How Online Gaming Has Changed the Entertainment Industry?
By TOI Staff November 24, 2022 Update on : November 24, 2022
Movies, music, and TV shows have always dominated the entertainment industry, up until recently gaming was a mere afterthought. However, with the advent of online gaming, all of that changed. The gaming industry has surpassed the music and film industries, generating more revenue than the two combined.
The gaming industry has redefined the entire entertainment sphere. From casual to multiplayer online video games, it seems everyone now has a go-to game they play regularly. There’s no longer a singular gamer profile; anyone and everyone can be a gamer. Keep reading to learn about online gaming’s impact on the entertainment industry.
Online Casinos
Historically, most people had to visit a casino or organize a game night with friends to play their favorite slots and table games. Technological advances have changed the landscape, with the online casino industry gaining steam. Unsurprisingly, these establishments have become popular with gamers; after all, social gaming websites like Chumba Casino offer a wide variety of table games and slots. With titles like Kraken’s Bounty, Western Gold, and Stampede Fury, there’s something for almost every taste.
TV and Movies
From The Witcher to Sonic Boom and The Angry Birds Movie, gaming has had a massive impact on the Hollywood film industry, with movie studios producing films based on top-selling titles. After watching epic movies like Star Wars, you can go home and immerse yourself in the fantasy world by playing a video game.
Netflix capitalized on the success of the Witcher video games by producing its own series on the show, which quickly became one of the streaming service’s top 10 most-viewed shows. Although it recently dropped to the number 11 spot, millions of fans have viewed it, cementing its legacy.
One of the early examples of a beloved gaming series being adapted to the big screen was Tomb Raider starring Angela Jolie. We can expect this trend to continue with Hollywood and the gaming industry getting inspiration from each other.
The Metaverse
Mark Zuckerberg announced he was changing Facebook to Meta in the fall of 2021, and since then, the impact of how the metaverse would change entertainment has been widely debated. While the metaverse promises a virtual world where we can work, play and live our best lives, it’s almost inseparable from gaming.
Although still in its infancy, the metaverse has already attracted a sizable following in the gaming world, offering many opportunities to play and invest. For those who enjoy blockchain-based games, this new world offers several crypto games, including Tamadoge for Dogecoin fans and Battle Infinity for those who enjoy the play-to-earn genre.
It doesn’t end there; the metaverse has breathed new life into games like Second Life, with fans returning to the game hoping to glimpse what the future may hold.
Esports
Few anticipated that professional gaming would reach the level it has today, with millions worldwide viewing esports competitions. Although gaming competitions date back to the 1970s, they’ve only recently become a spectator sport. Esports is so big that the top players rake in millions of dollars in endorsements, and universities offer scholarships to attract the best games to their teams.
Online multiplayer gaming is what turned gaming into a sport. A gaming PC was all that one needed to enter the competition, and soon people were watching professional gamers on Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook in the same way they’d watch a basketball or football game. Today, the esport industry is estimated to have over $1 billion in annual revenue.
The sport has grown so much that top TV networks like ESPN cover its most prominent events. For fans, the best thing about esports is they have no season, so competitions are held year-round.