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People have been gaming for thousands of years, but never on the scale that we see today. The video game industry hit a market valuation of some $240 billion in 2023, which means that it’s now worth more than the movie and music industries combined. That’s a pretty awesome statistic that indicates just how popular and widespread video gaming has become in recent years.
And that wouldn’t have been possible without the technological progress we’ve seen in the past couple of decades, which has had a momentous impact on the growth of the industry. Today, the gaming world is open to everyone, thanks to technology. Let’s take a look at the impact it had.
It Made It Accessible
Video games have been popular since the earliest days of arcade and console gaming. However, while they were popular, you’d be hard-pressed to say that they were accessible. Because the fact of the matter is that, unless you lived near an arcade or knew enough about gaming to buy a console, you’d probably be on the outside of the gaming world. The development of the smartphone — and the technology that allows for excellent mobile games — opened up the gaming universe to a significantly larger pool of people, who could try popular games without requiring any special equipment. All they need is a smartphone, which the vast majority of people now own.
It Made It Cheaper
Technological hardware such as a smartphone or laptop requires an investment, but once you have them, they can make gaming much cheaper. Leading titles may be expensive, but the vast majority of games are highly affordable. In some cases, technology has allowed for games that would historically never be free to be offered free of charge. For instance, the world’s most popular game, Fortnite, which anyone can join without paying a penny. The same can be said of slot games, which would never be offered for free in a land-based casino, yet today anyone can have a look at these free spins offers that are at everybody’s disposal. All they need is a device and an internet connection. Technology in general has made many aspects of life cheaper (or free), and that’s just what we’ve seen in the gaming industry.
It Made It More Convenient
It’s quaint to think about now, but in the past, a person might have to queue up outside a store overnight just to get their hands on the latest release. Today, there’s not only no need to spend twelve hours queuing to buy a game — there’s no need to queue at all. Physical copies of games have been on the way out for a while, and that’s all thanks to technological improvements, which have made it possible to download games at a speed that is considerably faster than what it would take to get dressed, drive to a store, and locate a game.
It Made It a Viable Career Choice
The popularity of gaming has turned the industry into a powerhouse employer, with more than 300,000 people working in the industry in North America and Europe. Unlike the relatively small-knit teams of yesteryear, today gaming is a viable career choice that creative gamers can pursue.
It Made It a Community
There’s also been somewhat of a community in the gaming world, but in the past, it was difficult for fans to really connect. After all, unlike fans of sports teams or bands, there were no central hubs where gamers could get together. The internet now provides that central hub, and today there’s a rich gaming community that has helped enrich the gaming world. This community feel has also allowed the gaming industry to progress, too, since it allowed people who were historically underserved by games to make their voices known. While diversity in gaming still has a long way to go, it’s moving in the right direction — and that wouldn’t have happened without technology.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
