Gaming has come a long way since the days of the Atari 2600. We’ve seen the evolution of multiplayer gaming in the 1990s and 2000s. We’ve also seen the genesis of online gaming. However, the digital revolution, mainly thanks to the rise of high-speed internet, could well be changing the way that we actually play our games, full stop.
Digital gaming, from collecting to playing with others, has seen a huge spike over the past few years. Whether this is in the shape of console gaming or casino games online, the swing towards a completely digital, or virtual, interface is unavoidable. Whether you spend your evenings taking advantage of a LuckyLand Slots bonus, or playing on a PlayStation or an Xbox, you may already be feeling that change is in the air.
Is physical gaming a goner?
It’s tempting to think this. Firstly, we need to consider the way that entertainment appeals to us at home. Netflix helped to change the way that we consume media. Yes, this is a completely different side to home entertainment, but it’s a pretty good template to work from.
Video streaming slowly crept up over time. Yes, even the Xbox 360 had video-streaming functionality – but over the past seven or eight years, this side to entertainment really has become a necessity for many households. It’s a seamless and straightforward alternative to digging out a DVD player and handling physical discs. Only a few years before that, we were still watching VHS tapes!
Netflix shows us that it’s easy to just start a movie, quit, and load up something else, provided that we have a stable internet connection. Why can’t the same apply to games? The fact is, it absolutely can.
This doesn’t mean that physical gaming is completely dead in the water. What it does mean, however, is that gaming is likely to become more and more convenient over the years to come, and this really can only be a good thing.
Digital gaming libraries
There are a few solid examples of digital gaming libraries out there, though we’re really still waiting for that killer app. There isn’t a month that goes by without a brand claiming that it is serving up the ‘Netflix of Games’.
The fact is that Sony and Microsoft have offered digital game downloads for many years. The same goes for Nintendo, to an extent, with the Switch really leaping into the indie scene in the past couple of years. Digital game downloads are nothing new.
It’s games streaming, or all-access libraries, that are likely to be really interesting in the years to come. Examples of those that are striving to become the big name in this regard are Google Stadia and Apple Arcade. You could even point back to Nintendo here with its retro NES and SNES libraries, though these face criticism for a lack of content.
Digital gaming libraries are yet to fully come into their own. It’s going to be massively convenient for us to just boot up games from one system without any kind of disc swapping.
It’s not the end
The main reason why physical gaming won’t end here is that there will always be collectors. There will always be perks for having the physical edition of a game, for being able to show off the spines of your collection to your friends. Showing off your digital downloads and streamable games just doesn’t hold the same appeal.
The same goes for any kind of multiplayer gaming or even casino gaming. Yes, right now, it’s safer and more convenient to play games online. However, following the end of the pandemic, physical casino locations will likely erupt in popularity once again. There is also hope that more games will tailor to local co-op in future.
Physical gaming is a staple. It’s hard to see why it would ever go away completely. Digital gaming, download versions and streaming are nothing new. They are more convenient, yes – but there are going to be millions of us out there who still want the physical case, disc and cartridge. The same applies to Blu-ray collectors. There are even people out there who still collect VHS!
Don’t worry about losing access to physical media just yet. There will be an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to help keep this staple side of gaming alive for many, many years to come.
Ashley Rosa is a freelance writer and blogger. As writing is her passion that why she loves to write articles related to the latest trends in technology and sometimes on health-tech as well. She is crazy about chocolates. You can find her at twitter: @ashrosa2.
