Tech Trends that will Rule the Gaming Industry in 2021

Gaming has been a predominant trend in the West, but with the rise of its popularity amongst the youth, the gaming fever caught on in India as well. Further, gaming has emerged as a business sector that is proving to be immensely lucrative. The e-gaming industry is fast-paced and extremely diverse. Avid gamers constantly crave high-quality gaming experience as they aren’t satisfied with the existing technologies. To retain good players and encourage others to take it up, software developers and game creators need to keep re-inventing and executing new technologies.

As the world was gripped by the Covid-19 outbreak, people ended up being cooped up at home with a lot of time to kill. As a result, millennials resorted to playing online games, bringing the gaming world to life while the physical sporting world remained uneventful. The incredible growth of online gaming is giving rise to certain tech trends which will be ruling the roost in 2021.

Reports project that the gaming industry is poised to grow at a CAGR of 40% by 2022, scaling the total market size to US$2.8 billion. This growth will majorly be driven by mobile gaming as nearly 85% of online gaming takes place on smartphones in India. The research encapsulates the role played by edge computing market, adoption of AI and IoT, rise of AR/VR technologies and growth of mobility and other application services.

Sharing his views on the current scenario in the gaming industry, Mr. Varun Mahna, Founder & CEO, Dangal Games, a leading online gaming app, said, “The gaming world has pushed its limits to another level with each passing day. It is as easy as it sounds. In a fraction of minutes, new opportunities are created, and milestones are achieved to meet the expectations of players with the use o cutting-edge technologies. The technology trends that are going to last this year and the coming years are online transactions and payments becoming super easy, online gaming is enabling the players to enjoy games with the HD graphic experience, the latest advancements like facial and voice recognition that can adapt to the emotions of the player and the emergence of cloud gaming.”

The roll-out of 5G will prove to be a revolutionary advancement for the gaming industry. It will mean faster download speeds, improved streaming capabilities, and immersive real-time gaming experiences. Without having to install any new infrastructure, online gaming with the help of 5G will enable gamers to bolster their experience. 5G network will also nurture virtualization and foster network slices, with every slice designated for a particular purpose.

The onset of 5G will also provide the necessary boost for making mobile gaming accessible to one and all. Also, Gaming-as-Services (GaaS) model will be another rising trend that is touted to have the potential to completely transform the gaming industry. This service will enable gamers to play online games without any drop in the overall quality of the games irrespective of the device on which it is being played.

Another Indian esports start-up platform, The Esports Club has been built with the sole aim of powering esports experiences while helping grassroots community development in India and other South Asian Countries. Ishaan Arya, Co-Founder, The Esports Club, says, “The emerging trends in esports and gaming reflect precisely what audiences want in terms of participation opportunities and the kind of content they want more of. Gaming in India continues to be driven largely by mobile gaming of course; However, smartphones and easy connectivity have also driven up gaming content consumption reflected in online engagement and significant growth in esports viewership. We are also starting to see an increase in the crossover between non-gaming personalities like comedians, athletes, actors, etc and esports; with media and personalities introducing newer audiences to the exciting world of competitive video games.”

Adding to the views, Yash Pariani, CEO and Founder, Indian Gaming League, India's most popular competitive gaming and eSports league that hosts gaming tournaments online, says, “Of the several recreational options, those that required physical presence or involved larger gatherings became inoperational due to the pandemic. Therefore, options such as live concerts, movie theatres and watching sports live in stadiums – all got excluded from the set of possible choices. And the options that could be consumed within the confines of our homes did not allow the creation of fresh content. This is where gaming could provide a constructive outlet to people and supported creation and consumption in the ‘new normal’, thus gaining traction compared to other entertainment options.”