For those old enough to remember the 1980s, you’ll have a vivid recollection of what video gaming was like back then.
If you weren’t riding down to a video arcade to cram coins into a cabinet in order to unlock a few minutes of gameplay, you were waiting (im)patiently for a cassette tape to upload the code to your home computer.
It was a new form of entertainment back then and one that was often misunderstood. This made it a niche hobby that was typically enjoyed by younger men, a phenomenon that was reinforced by the fact that most video game companies almost exclusively marketed their products to this demographic.
Today, however, things are very different. Over the last few decades, the gaming market has opened up and now almost everyone is a gamer. Here in the UK, more than 60% of British adults play video games, with almost half of 55-64 year olds taking part.
This is great for everyone involved, but how did it happen? Let’s take a look.
Growing Choice
One of the biggest reasons why gaming is becoming much more widespread is the fact that there are many more options available to players.
Instead of the very restrictive ideas that exemplified gaming in the 1980s and 1990s, today, there is almost infinite choice. In addition to the first-person shooters, racing games, sports simulators, and platformers that were common in decades gone by, gamers have MMORPGs, battle royales, battle arenas, puzzles, casual games, open-world titles, and strategy games to sink their teeth into.
Nintendo’s DS and Wii consoles were a catalyst for this. The Japanese company created titles like Wii Sports, Nintendogs, and Animal Crossing that appealed to a much wider demographic and helped give many players their first taste of gaming.
Online casino games are a great example of a growing amount of choice for players. Instead of just offering a couple of options, most leading brands have libraries that boast thousands of unique titles.
Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in online slots. Players will typically discover that they have almost every imaginable theme to choose from, including games based on mythology like 9 Masks of Fire and some inspired by movies like Jurassic Park Gold.
On top of this, online casinos often offer their players a range of extra features such as standard jackpots, progressive jackpots, Megaways, and Link & Win. This allows them to cater to all types of players, no matter their tastes and preferences.
More Ways to Play
It’s not just the fact that there are games – there are also more ways to play them.
Back in the 1990s, gamers had two main choices: they could either buy a desktop computer or a console if they wanted to play the latest titles. Regardless of which option they went with, this meant being anchored to a desk or television.
Over time, players have been afforded more freedoms. Wireless controllers and laptops helped to improve the PC and console experience as it became possible to move around and sit in a more comfortable spot.
That was just the first step of many towards the gaming landscape of today. The biggest stride forward came when smartphones began to achieve widespread adoption as this put a new personal gaming device in the pockets of almost every adult in the developed world.
With this new luxury, millions more people have taken up the hobby.
Free Games
Another barrier in the way of some players was that of cost. Video games have never been cheap to buy and today’s AAA blockbusters can set you back upwards of £60 or £70.
Of course, there have always been ways to buy a game for less, such as waiting for it to age or purchasing a second-hand copy just like you can buy a reconditioned phone today. But the free-to-play format that was popularised by games like Farmville and Candy Crush, and embraced by Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone, has helped to bring video gaming to even more people by making it more affordable.
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