The gaming industry has had many significant turning points over the years. According to an article @ theverge.com, the first real digital video game was Stephen Russell’s 1962 creation, Spacewar! For others, it was the Brown Box after it offered a way to connect a computer (of sorts) to a TV and play. For those with shorter memories, names like Atari, Nintendo, and Sega have all been instrumental in the evolution of gaming. However, it’s possible to argue that things really changed for the better at the turn of the millennium. Since 2000, a few things have happened to make gaming bigger and better than it ever was.
Now, we could go back to the 90s and the first-ever mobile games. Tetris has been around on mobiles since 1994, while Snake really put the wheels of progress in motion back in 1997. However, these early offerings were seeds that, while sown, didn’t have much potential to grow until smartphones came along. Because of that, the real starting point for what we’ll call the “next generation” of gaming was poker and casino sites. As the 90s were coming to an end, a new concept in gaming emerged.
Old Games Become New Forms of Entertainment
By combining random number generators (RNG) with some preexisting games, developers were able to create the first online poker and casino sites. The idea quickly struck a chord with gamblers, gamers, and competitive types. Within a decade, the market was booming. The main reasons for the industry’s spectacular growth were unpredictability, diversity, and entertainment. Casino games have always been popular. Taking on the house in a game where anything can happen on the turn of a card or spin of a wheel is exciting. Software companies simply took this and ran with it.
However, what the early pioneers also understood was the power of diversity. Even in the early noughties, the internet was a place for all tastes. As such, developers needed to take a standard selection of games and build on them. So, alongside blackjack and roulette, slots started to gain prominence. With scope to invent new features, bonuses, and themes, the library of options quickly expanded. This strategy has been used ever since. For example, inside the online casino @ Betsafe.com, the lobby is now stocked with more than 1,700 games.
If You Build It They Will Come
From slots with a space theme like Starburst to virtual sports, Slingo, and live dealer tables, there is something for everyone. This level of variety is not only a testament to the evolution of gaming software but the state of the industry. In other words, modern online casinos are no longer reserved for gamblers. Today, they’re entertainment hubs where everyone, from the novice to the pro, can have fun. This is the reason the industry is now worth more than $50 billion according to the data @ statista.com. Why are modern casinos like that? Because more people have access to games than ever before.
When the first iPhone came out in 2007, it paved the way for mobile apps and, thus, games. 13 years later, in 2020, there are thousands of mobile games and more than 210 million players in the US alone. With more people no more than a touch away from some action, the market has opened up. Gone are the days when you needed a PC or console to indulge in virtual fun. This shift in dynamics is, in part, due to the rise of online casino sites and, subsequently, mobile gaming. There have certainly been many significant turning points in the industry over the years. However, in recent times at least, the noughties changed the game more than any other.
