The online gaming industry is one of the most rapidly growing and disruptive industries, with a positive impact as it expands.Being a multi-million dollar worldwide industry, it has seen a dramatic development during the pandemic, and research shows a predominant ascent in revenue generation as well as in the number of online gaming users in India. As indicated by a report by Drishti IAS, the Indian mobile gaming industry is supposed to surpass USD 1.5 billion in revenue by 2022 and is expected to reach USD 5 billion by 2025. Between 2017 and 2020, the Indian online gaming industry developed at a CAGR of 38%, in contrast with 8% in China and 10% in the US.

Today, smartphones have evolved because of upgraded technologies like VR/AR, blockchain, and the metaverse. These new technological developments have changed how games are played and the whole gaming industry in general. Penetration of smartphones, digital payments, easy access to the Internet, and innovation has had a significant impact on the flood in the number of gamers over the long term. Skilled manpower has enabled the designers to convey cutting-edge innovations to make the experience more smooth and more charming. As per a KPMG report, over Rs. 29,000 crore is the expected revenue to be produced with more than 65 crore users by 2025 while employing over 70,000 exceptionally talented technology experts and others connected with the industry. By holding onto the boat of innovation, game designers have begun to conceptualize innovative games for the players to give them different experiences.

Innovation in designing an online game
Each industry advances through innovation fueled by development and remodeling. Online gaming has been reimagined with the use of present-day technologies, for example, game design, programming languages like Unity 3D, Solidity, C++, JavaScript, and Python, alongside machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), and user preferences to make user-friendly platforms. The importance of skill concerning entertainment is vital in designing these games. The audience assumes a critical role in moulding the trends and development of a particular game. One of the sayings, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” turns out as expected in the gaming sector because users are demanding innovation. Gamers today are constantly socializing with numerous other players while exploring the 3D world. The infrastructure designed by the game designers to make this conceivable depends on probably the most cutting-edge technologies, including super-quick 5G and cloud networking, as well as powerful processors.

Moreover, the popularity of fantasy online games and esports will impact the changes in the industry. Digital games help with acquiring assets while playing. It is a mix of participating in the game and exchanging assets that can be transferred and traded anywhere on the planet. Trading games have likewise become famous essentially as a medium considered for their security and basic ways of generating revenues. As per a report by Worldwide Asset Exchange, more than 75% of online gamers wanted to trade virtual assets for a multi-access currency to be used on different platforms. Facebook’s Metaverse, the 5G technology network, and “responsible gaming” are some of the other measures to ensure a better gaming experience for the gamer.

Developers are leaning towards programming more freemium applications and games for mobile and casual gamers. It urges the general population to use such free-to-play games and even make virtual connections with players all over the planet. Essence, a global data and measurement-driven media agency and part of GroupM, released a report on gaming in the 2020s titled “Reach, Rewards, and Medication,” which means to comprehend the full size of the opportunity and the increase a brand can anticipate from their efforts in gaming. Innovation is crucial to development in this rapidly expanding industry.

Creating a balance between innovation and affordability
The definition of partaking with gamers is consistently developing and moving towards a virtual environment to guarantee the sensation of social networking, especially in the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Breakthrough innovation requires breakthrough technology. The efforts associated with these developments include some significant downfalls and, once in a while, may not yield the ideal outcome either concerning cost or user acknowledgment. Hence, the research and development investments are not evaluated as a loss but as an experiment in progress. It’s probably expected that big investments are a necessity for new ventures to develop effectively when we see consumer adoption of symbols like Uber, Paytm, and WeWork.

Nonetheless, that is not the case; while funds are important, other strategies can facilitate development at a lower cost. For example, India’s Mars Orbiter Mission costs less than “Gravity.” The Mangalyaan spacecraft’s Mars Orbiter Mission was about “gravity,” but it cost one-ninth the price of NASA’s new Mars mission.

To accomplish improved results with minimal expense, appropriate strategy, planning, and gut feeling are fundamental. Development requires watching out for costs other than pushing to produce new solutions.

In my perspective, learning, user acceptance, and engagement should be used to gauge an innovation’s success. Innovation is iterative and the outcome of a series of experiments. Positive disruption is caused by successful innovation as measured by acceptance parameters. From an innovation point of view, it is crucial to deliver concepts with impactful and competent new resolutions. The gaming industry has a lot of opportunities for gaming enthusiasts, not only as gamers but even as developers. The future and scope of gaming are promising and bright.

Credit: Express Computer