The modern gaming industry is one that is heavily dominated by digital gaming. The vast majority of games that are currently played by the world's 3 billion+ gamers are done so online, either through gaming-as-a-service marketplaces, when downloaded from app stores or, more recently, via cloud gaming streaming services. Even the newest generation of gaming consoles are available in all-digital editions.
There are, of course, those gamers who prefer doing things a little more old-school and therefore still purchase and play physical games. But, as home entertainment in general becomes increasingly more digitalised, is it time to fully embrace online gaming?
In this article, we’ll discuss the key advantages of gaming in the digital realm.
Convenience and Accessibility
Who remembers the days of waiting months and months before the most anticipated games were released on your favourite console? And, just because a game was made available on your device of choice, that didn’t automatically mean you could get your hands on it come release day. For decades, top-tier releases would sell out in stores within the first day of launch, and in some extreme cases, gamers would camp outside, hoping to get their hands on a copy.
For the most part, the move to digital brought that agony to an end. Today, console gamers and PC gamers can purchase games instantly via their online storefront of choice and download them them within moments. Sure, there are still some games that aren’t available across all consoles immediately upon release, but for the most part, development studios and console manufacturers alike push for gamer equality.
Online-Exclusive Offers
In the digital realm, you can also access unique benefits that you won’t find anywhere else. Take the iGaming sector, for example. While casino games are readily available in brick-and-mortar venues, when played online, gamers can access exclusive benefits such as a sign up bonus offering free spins.
Furthermore, video gaming platforms and storefronts also regularly provide games that are free to download and play, while the mobile gaming segment is built on the freemium gaming model, in which players download gaming apps free of charge and then have the option to make in-game purchases to unlock new content.
Multi-Platform Play
One of the biggest innovations currently sweeping the global gaming industry is that of cross-play or cross-platform play. Cross-play can only exist through digital gaming. It essentially involves players using different consoles or gaming devices to access the same multiplayer game simultaneously, either to collaborate or compete against each other.
Cross-play is one of those innovations that has the power to truly impact gaming in a meaningful way. Everyone from casual players to professional gamers can benefit from being able to play with and against gamers on other platforms. A typical eSports tournament, for example, is contested by console vs console players or PC vs PC players. The introduction of cross-platform play would see PC gamers being able to compete against console players in the same game.
The concept of cross-play is also being strengthened by the emergence of cloud gaming. Cloud gaming utilises the same technology that powers business applications and content streaming services to enable gamers to access their gaming libraries, regardless of what connected device they happen to be using.
Widespread Access to Games
When it comes to widespread access to huge numbers of games and gaming genres, digital really can’t be beaten. While physical video games can often be ‘retired’ after a certain length of time, they tend to live on longer in the digital realm. Plus, major console manufacturers like Microsoft and Sony are making extra strides to digitise their retro back catalogues, meaning that even more games could be at players’ fingertips in the months to come.
Until then, hard-to-find games can still be accessed online via specialist platforms. The likes of GOG.com (Good Ol’ Games) and Itch.io are crammed with vintage games from decades past, many of which are DRM-free, meaning that gamers can own the games they purchase.
