The last year has been a big one for the gaming industry – as people are at home looking for stuff to do. The top trends included the release of new consoles, the rising of cloud gaming, and the increase of online betting. Here are our trends on what the biggest gaming trends have been since March 2020.
Increasing Popularity of Online Betting Sites
The last year has seen a rise in the popularity of the best online sportsbooks and online casinos – as people look for some entertainment and a chance to win some real money. The growing demand for quality and safe online games and betting options has helped grow the selection of games and markets available. It is continuing to gain popularity in 2021, and we do not expect that trend to slow down any time soon.
Animal Crossing and Other Casual Games
Last March, the much-anticipated Animal Crossing for the Nintendo Switch was released. In a short time, the game became a cultural phenomenon thanks to its simple and relaxing nature. The game – which has sold over 30 million copies – has spawned an increased interest in games of a similar nature, such as Stardew Valley.
The trend shows there is a sizable demand for these types of games – especially when people are growing frustrated with the increase of microtransactions in full-priced games (Madden and FIFA being two of the main culprits).
The Resale Market for New Consoles
Whether it is bots or scripting software, getting your hands on one of the newest consoles (the PS5 and Xbox Series X) has been nearly impossible. To make matters worse for consumers is the fact these consoles are being sold on the resale market for a significantly higher price.
It is an interesting conundrum for gaming companies. On one side, the consoles are sold, and they are making a profit. On the other hand, it is forcing consumers to spend way more money to get the consoles, which they could spend on games and additional hardware.
As the companies generally sell their consoles through retailers – and not directly to customers – it is difficult for them to deal with this issue. And maybe they do not care, as eventually most people who want one of these consoles will be able to get one.
Cloud Gaming to Extend the Life of the Switch
As great as the Nintendo Switch – thanks to some excellent first-party games and its portability – it lacks the power to run many games (or offers a lesser version of the same games on the PS5 and Xbox Series X).
However, Nintendo is starting to use cloud gaming as a way to run some games on the Switch that would typically be unable to run.
Cloud gaming has its pros and could help the Switch last a few years longer than many predict. There are some problems with it as well – specifically, the risk of a server going down or the company shutting down the server. It also requires a consistent and reliable internet connection – meaning the Switch loses its portability when playing a game that requires a cloud connection.
Remakes and Reboots
Remaking or remastering games is nothing new – but with the Final Fantasy VII remake in 2020, the industry finally got the remake everyone was clamouring for. Now we see Nintendo remastering Skyward Sword for the Switch this summer.
Remaking games is fine – although it does sometimes feel it is something to do when you do not have any other ideas. We expect to see more games remade and mastered this year – as people look for familiarity and nostalgia.
Early Access
With developers able to release an early-stage version of their game on Stream, it is becoming easier for developers to get feedback for their product – which can change the direction of the game entirely. It can also get players excited for upcoming games – and happy to see it go in the direction they want.
It would be beneficial to see early access more to consoles – but if they are not going to make it as easy as Stream and other PC platforms, it likely remains a computer-dominated thing.
