The gaming industry is one of the most dynamic in the world. Driven by ever-evolving technology, it continues to push back the frontiers of what was once thought possible, and the pace of change is set to accelerate over the next few years. Here are some early 2024 gaming industry predictions.
Generative AI
AI has been disrupting multiple economic sectors for some time and it is on the brink of making a huge impact in the gaming world in 2024. The latest generation of AI tools is set to revolutionize gaming in several ways. This technology has many benefits, including the ability to generate dynamic storylines, freeing up game developers to come up with more intuitive and interesting narratives.
Generative AI can also reshape our idea of the NPC in gaming, allowing for more natural characters that are able to converse directly with players rather than regurgitating a set script. The possibilities for game world generation are exciting.
Casino technology
Online casinos need to adapt to technological change in order to retain customers in an ultra-competitive industry that has led to the development of increasingly sophisticated game software, mobile-compatible casino sites, new concepts such as sweepstakes casinos that offer no deposit bonuses, and an expanding list of payment options, including cryptocurrency.
We can expect all these trends to continue in 2024, but this could also be the year that the virtual casino makes an impact. VR technology has long been established across the gaming world but has yet to hit the online casino sector, although the possibilities are exciting for casino operators. The potential for virtual casinos in which players can interact with virtual casino games as well as other players, has always been just over the horizon, but it is likely to get much closer over the next 12 months.
New graphics horizons
Gaming hardware is developing rapidly and this increase in power and capability offers exciting possibilities for game developers, particularly in the area of graphics and realism. Photo-realistic graphics are already here, and thanks to technology such as real-time raytracing and DLSS our games are becoming more realistic and immersive.
Game developers are still mastering this new technology, across PC and game consoles, but 2024 is likely to be the year when we start to see some truly astonishing visuals and the establishment of a new standard of graphics and immersion.
Cloud gaming
The cloud gaming concept is not new, but it is an exciting technology that has huge potential as it becomes more common throughout 2024.
Cloud gaming, or game streaming as it is sometimes called, allows players to play games that are hosted on cloud servers, just as we access TV through streaming services. You no longer need to put a DVD into a machine to watch a movie, and gaming is moving towards the same model.
Currently, if you want to play a game, you need to be sure that your device can handle the game’s requirements and that you have enough storage space to download the game itself, which can take several hours to install, depending on your system.
With cloud gaming, this is no longer necessary. Nor will you have to pay increasing sums of money to own the latest game. Instead, you can pay a subscription fee to a cloud gaming provider and access games this way, shifting to a model that is closer to renting games rather than buying them.
The other aspect of the cloud gaming revolution we can expect to see advance in 2024 is the continuing rollout of the 5G network. With faster connections, cloud gaming becomes an even more realistic proposition for a wider group of gamers, opening up new and exciting possibilities.
Already, major players such as Sony, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Amazon have launched their own cloud gaming services, and Netflix is increasingly focusing on this form of gaming. Cloud gaming is set to be a $3bn industry by the end of 2024 and will increasingly be the way that we consume games.
GTA VI hype
Games hype is nothing new, and it is often the prelude to a backlash before a gradual settling of critical opinion. When it comes to GTA VI, however, the hype wave may break the usual model.
GTA V regularly features in the top 10 game lists and is third behind Minecraft and Tetris in the all-time best-selling game rankings. Combine that with a 10-year wait for the next installment, and you have the recipe for maximum hype. The official trailer due out early this month will be analyzed ad infinitum over the next few months, and we still don’t know for sure that the game will be out in 2024.
A corporate statement suggests we can reasonably expect it in the financial year 2024/25 but that could still mean a 2025 release and even that estimate is not set in stone. If you aren’t muting GTA VI topics on social media yet, you will be by the summer.
