out for.
Competitive Multiplayer Mobile Gaming
The previous year has witnessed the transformation of competitive multiplayer mobile games into a rage. With eSports becoming a global phenomenon and the rapid popularity of games like PUBG Mobile, Multiplayer mobile games have proved themselves a prominent gaming trend of 2022 and will continue dominating 2023.
Additionally, multiplayer formats keep gamers engaged through social interaction and a sense of achievement over other players. More and more gamers are enthusiastic about making in-app purchases and paying just to stay in the game.
In 2023, gamers’ enthusiasm for multiplayer video games has no sign of slowing down.
The Future of the Gaming
These were some of the most significant 3D video gaming trends of 2023 that are likely to inflate as technology penetrates. 2023 will shape a prosperous year of gaming since 2017.
- There will be 3.07 billion mobile gamers around the world by 2023. (Newzoo)
The video game market is always in motion, parallel to technological evolution and people’s evolving gameplay choices. The rising competition among developers will also be a critical factor propelling the gaming experience.
At the center of these bustling innovations in 2023 will be EDIIIE (Experts in designing Innovative, Interactive, and Immersive experiences). We are a team of experts dedicated to envisioning, planning, and developing dynamic game interfaces, basis the interests and perceptions of gamers.
