The Growth in Gaming Streaming
The gaming industry has been growing significantly, with the rise of live gaming streaming platforms changing how enthusiasts engage with their favourite titles. Various platforms like Twitch, YouTube Gaming and other cloud gaming services have helped gamers build avenues where they can interact with fans and showcase their skills.
The first ever gaming stream is credited to Tomoaki Hamatsu, aka Nasubi, in 1998. This was after he won a PlayStation, TV and a video game in a Magazine Sweepstakes, prompting him to play for three whole days.
Video game streaming was popularized in the mid-2010s when Twitch started broadcasting gaming streams. By 2014, Twitch had more traffic than HBO Go, prompting the launching of YouTube Gaming in 2015 and other platforms.
This market has been growing at a significant rate, and it is projected to reach USD 13.65 billion by 2024. Additionally, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.17% between 1014 and 2029, meaning that the market revenue would reach USD 18.41 billion by 2029.
China is among the countries with the fastest growth in this market. This is due to the high number of gamers in the country.
In 2022, China had the highest number of video game players, reaching 696.5 million. Because of this high number, the country’s market volume is projected to reach USD 3.34 billion by 2027.
The rise of dedicated video game streaming services has been a crucial trend in the game streaming market, increasing its growth. These platforms offer an avenue where gamers are able to stream or watch games while offering additional features like monetization options, chat rooms and notification panels.
Popular streaming platforms include:
- Twitch
- YouTube Gaming
- GeForce Now
- Google Stadia
- PlayStation Now
- Parsec
These platforms have features that appeal to different audiences. They also have varying subscription prices, which works well for giving players of all levels a chance to showcase their skills.
As these platforms increase, gamers are treating game streaming as a full-time job. Players are dedicated to developing loyal fan bases and generating income through brand collaborations, sponsorships and donations.
Another popular live-streaming game trend is live casino gaming. Casinos have embraced live gaming to improve the gaming experiences of their clients by bringing the physical casino atmosphere into the online world.
As more casino enthusiasts learn more about live dealer gaming, they are shifting from traditional online casino gaming.
The esports industry has been growing at a tremendous rate, attracting more gaming leagues into the market. In 2023, the global esports market was valued at US$1.72 billion and is projected to grow to US$9.29 billion in 2032.
In 2024, there are a number of popular esports leagues, including:
- Overwatch League
- League of Legends Championship Series
- Dota 2’s The International
- Call of Duty League
- Rocket League Championship Series
These leagues attract a large number of followers, players and viewers alike. They not only create avenues to allow players to showcase their skills but also elevate the competitive nature of esports gaming.
Fast internet access has become a necessity in the gaming world. Whether playing casino games or video games, high-speed internet is necessary to ensure that gaming is smooth and without glitches.
One major hindrance to live streaming in its early days was the slow internet. For instance, it would be hard to play a live casino game because of the lag when broadcasting the live dealers.
With high-speed internet, gaming has become easier, as there is low latency and reduced lag. High-speed gaming broadband allows the game to respond promptly, ensuring that players have a better experience.
Also, fast internet is necessary to improve the upload speed, which is necessary for livestreaming videos. It would be a disappointment if you spent a lot of resources on a good gaming device and live streaming equipment only to have an internet connection that reduces your stream to a pixelated mess.
As technology advances, better gaming equipment that can perform more functions is being developed. Upgrading gaming PC hardware has helped improve the reliability and flexibility of the gaming setup.
A good CPU is beneficial for ensuring smooth overall system performance, and a high-performance GPU ensures that gaming graphics and visuals are on point. With upgrades on these systems, the overall streaming capability has improved.
Some of the PC hardware upgrades that have been devised for gaming systems include:
- Z790 Platform Upgrade
- Intel Core i7-13700K CPU
- X670E Platform Upgrade
- AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D CPU
Live game streaming has become a popular trend in the gaming universe, with more people turning to streaming services for a good gaming experience.
Various reasons have led to the popularity of this trend, including the increase in streaming services, the rise of competitive gaming, high-speed internet, and improvements in gaming hardware.
As more gamers get acquainted with live streaming, we expect to see even more developments in the industry.