The Top Gaming Trends for 2021
2021 has been a good year for games, which all makes sense when you consider that we’ve all been stuck indoors for a year. The pandemic has kicked the gaming industry into high gear, as all the big companies and brands have seen the potential for an expanding and bustling market.
That means that we’ve had a fair few gaming trends in 2021 which is worth taking a look at. Whether these are online gambling industry trends or just general gaming developments, here are our top picks for 2021.
The Crossovers
A big trend for 2021 is the crossovers that we see in video games generally. Franchises and fandoms which we’ve never seen intersect before have come together, and it’s usually a massive nerdgasm for any fan of both.
Whether it’s properties like Minecraft and Final Fantasy making their way into the world of Smash Bros, Fortnite introducing Superman and Rick Sanchez, to Dead By Daylight’s welcoming of Resident Evil, there’s been some historical crossovers that were introduced this year.
It marks a new era for gaming, so say the majority – companies disturbing beloved characters and intellectual properties to other companies like a successful co-parenting attempt, and the fans are the ones who benefit on every level. Who doesn’t want to see Steve from Minecraft beat up Mario?
Digital Gaming
Digital gaming is pretty big at the moment, for obvious reasons. Given we’ve all been pushed indoors, it means that there are lots of situations and gaming phenomena that have jumped online. We’re now seeing companies skip the physical launches of some titles and instead venture solely into digital releases.
Easy access to digital services and ongoing sales means that the digital gaming industry is flourishing. Things like gambling have had to come completely online since the pandemic, and so people are now rushing to play at online sites.
eSports
It’s taken the eSports industry a long time to get here, but we finally have full-fledged teams at work who are all competing for the top spots.
With games like Call of Duty, Fortnite and other similar PVP activities demanding skill, concentration and reflexes to make sure that everything works out well, there’s a big potential for a flourishing industry to take root. People are flocking to see exactly what the eSports world can offer.
Now, it is true that there are a lot of different options for games, and the cash prizes can rise well into hundreds of thousands, but it’s the sheer thrill of the competition that motivates some people to participate in eSports.
Gaming Subscriptions
The subscription services of games, in general, have always been a reasonably contested part of the modern experience – with PS Plus driving online play or Nintendo Switch Online performing a similar function, these subscriptions are helping to keep everyone online and paying for the privilege.
The days of free online services are fairly numbered at the moment. While it is true that there are incentives to these online options such as reduced prices for games, the Virtual Console series for NES and SNES games, it is evident that the subscription-based service is getting more pronounced.
Plus, there’s Stadia lurking around in the background, and that’s a service that is getting more and more popular every day.
New Consoles
A gaming trend that will always be a popular choice is the use of new consoles to herald in the rise of technology. In the case of 2021, we’ve had the PS5, the Xbox Series One, and, at the time of writing, whispers of a new, updated Nintendo Switch in the pipeline.
These consoles all continue to push the boundaries out for what a video game can be, and raise the bar in the process. General reception to the consoles has been positive, and there are some hotly anticipated titles to come out. However, there has been a fair number of people who have pointed out that backwards compatibility is a thing of the past now, and the new software pushes out older online support, with the PlayStation 3 set to lose all online functionality by the end of the year.
Mobile Games
We are moving further into the domain of mobile gaming, as 2021 has introduced a flood of new successful titles. Big franchise names like Mario, Pokémon, Animal Crossing, and other similar entries have all had mobile pocket additions released, and things like Minecraft and Fortnite continue to be available on mobile.
Mobile games have garnered a good reputation for being quick, easy, and very straightforward to get involved with. Whilst the use of microtransactions has been criticised by some, many have accepted it as simply being the way of modern gaming.
Final Thoughts
2021 has brought a fair number of gaming trends to the table, and we are only about halfway through the year. It’s important to remember that gaming is constantly evolving, so it does have new facets emerging all the time.
There are plenty of trends that are waiting in the wings, and we’ll no doubt see the development of these offerings during the remainder of the year. The pandemic has forced an increase in digitization, and this will most likely bleed into 2022, as we’re not out of the woods with COVID-19 just yet.
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