The gaming industry is booming, and it figures to continue on an upward trajectory, even if some of the gameplay moves in a different direction. In addition to the boom, there has been a growth in competitiveness and the development of streaming.
When COVID-19 shut the world down for a few months and longer in some regions, it caused the gaming industry to adapt. Older generations shifted to playing online casino games to protect their own health but also to get their gaming fixed. It looks different for younger generations as they stay home to play on consoles, gaming computers, laptops, and other devices.
COVID’S Changes
With people sheltered in place in their homes to try and stay safe from a deadly virus, many turned to playing and even watching video games. Professional leagues saw growth, such as the Call of Duty League streaming on YouTube, the NBA 2K league, and other professional esports leagues taking off. But that wasn’t the only thing that changed.
It became common for everyday people to fire up Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook in an effort to build communities and even make a little extra dough on the side of their daily jobs. Some people were laid off or furloughed from their jobs, which gave them free time to find a job, and so they opted to be their own bosses in the gaming world.
More people were playing video games, and viewership grew as a result of when people got bored, especially when no actual sports were being played. From there, people started churning out content on TikTok, one of the fastest-growing social media platforms, and YouTube with short and long-form videos.
Gadgets Involved
For those who were streaming, the technology continued to improve with giveaways and improvements in those industries. Particularly with upgrading.
A few elements for those who are looking to get started streamer is to have a decent headset or a pair of headphones and a microphone. A face cam is optional but giving potential community members a face to a name is invaluable. And if someone truly wants to attempt to go full-time, getting started with that sooner rather than later is a big key.
For the more experienced streamers, there are plenty of upgrades. El Gato puts out a number of quality elements, including high-definition cameras. The capture card is a must for those who are streaming off a computer but playing on a console.
Then the El Gato Stream Deck allows streamers to pivot between scenes pretty flawlessly to create great transitions and notify viewers when things are switching up.
For the Gamers
Those who are looking to improve their skills can find a few other ways to improve their setups. Pretty soon, the older generation of consoles – PlayStation 4 and Xbox One – will be phased out. It has been two years since the Xbox Series S/X and PlayStation 5 entered the gaming world, and it has not been a priority for game developers until now to concentrate on those consoles. There are other options, like a gaming computer or laptop, too.
For competitive gamers, gone are the days of playing on a massive television, much like those would see during LAN parties before the development of the internet. Instead, gamers are trading them in for particular gaming monitors that meet the particular specifications of the devices they game on. It offers better colorways and clearer pictures. The smaller monitors also give an opportunity to see more of the picture and generate a quicker reaction time to opponents.
Upgrading headsets to noise-canceling devices will allow people to concentrate on the games themselves. There are also different controllers that can help with gameplay and Kontrol Freeks that will allow for better grips.
Gaming Changing?
With people returning to normalcy nearly four years removed from the pandemic’s start, people are becoming acclimated to the real world. A lot of companies are requiring workers to be in person. That means there is less time to play games because there is more travel.
People are also delving more into the entertainment industry, whether spending free time attending concerts, sporting events, or other events that were shuttered for months at a time. So the gaming industry may shift into more casual gameplay again.
