Gaming is one of the fastest-growing entertainment sectors in the world. This year, it’s expected that the Chinese gaming market alone will rake in close to $360 billion in revenue. Meanwhile, the industry is set to increase at a rate of just under $91 billion year over year until 2025.
With so much interest in gaming, from mobile titles to handheld consoles, there’s never been more room for innovation. As the industry continues to grow, there has been an influx of gaming-adjacent projects. These bridge the world of gaming with other sectors, from social media to traditional sports.
Let’s dive into some of the year’s biggest digital gaming trends, starting with live streaming at virtual casinos and ending with major fashion labels signing on eSports stars.
Live Streaming at Virtual Casinos
Live streaming technology has been at the heart of gaming’s huge expansion. That’s because live streaming helps bridge gamers with their audiences—and this is now true in the realm of casino gaming. One key reason why gamers opt to use welcome deals from casinos is to try new titles from the convenience of their home. That convenience can’t be beaten for fans of slots, blackjack, and roulette.
However, live-streaming technology has introduced a way to make the experience even more realistic. Thanks to these advances, casinos can live-stream dealers straight to their remote players. This lets players interact with the dealer and emulates the atmosphere of playing at brick-and-mortar establishments, making it one of the year’s biggest trends.
Metaverse Goes Mainstream
The metaverse has hit multiple roadblocks with gamers. First, VR technology remains out of reach for many. Second, the concept behind the metaverse still baffles some gamers. But there are signs that this is changing in 2023. Metaverse-specific VR headsets are hitting the market, including the Meta Quest. This will help onboard gamers who aren’t interested in Beat Saber as much as they are virtual simulations.
Major brands are also starting to dive into the metaverse to help build their brands. For example, Snoop Dogg has created his own unique stopover in the Metaverse. Similarly, brands from Nike to Burberry have also started to offer VR-specific integrations.
Gamification Continues Its Takeover
One of the biggest influences over the last decade has been the proliferation of gamification. Gamification means using gaming as a base for other projects, from education to fashion—it truly covers the gamut.
For example, many companies have opted to bring on gaming developers to create unique titles that onboard new employees. Studies have shown that employees are more likely to retain information when educated while gaming. Meanwhile, brands like Louis Vuitton have opted into gamification by bridging their mobile game, Louis, with NFTs—which can be used for exclusive Louis Vuitton experiences.
eSports Bridges Celebrity with Gaming
Traditional sports left their mark early on within the eSports industry. That’s thanks to the dozens of big-name athlete celebrities who invested in the industry and steered it by founding competitive teams and clubs. Today, there’s an even deeper intersection between celebrities and eSports.
Specifically, some gaming companies are being founded just for athletes and celebrities. For example, Complexity Stars has a division that’s specifically for celebs. So far, they’ve signed on names like Chicharito Hernandez from Mexico and Trevon Diggs from the US. As eSports brands expand, there will be more celebrity signings like these.
More Interactions with Fashion
So far, we’ve mentioned a few interesting partnerships between gaming and high fashion. First, the Metaverse has meaningful luxury brand experiences, including names like Burberry. Second, there are intriguing gamification projects from fashion houses like Louis Vuitton. The emphasis has been on high fashion (and big-money) sponsorships that are adjacent to eSports.
But that’s going to become a lot more mainstream in the coming year. For example, H&M recently announced a partnership with Tinx, a huge name from Twitch. While contracts between eSports celebrities and major brands will continue beyond fashion, these are currently some of the most interesting in the industry.