In the latter stages of the 20th century, the gaming world was far more fractured than it is today. Most innovations emerged from Asia, with Nintendo and Sony pioneering the home video console, and the genius behind the remarkable success of the early PlayStation consoles and the SNES – which, for many, was the Big Bang of gaming.
It wasn’t until the middle of the 2000s that US companies kicked themselves into gear and offered a product to the US market that could hold a candle to the likes of Sony and Nintendo. That was, of course, the rise of Microsoft, which had not yet delved into the world of console gaming despite having a revered reputation within the PC gaming community.
Why am I harping on about the past? Well, hold your horses. It’s a bit of context for where the current US market is – and it could also hold clues as to where the future of the US industry is headed in the not-too-distant future.
Breaking it down into pieces
Gaming falls under a broad definition; it can mean different things depending on the type of gamer you ask. The industry is enormous, especially the online industry, which draws influence and new titles from all corners of the globe.
For instance, if your grandmother goes to play bingo on a Tuesday, she contributes to the gaming industry – if she does it online, she contributes to the iGaming sector. If your dad places a football bet, he too will be contributing. Online casinos in America are proving to be one of the fastest growing areas of the industry, buoyed by the size of the American economy and the number of casino gamers with the type of disposable income to help inject capital into the industry.
Online gambling will dictate the direction of many regulatory changes and software developments in the American gaming market over the next decade, simply because that’s what is going to generate the most revenue. It’s not rocket science. Did you watch the Super Bowl? Sports betting is in the driving seat in the US, and it feels like online casino gaming isn’t that far behind.
However, gaming is so much bigger than this. If your friend sits around playing on his Xbox in his spare time, buying games and in-game updates, he contributes to the gaming ecosystem. You get the picture, right? Okay, good.
Could VR gaming be the future?
The future implementation of technology into online gaming could take many forms. My guess? AI will play a pivotal role, and I think VR could also experience a resurgence. Well, maybe resurgence is the wrong word, considering how much money Meta continues to lose quarter after quarter in its quest to become the global leader in VR gaming.
Mark Zuckerberg leapfrogging Bezos to become the world’s second-richest individual is primarily due to Meta’s pivot toward AI and the implementation of the technology in their vast social networking empire.
VR has had a fairly bumpy road, and The Zuck continues to defy critics by keeping his name within the world’s wealthiest. He is adamant that both VR and AR will be the future of gaming. If he is correct, the current losses he is experiencing will be a drop in the ocean compared to the potential market he will tap into.
Theoretically, the mass adoption of VR gaming could make Zuckerberg the world’s richest man ahead of Musk, but there are many key considerations before we even consider that eventuality.
I’ve tried VR. It’s cumbersome, feels weighty and often requires movement from the player. I don’t know about you, but as a lazy gamer, I prefer to sit around with a pizza and play console games. The idea of jamming a VR headset over my head doesn’t appeal to me, but hey, I’m a Millennial – the world is already passing me by. What do I know?
Is AI in gaming a cause for concern?
My main beef with AI is that it removes the human element from many artistic ventures. I went to the cinema to watch Argylle, and must echo the sentiments of many reviewers who believe that AI wrote the movie – at least parts of it, anyway.
If AI could deliver authentic writing that had a bit of flavor to it, I wouldn’t be bothered, really. That’s the nature of the game – if something or someone can do something better than you, then your days are numbered. However, generative AI tools just scan information out there, and it becomes apparent pretty quickly that an AI protocol has automated the content.
AI NPC’s in video gaming
Many people may not realize that AI has been used in gaming for over 20 years – at least in console gaming. If you play against the computer on a sports game, you’re facing off against AI, but what about the NPC characters in Grand Theft Auto? Well, not quite.
However, the next GTA is set to use the most sophisticated tech to program the NPCs to exhibit movements, speech and attitudes that make them far more realistic.
If it’s used for this purpose, to enhance a gaming experience, then again, few people could argue. I wouldn’t moan about it anyway. Well, at least not immediately, but I’m sure I’ll find a negative angle after a week or two.
However, if AI starts to be used for creative endeavors, such as developing storyline ideas, then it’s a big no from me. This is mainly due to selfish interests, as it will eliminate jobs in the industry in which I work.
But honestly, it’d just make the game feel inauthentic and robotic. I don’t know – call me old school, but I prefer when human beings get together to come up with creative ideas rather than feeding garbage prompts into a generative AI app.
I can forgive people who don’t work in creative industries or don’t value the idea of things being original, but I do. However, if the money is there and the market is there, then rest assured, many will be queuing around the block to develop games solely using AI – how exciting!
Summary
If I knew what the future of online gaming in the US would look like, I’d be getting a bit of capital behind me and investing in some companies that are backing futuristic technologies. There’s just so much out there that it’s impossible to predict where the industry will be by 2030 – never mind a decade from now.
US online gaming will continue to spearhead innovation. It’s the biggest gaming market in the world and is home to some of the most innovative companies that have ever existed in the industry. Gaming may go down a mobile route or a VR route, or AI could start to develop games entirely of its own volition – who knows? But it’s definitely not going to be an industry that stagnates.
