In many ways, video games and the online gambling industry are ideal partners. The two industries share a lot of parallels, and online casinos slot games and other game developers have started looking to their contemporaries in the video game world for inspiration. The online gaming world has changed massively since the turn of the 21st century, and online gambling is now undergoing some huge changes of its own. Let’s take a more detailed look at how video games are shaping the online casino industry.
Types of Games
One of the clearest influences you will see from the video-game industry in the online casino world is the types of games that are being developed. There’s no denying that gamblers love hitting the spin button and seeing what the reels have in store, but there is also a desire to see something a little bit different.
Many developers are taking this approach, but one of the leaders is Evoplay. The developer has thrown a lot of money into developing Star Guardians, a third-person shooter-style game that mixes classic video game elements with traditional slot action. Players can choose their character and work their way through different levels, encountering different bosses and challenges along the way.
This idea has been flirted with for years, with developers spending a lot of time and money researching how to incorporate these elements successfully. You can expect to see many more of these types of games in the future.
Several elements of video games could be used. In-game loot boxes are something that has also become popular, though the UKGC’s stance on these could mean that we do not see the online casino industry embrace them. Player customisation and creation does boast a lot of potential though, and we have already seen this with the social-casino scene in America, where players can customise players using tokens that have been won on free slots.
Social Gaming
The biggest development in online gaming this century has undoubtedly been the rise of online gaming. Players no longer need to go to each other’s houses to play with one another and can now simply log in to their Xbox or Playstation account, sit down, and take on their friends without ever leaving their bedrooms.
Social elements of online gambling have been something that the industry has been trying to crack for some time now, and it feels as though there are a lot of breakthroughs on the horizon. The rise of gamified content, especially in the sports-betting world, is one of the biggest developments. This allows players to compete with one another, often in prediction-style contests, to win prizes. The online casino industry is going to be monitoring the success of this and hoping to translate it into a casino setting.
These kinds of contests add a real social element to gambling, and it is possible that we could see an increase in the number of casino-based competitions to really capitalise on that. Allowing players to talk with one another and create communities is something that has helped push the gaming industry to the next level, and the iGaming world will want to replicate this.
Streaming & Influencers
Free-to-play games like Fortnite and Apex: Legends have become some of the biggest video games in the world, and one of the reasons for their success is streaming. Sites like Twitch have become some of the most important on the internet, as thousands of players flood to them to watch influencers and pro gamers battle it out.
The casino world has looked to replicate that, and while it has had some early success, there has also been a few teething problems. These sites allow industries to build communities and connect with their customers, which is something that the video game world has really capitalised on. Getting the endorsement of major influencers or games has helped propel games that might have otherwise been forgotten into huge hits.
Online gamblers have also begun to adopt this approach, but questionable streaming activity from unlicensed operators has led to some backlash. The industry will no doubt continue to chip away at this, and there is plenty of potential for growing online communities and really taking casino streaming to the next level.
Taking Inspiration from One Another
The relationship between video games and online gambling does work both ways and we have seen plenty of video games take inspiration from the gambling industry in the past. The two industries are continuing to grow and, as new technologies are developed, will no doubt end up closer than they have ever been.