What Does The Video Game Industry Have In Common With iGaming?

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In the late 1990s, it was evident the gaming world was evolving, and in an attempt to gain market share, Microsoft created the first Xbox console in 2001. Since then, the video game industry has turned into a billion-dollar market. (By 2025, according to the WePC website, current forecasts place the industry at $268 billion.)

Advancements in technology have turned the video game industry into a highly competitive space. As the gaming world continued to expand in the early 2000s, online versions of popular casino games were created, such as poker, roulette, and fruit machines which turned into online slots. Online casino games gave rise to today’s booming iGaming industry, which to some, looks like a competitor of the video game industry. In reality, the video game sector and the internet gave rise to iGaming; this is why the two share similarities.

iGaming vs. Video Games

iGaming provides players with the chance to win cash rewards and video games don’t, but that’s the only main difference. The rest of the industries’ relationship comes down to how both operate on the idea that individuals need strategy and patience to win. One of the best examples of the similarities between video games and casino games is poker vs. XCOM 2.

Poker players know how important strategies, such as bluffing, are in the game. In the 2016 award-winning video game XCOM 2, strategy also plays a defining role. Players in XCOM 2 start with six soldiers fighting a mass of alien species. Guerrilla warfare is the only way to fight in the game, which means every mission has to been planned masterly. Poker is similar because every gambler starts with five cards, and to win the game, the player must carefully make thought-out decisions in short periods.

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We can also compare the digital card game Magic: the gathering with online slot games. When you’re playing Magic: the gathering, a player needs skills, such as basic knowledge of cards. Contrary to popular belief, slot games are not dependent on luck, but they, too, require players to have fundamental skills. For example, players need bankroll management when they’re playing slots. They also need the foresight to select games that offer high paybacks.

Future-Oriented Thinking

The iGaming and video game industries share further similarities as they both advocate for new technologies. For instance, video games have utilized several technologies such as gesture control. According to Mental Floss, the game Warrior Wave incorporates Intel RealSense technology which lets players use their hands to lead soldiers to safety.

Like video games, iGaming platforms and online casinos also make sure to utilize new technologies. For example, some of the biggest names in the casino industry, including Betway and William Hill, use online platforms like Pronet Gaming to acquire cutting-edge technologies that help deliver optimal iGaming solutions. Keeping up with emerging technologies helps both industries grow their portfolios and retain and acquire players. Having established platforms isn't a new thing. In the gaming industry, there are developer tools that are available for people to use. Common examples include Unreal engine 4 and SpeedTree. This is the same with iGaming, and there are established platforms to help developers get a head start.

While there is still untapped potential in the iGaming sector, the video game industry doesn’t have to worry. There are more similarities than differences between these industries, and maintaining a close relationship could open a range of possibilities.