Gaming review by: Kimberly Kamikazi GP004 UG2024

Review of the Gaming Market

The golden age of video gaming arrived in the 1980s when popular arcade games were released and from then the home console industry
really took off. Gaming technology has come a long way since the early days and continues to develop at a relentless pace. The gaming
industry is worth around USD 250 billion worldwide and has never been more popular. The biggest titles comfortably generate more income
than blockbuster movies. However, the sale of consoles and video games has seen a steady decline in recent years. The gaming world is
changing. Dedicated game consoles are expensive and non-portable so it is not surprising that industry growth is coming from other sources.
Gaming on tablets and smartphones is growing rapidly, as are streaming services and games played through web browsers and social-
networking sites.
Gaming is no longer a hobby exclusively enjoyed by the young. Generations of video gamers have grown up and these parents are now playing
video games with their own children. In addition to this the increased use of smartphones has changed the gaming demographic dramatically. It
is thought that 86% of internet users play games on an electronic device, and nearly every internet user has a smartphone able to run games.
The average gamer age has increased to 37 and just under 50% of the gaming audience is now made up of women. The growth in popularity of
tablets and smartphones means more people are playing mobile games than ever before.
have seen the biggest growth of any genre. The top five
GAMES gaming genres currently are:
Today's games are increasingly realistic and technologically
advanced. They feature richly textured, full-colour graphics, 1. Action Games
amazing sound and complex interaction between player and 2. Sports Games
system. There are a huge variety of games available for all 3. Adventure Games
demographics and audiences, including young children and 4. Battle Royale Games
the elderly. From action adventure games to puzzle games 5. Role-Playing Games
and simulation games to strategy games, there is truly Some video games have been criticised for glorifying
something for everyone. The majority of games are violence, cruelty and crime. There are concerns that children
designed to entertain people but they can also educate, who play violent video games may have a tendency to
inform, persuade and stimulate the user. The best-selling behave more aggressively. This has led to an age rating
games are highly-polished cinematic thrill-rides that take you system being adopted by the industry.
on an emotional rollercoaster. Outstanding graphics,
incredible storytelling and superb voice acting make the
experience similar to watching a movie, the difference being
VIDEO GAME CONSOLES
Video game consoles are a popular and cost-effective form
that the gamer controls the action. of home entertainment. They require a single purchase with
Games are categorised into commonly used game genres no additional hardware upgrades. Consoles connect to a TV
which are mainly based on their gameplay, interaction and screen which displays the graphics and plays the sounds of
category. Since 2018 simulation, puzzle and strategy games the game. A game controller is used to provide input and

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 Gaming review by: Kimberly Kamikazi GP004 UG2024

allows the player to interact with the video game, typically to interacts with the content locally on their own device.
control an object or character. Console games often get Streaming services operate on a subscription basis where
priority release months ahead of the PC version, or the users pay for access to the streamed content. As a result,
release is for console use only. gamers can purchase cheaper consoles without a disc drive
and use digital cloud gaming services to access content.
In previous decades consoles were kept in the bedrooms of
teenagers. Times have changed and consoles are now living There are many advantages to cloud gaming. For gamers
room fixtures and are used as much for watching TV as the cost of buying and maintaining a powerful gaming
playing games. New gaming consoles have the ability to computer or game console is removed. Users pay a small
access numerous streaming services and are not just used monthly fee to stream content. Keeping the technology up-
as gaming devices but are cutting edge media devices for to-date and future-proof is included in the subscription.
the whole family. Manufacturers are keen to promote their Saved data is stored in the cloud so, providing there is a
consoles as complete home entertainment systems which good internet connection, users can access their games and
stream films, play live TV, place video calls and browse the stored data from any location. These games can then be
internet. These additional multimedia features greatly played on any device. A disadvantage is backwards
enhance the functionality and everyday use of the game compatibility of older games which cannot be played unless
console. they are re-released digitally. Making past titles and historic
archives available on cloud gaming services may become an
CLOUD GAMING attractive selling point for service providers in the future. For
Cloud gaming is a method of playing video games by publishers and developers cloud gaming eliminates the
accessing remote servers. Games are no longer potential for pirating and the need for digital rights
downloaded and installed on a PC or game console. The management (DRM) since users do not actually download
streaming services send gaming information to an app or the game. It also helps lower development costs as all
browser installed on the recipient’s device. The game is players have access to the same hardware and
stored and played on the remote server but the user performance.

We live in a world where social networking and interactive gameplay are now mainstream activities. Video gaming takes place between gamers
all across the world and more people are playing quality games through a web browser or a cloud-based gaming service. It is only in recent
years that hardware has become good enough to deliver high-fidelity content. This, along with the evolution of faster, cheaper and more
accessible broadband connectivity, has made gaming accessible and attractive to more people. As internet speeds and connectivity continue to
get better and cheaper, so too will cloud gaming. With the rapid growth of cloud computing services some believe that the current generation of
home video game consoles may be the last of these devices. Time will tell whether these traditional game
consoles can survive.

Cloud Gaming