Popularity of Online Gaming Explained
Online gaming in 2021 has become bigger than ever before, with more options and games available for the growing number of players. Whether you like Fortnite, Counter-Strike, themed giant slot machines, soccer games, Call Of Duty, or another game entirely, the chances are you can find your favorite game online.
A lot of this growth in the online gaming world has been aided by the evolution of technology. What once seemed impossible in terms of immersive, realistic gaming is now a reality. While the industry may have grown tremendously, many of you may be wondering why online gaming is so popular? Keep reading to find out!
Why is online gaming so popular?
Living in a world where everything is at your fingertips, it can be hard to imagine a time when you couldn’t ‘Google’ the answer. As the amount of information at your disposal grew, so did the amount of online gaming. And as online gaming became more popular, the number of gaming establishments and games available grew.
Here are 4 reasons why online gaming is so popular:
Affordability
Previously, gaming was expensive. You needed expensive equipment, the internet was not as cheap as it is today, and you often had to pay to play these online games. This made it very difficult and cumbersome to get into gaming, leading most people to avoid it.
However, as hardware and internet costs decreased and technology improved, gaming became more accessible. Your affordable home laptop can easily run a lot of online games, making it easy to get started.
Furthermore, many gaming providers offer their games for free and require you to pay for extras rather than the game itself. This makes the cost of entry zero and the cost of playing minimal, making online gaming more affordable than ever before.
Realism
A few years ago, online gaming was often looked at as secondary to offline gaming. Online gaming could not compete with games installed offline and was often very dull and unimaginative in design and operation. However, that all changed as technology improved.
New technology has enabled far more complex and larger systems to be hosted and played online. This has led to a much more immersive and realistic gaming experience that can certainly go up against its offline competition. Many games are even being released as ‘online only’!
Other technologies such as AR and VR have also impacted online gaming and have allowed for real-world experiences when playing online, furthering the realism of the games.
Convenience
One major factor of why online gaming has become so popular is its convenience. Installing offline games takes time and requires you to buy the game and download it. Depending on your internet speeds, this can easily take a few hours. However, with online gaming, you can simply sign in and play, making it easy and convenient.
This also allows you to try new games without worrying about the long process experienced with offline games, helping you to find more games that you can enjoy!
Excitement/enjoyment
Online games are often built with a level of excitement and enjoyment not experienced elsewhere. Considering how easy it is for you to choose another game, online gaming providers spend extra time to ensure that you are enjoying your time on the game to ensure you continue playing.
4 of the most popular online games in 2021
PUBG
PUBGis an online multiplayer game that is very realistic. It is one of the most widely played online games in the world at the moment. One of the biggest factors of its popularity is its unpredictability. This means that no two matches are alike, making it exciting and enjoyable for its players. The game has quickly taken over the internet with its player-versus-player battle royale, where up to 100 players compete in this large-scale last man standing type match.
You have the option to play a match as a solo player, duo, or small group of up to four players. The match is won by the last remaining player or team. You can play it on both your mobile or on your computer.
Apex Legends
Apex Legends is a free-to-play battle royale game developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. The multiplayer game is currently in its fourth season and allows up to 20 three-person teams to land on an island to search for weapons and supplies. The teams then fight to defeat each other, with one team standing.
The game is designed to be exciting and does this by forcing players to keep moving. Players have to keep moving to avoid being caught outside of the play area.
Apex Legends takes place in the same science fiction universe as Titanfall 2 and Titanfall 3. In the first month of its release, it had 50 million users and has only grown in popularity since then. The mobile version of this game will be available very soon, as it is still in the alpha-testing phase.
Fortnite Battle Royale
There are plenty of 100 player battle royale games, but Fortnite Battle Royale stands out due to its vibrant colors and outstanding free-form building system. The Fortnite Battle Royale online multiplayer game is free to play and has over 5 million players. It is one of the most popular games on the internet!
This game is unique in that it has in-game construction elements which allow players to build walls, obstacles, or other structures using collected resources. There are three modes: Fortnite Battle Royale (Saving the World), Fortnite Creative (Battle Royale), and Fortnite Creative (creative).
Counter-Strike: Global Offense
Counter-Strike: Global Offense, is a multiplayer, first-person shooter video game and the fourth game in the Counter-Strike series. The game is available both online or offline, with the online game being more popular. Two teams (The Terrorists and Counter-terrorists) are involved in the game, and each side has the goal of eliminating the other and completing separate missions. The Terrorists’ goal is to secure a location to plant a bomb and hold hostages.
Counter-Terrorists, on the other hand, must either stop weapons being planted or defuse them and rescue hostages. Valve Corporation launched it in 2014 and has 32 million players around the world.
Final thoughts
Online gaming is growing as technology and internet speeds improve. While online games used to be dull, they are now more popular than their online counterparts. What is your favorite online game?