Whilst we all love playing a board game with a bunch of our nearest and dearest, all just surrounding a table for a few hours and switching off from the outside world, it’s a sad fact that a lot of people struggle to make the time to be able to do that consistently. Add in the fact that people for the past year or so have been more restricted to their own homes, so it’s no wonder that the popularity of online gaming is constantly soaring.
There were, reportedly, a staggering 2.69 billion video game players worldwide in 2020, and that number is only set to grow, with predictions of it rising to 3.07 billion by 2023. Furthermore the fact that most people have a pretty decent handheld gaming device on them constantly, with it coming in the form of their smartphone, and it seems nowadays more people play video games than not.
Online gaming is an extension of this, as it allows users to connect with each other whilst being apart, so friends can play against each other, even when they’re at opposite ends of a town, country, or even the planet.
Here, then, is a quick look at some of the most popular online games and trends.
Battle Royale
For the past few years, battle royale games have truly been king. The main gameplay factors around being parachuted into a map area with many other players, and then it being a fight to the death and the last player standing wins. The best games all incorporate survival skills, exploration of areas, good combat systems, and if playing as a team, a good interface that makes it possible to communicate with your teammates.
The two most popular games in the genre are Fortnite and Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (or PUBG for short). Fortnite was released in 2017, and a huge part of its appeal is that it is extremely cartoony and great fun for kids to play. The game had over 350 million registered players back in 2020. PUBG came out in 2016, and is more realistic in tone than Fortnite, which makes it a more popular choice for older teenagers and young-adults. It had sold 70 million copies of the game on multiple formats by July 2020.
One of the biggest reasons that these games are so insanely popular is because they are easy to pick up and play for a short amount of time. You can grab a controller or boot it up on your phone, and play a couple of rounds in less than thirty minutes. This allows people to fit in the gaming around their busy lives.
World Building
It’s not all high-octane shooting and fighting to the death that is popular with people playing online games though. Games like Minecraft, where players can build and craft entire complex worlds with their friends, is a huge part of the online gaming scene. Minecraft came out in 2011, but still manages to rake in a massive audience, and it is reported as having an incredible 140 million players worldwide.
Obviously there are advantages and disadvantages to playing online games, but games like this allow a player to switch off from the harsh realities of life for however long they desire and get lost in a world made of their own terms. It’s also a great way to build creative skills, as the user will be able to look at the blank canvas of a world and craft anything that their imagination can concoct. It also encourages patience and reward as players will have to mine for the materials needed to build their magnificent creations. There’s no wonder, then, that the game is still going strong more than ten years after its first release, and shows no signs of slowing down.
Games for Grownups
It’s easy to think that most of the people playing online games are kids or teenagers, but there are lots of games that are designed for adults to enjoy. One of the biggest trends in online gaming aimed at adults is online casino games. With many adults being big fans of gambling, but unable to get to a casino regularly, the internet brings all the thrills and excitement to them. The casino and online gambling sector worldwide was estimated at roughly 262 billion U.S. dollars in 2019, which is a lot of online gamblers and casino game players.
Top websites like Vegas Slots Online even put together a comprehensive list of all the best online casinos. This makes it easier for gambling fans to get the most deals and they can even claim the best and greatest casino bonuses on offer. They choose the bonuses based on their fair terms and wagering requirements, making it easier for players to keep hold of what they win.