With platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video abound, streaming technology has already found its way into our everyday lives. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine we ever had to stick to linear TV programs instead of being able to simply watch our favourite shows at any given time on any device.
Now the technology is spreading its wings further and is also making waves in a different area: gaming.
From let’s play on Twitch to cloud gaming, streaming is revolutionizing the gaming industry in more than one way and is set to keep shaping the gaming market of the future.
Streamers, let’s plays and the ever-growing community
10 years have passed since the streaming platform Twitch was introduced. Back then, nobody would have anticipated what might one day become of it.
By now, Twitch has over 140 million monthly active users who watched over 1 trillion minutes of video on Twitch in 2020.
The streaming platform focussing on gaming content allows gamers to stream their games in so-called “let’s plays” live online soccer streams.
Their followers can watch them as they play and interact with the streamers and the community.
By streaming their games on Twitch, many gamers have made it to stardom and are even generating an income through their streaming activities.
Twitch has created more than just a place where users from across the globe can meet to enjoy gaming sessions together – it gave rise to a global community and even a new career path for many.
New immersive experiences
Streaming hasn’t only changed the way games are played and shared with the community. Livestreaming technology has also changed the games themselves by creating immersive experiences.
One of the most important examples is how Epic Games is using livestreaming to hold major events within their popular battle royale hit Fortnite. With the use of streaming, they create live virtual concerts within their game, bringing live acts such as DJ Marshmello and Travis Scott onto the in-game stage. It allows players to visit a concert within the game from the comfort of their homes.
A similar innovation can also be seen in the casino industry.
Online casinos have introduced so-called live dealer games alongside their repertoire of digital table games and slots.
Players can now choose one of the best Arabic live dealer casinos, which have been reviewed and listed online, to play games such as roulette and blackjack with a real dealer via a livestream safely online. This development offers an especially immersive gaming experience and brings a virtual casino into the players’ homes.
Cloud gaming is on the rise
One of the major innovations streaming technology has brought about is cloud gaming.
It’s a massive trend in the industry and is set to change the future of gaming drastically as it revolutionizes the way games are distributed, accessed, and played. Instead of downloading a game or inserting a disc, cloud gaming provides games in the cloud for players to stream onto their devices via the web.
Similar to how Netflix and Amazon Prime Video offer their libraries of films and series to be streamed online, cloud gaming uses the same technology for games.
Major companies such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Nvidia are already creating their own cloud gaming platforms with large game libraries available to be played online.
They use large data centres equipped with powerful tech to process even the most demanding video games. Players, therefore, don’t need to have their own high-tech gaming equipment such as gaming PCs and consoles at home to play as they can simply stream their games onto almost any device through the internet.
Though still in its infancy, streaming video games are becoming increasingly popular, with more companies jumping on the bandwagon.
The world of gaming is constantly changing with innovations and new technologies revolutionizing the way we play games continuously.
One of the latest trends that has seen the industry change in many ways is streaming technology.
Thanks to let’s play streams, gamers from across the world can come together online, while livestreaming is also bringing new experiences within games.
Furthermore, cloud gaming is changing the way games are distributed, accessed, and played on a massive scale and might revolutionize the industry as we know it.