The video game industry has entered a golden age characterized by some truly incredible technological advancements as the 21st century marches on. This new golden era of video game development is marked by an even more immersive experience that is able to weave movement, tactile sensory input, and virtual reality into the intricate storylines of these games. Soon, some of these games might even be indistinguishable from reality with the growing influence of virtual reality. The industry is going to be much more exciting for players in the future as companies work feverishly to push the boundaries of what can be experienced in their games. Let’s explore some of the most popular video games below.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are at the forefront of this gaming revolution. These technologies are pushing the limits of immersion to new heights and changing the industry standards of what constitutes a high quality game. Some users may soon find that the most sophisticated video games are indistinguishable from reality due to haptic technology and digital images that are directly overlaid onto the gamer’s vision. More than 100 million customers are expected to use these immersive experiences globally by 2027. In the AR/VR space right now, titles like War Thunder, Phasmophobia, and VRChat are setting the standard and giving players a taste of what’s to come.
Exergaming, also referred to as fitness gaming, is on the rise and is drawing in players looking for an active and health-conscious experience. Players in this genre must physically move in order to interact with the game. Movement-based technology is the cornerstone for this by converting real-world actions into virtual ones. Well-known games like WiiFit and Just Dance operate by having users move their controllers in time with their virtual avatars on the screen. Fitness games’ interactive features are appealing to many gamers, which is expected to propel the VR fitness market’s 40% growth over the next six years.
All of these breakthroughs in the video game landscape will not be experienced equally around the entire world. Some nations have stronger preferences for different genres and titles of games, compared to their neighboring countries. Sometimes this is reflective of the existing culture of a country. For example, the United States’ most played game is Madden, which is unsurprising considering that the US loves football more than any other sport. Meanwhile, FIFA is the most purchased video game in the world, with over 325 million copies sold. This is reflective of the fact that soccer is the dominant worldwide sport in every other country besides America. Individual countries have their own top picks as well. Australia loves Legend of Zelda, Japan loves the strategy based Pikmin, and Russia favors God of War: Ragnarok.
Gaming preferences are found to be diverse even within the United States as well. Every state in the union has a state-specific favorite game that might not be shared with their direct neighbors. For example, California loves Undisputed, a boxing game designed for fans of combat. Connecticut leans toward the world-building potential of Minecraft, Colorado embraces the superhero nostalgia of Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Delaware finds The Last of Us’s post-zombie apocalyptic story to be engaging. The Last of Us seems to be especially popular across the nation, being the top pick for four other states as well: Georgia, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and South Carolina.
In conclusion, players have a wide range of options in the gaming market, and more are sure to come as technology continues to advance. The AR/VR space is especially exciting, as video games will soon even start to blur the fabric of our reality. It is an exciting time to be a gamer, and many people around the world will soon see the draw of this form of entertainment.