Having made an estimated $455 billion in 2024, the gaming industry is one of the most popular and successful industries in the world. The primary reason for its consistent prosperity is the gaming world’s ability to adapt to the times while still being diverse enough to appeal to a wide range of audiences.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the key factors that affect how we approach gaming. And, in doing so, show how the gaming world itself has adapted to support the lifestyles of countless individuals across the globe.
Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is taking the world by storm, and many believe these digital assets to be the future of finance. In the US alone, 28% of adults own or have owned at least one form of crypto, and many more say they are interested in investing in the future.
With the growing popularity of crypto, the gaming industry has met the challenge in a variety of different ways by successfully incorporating crypto into their games to appeal to crypto enthusiasts and gamers alike.
One example of this is through the creation of crypto casinos. These platforms bring the exciting casino world to a gambler’s fingertips and seamlessly integrate crypto into its running. Crypto and gambling really do go hand in hand, as these casinos mean that not only can gamblers make an additional wager on the volatility of the crypto itself, but they can also enjoy the tighter security features, the massive game libraries, the almost instant transaction speeds and the generous welcome bonuses that these sites provide to their users.
Another way the gaming industry has adapted to society’s growing love of crypto is through play-to-earn games. As can be expected from the name, play-to-earn games enable players to engage in games and earn crypto and other in-game assets for doing so. Not only does this allow gamers to receive crypto for free, but also lets them trade with other users and purchase in-game assets with the crypto they have secured.
Geographical Locations (and VPNs)
Another factor that drastically affects our gaming habits is wherever we are currently based on the globe. Different countries, often even different states, have different laws about what kinds of games are legal and which are not. Additionally, some games are only available in certain regions.
On top of that, a vast number of factors including internet access, mobile signal, and the availability of electricity can affect whether or not we are able to access games and the degree to which we can. For example, some people might not have an internet connection where they live. If this is the case, though they can still play all manner of games offline, online play is off the table.
However, one thing that has been improving gaming access for people across the globe is virtual private networks (VPNs.) Not only are VPNs a great asset for gamers to increase their security while playing online, but, by encrypting their location and making it appear somewhere else in the world, effective VPNs can give gamers access to content not yet available in their own region.
Age
This is a monumental factor that affects our gaming habits and how we approach gaming in general. Various studies have suggested that individuals of different age groups are more inclined to play certain kinds of games.
Young adults are more likely to enjoy fast-paced games with a social element, games such as Call of Duty, Fortnite, or Helldivers that allow multiple players and strangers to play together in large environments. They are also more likely to try games in different genres and be more experimental with how they approach gaming due to generally having more free time.
Middle-aged adults tend to experience a shift in focus when it comes to how they spend their gaming time. This is often due to having less free time and more responsibilities than their younger counterparts. In general, they show less interest in competition based gaming, and they also tend to prefer more narrative-driven games, as opposed to ones that focus more on the social aspect.
On the other hand, older gamers tend to approach gaming for entirely different reasons. In general, older gamers don’t tend to use their gaming time to socialize with strangers or to engage with narrative-driven stories but rather as a form of relaxation. Because of this older gamers tend to favor simpler games, or even puzzle games, as these have been proven to improve the cognition of older players.
Time and Money
Finally, the two biggest factors that affect how gamers approach gaming are how much time and money they have spare. Those with a lot of time and a lot of money are likely to spend more time gaming and, as such, finding multiple different forms and genres of gaming in order to find what works for them. On the other hand, those with less free time and less spare money are likely to be much more refined in the games they choose, as well as show less freedom when it comes to how much time they can spend on gaming itself.
Those hoping to find more time to game could work on building a routine where they finish every day with at least an hour of gaming. Those who might not have the budget to game are encouraged to try free games online, or, if they already have a console, make use of second-hand game retailers.
