Technology advancement is significantly transforming our choices of video games and how we play them. Take “Pokemon Go” as an example, which was released last year and saw skyrocketing rise in the number of downloads only two days after its release. What made “Pokemon Go” so special was the incorporation of a new technology, called Augmented Reality (AR), in the game. Likewise, there are some other important ongoing trends game makers must pay heed to in order to keep their audience enthralled and stand out from competition.

That said, I am shedding light on top gaming trends that you would not want to miss out on and regret later if you are a game app developer yourself. Have a read!

 

Virtual Reality

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Virtual Reality is capable of providing gamers what they crave the most for: Deep Immersive Experiences. For example, setting up a CAVE where a gamer is able to interact with objects in an enclosed space after wearing a high-resolution VR headset. Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR are some VR headsets already making waves out there. Game makers are also slated to get a well-designed hardware for mobile phones to make VR game app compatible with them.

Although currently available VR headsets are expensive, technology advancement is likely to bring down their prices and make them affordable for both regular and casual gamers. Graphics and overall quality of VR games will also improve by many folds.

If findings of a Tractica research are to be believed,  “VR head-mounted display (HMD) shipments will reach 130 million units annually by 2021, up from just 17 million in 2016.” On the other hand, annual worldwide revenue from the sale of VR HMDs, accessories, and content will soar to $35 billion by 2021. Of that, mobile VR headsets will account for 75% alone, which itself is an indicator that VR will have a great impact on mobile games too in the coming time.

In all, the future of VR games looks bright, especially when big names like IBM, Sony, Qualcomm, Microsoft, Samsung, Google, Intel, Nokia Siemens and  Amazon have already begun the stint of bringing it on the table.

Augmented Reality

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Augmented Reality has emerged as another game changer in the gaming world, much similar to Virtual Reality. The release of AR-based game “Pokemon Go” last year saw overwhelming popularity, with over 750 million downloads till date. AR headsets, like Microsoft IllumiRoom, are also available for those who want to enjoy the fun of playing AR games.

However, in contrast to VR that brings up a new world altogether, AR is more about using some sort of existing reality to make it more meaningful. So, we can say that AR tweaks reality in some way. Using computer graphics, GPS location, or other features, AR makes it possible to turn the real world into a game. “Night Terrors” is an AR-based horror game, which makes your real-life home strange and gives you the real feeling of an immersive horror game.

Besides, AR game development has a great potential to make your fitness regime a fun activity. There will surely be more AR games in the future to incorporate gaming into exercise. There is no denying the fact that AR is still in its infancy, but the promise it has shown last year to change the way we play games, it would be right to say that AR is all set to make its presence felt in the gaming world.

eSports

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eSports is a multiplayer video game played competitively for spectators. Unlike previously, eSports is no longer restricted to playing only inside living rooms with friends and family. Professional players now gather in big arenas with large crowds to compete against each other. The games being played in eSports are Counter Strike, Call of Duty, League of Legends, etc. eSports has gained a lot of ground in the past few years, with latest eSports market report by Newzoo predicting nearly $700mn by the end of 2017 and becoming a $1.5bn market by 2020.

eSports is increasingly becoming a new gaming trend, with  media giants, like ESPN and Turner, broadcasting them. Amazon acquired the live streaming video platform “Twitch” in 2014, which is currently the leader in online gaming broadcasts. YouTube has also created YouTube Gaming to become a part of the live streaming gaming community.

eSports is all set to enter the mainstream, luring even big players to tap into the commercial opportunity before it’s too late. eSports market currently has 300mn people, and likely to touch the 500mn mark by 2020. The best part is that integration of VR and AR in esport games can give them a significant edge over traditional games.

Some Top eSports Titles are as Follows:

Face Recognition

Face Recognition technology is not new and is often associated with security based applications for surveillance. However, the technology is now expanding its reach to video games. For example, the NBA-2K15 video game is well capable of scanning the face of players and allowing them to play alongside with their favorite athletes.

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The gameplay becomes more exciting for players when they are able to play with their look-alike characters, which becomes possible with face recognition and 3D scanning. Intel has already taken cognizance of the potential of face recognition technology, and provides developers its Real Sense 3D Camera to scan emotions of a player by scanning 78 different points on a person’s face. iPhone 8 is also speculated to bring 3D facial recognition for various applications, including games. With so much happening around Face Recognition technology, gaming is setting to go through yet another evolution phase.

Voice Recognition

Voice Recognition technology already exists in gaming, but its complete potential hasn’t been realized yet. With advanced microcontrollers and computers now, it’s possible to develop games where players don’t have to face the hassles of scrolling big lists of things. They can simply use their voice for specific selections, which offers a great way to improve UIs in gaming and facilitate interaction on social media.

A video game “Mayday! Deep Space” puts into use voice recognition technology to build a relationship between the player and the main character. There are many ways Voice Recognition can be used in gaming, and it seems to attract developers and game development companies over the coming years.

Wearables

The Wearable technology particularly became popular after the launch of Apple Watch in 2015. Companies initially started using Wearable technology mostly for fitness purposes. However, they are now shifting their focus to using the technology in gaming too. For example, Gameband is a smartwatch designed for gamers to play without the need of always staying close to their computers.

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SuperSuit by MadRat Games, another good example of a wearable gaming platform, is designed especially for children to cut down their screen time and increase their social interaction and physical activity. Children get to use SuperVest, SuperGlove and SuperBot to become nothing less than their  favorite superheroes.

MadRat Games founder Rajat Dhariwal said during the launch of SuperSuit, “For children, outdoor play is already the favourite mode they are unable to do due to shrinking outdoors in cities & urban spaces and restrictions on them due to safety concerns in suburbs. There is a growing feeling of restraint & lack of freedom, and kids can claim that freedom back with SuperSuit.” Game app developers are jumping on to wearables now, and a lot will unfold in coming time as far as wearables are concerned for gaming purposes.

These trends are proving to be game changer in the gaming world. A lot still needs to be done though before they see wide acceptance among gamers across the world. However, game developers must keep an eye on emerging trends to keep players enthralled by providing unmatched experiences they are looking for in this tech-advanced world now. As usual, your views are vital for us, please share them in the comment box below OR write to us at enquiry@logicsimplified.com.