Gaming has evolved exponentially over the last few decades with consoles, mobile, and PC gaming all attracting millions of players. However, what we are here to talk about is another area of the gaming industry that has grown significantly recently: live streaming. With many powerful devices capable of offering millions of people incredible graphics as they watch the action live, the industry has become huge.
There are now more options available to game enthusiasts when it comes to live gaming, both playing and watching. The online gaming market is set to hit $431.87 billion by 2030, but why do so many viewers tune in to watch others play?
Why Do Millions of Viewers Tune in to Watch Live-Stream Gaming?
Games are a form of entertainment, and you don’t even have to be the player. Watching internet sensations play games alone is thrilling and fascinating regardless of whether viewers will eventually play the game. Some individuals might have a favorite streamer on Twitch or YouTube who they find entertaining to watch. Statistics show that those who enjoy watching video games span different ages - Millennials, Gen X, and Boomer generations.
Another reason live-stream gaming audiences have grown by over 250 million from 2020 to 2022 is that a variety of platforms live-stream different types of games. That way, users can watch live games from expert online players to gain useful tips they can implement in their own gaming sessions. Games played on different platforms may include tricky levels that a live streamer can be stuck on. Watching a live game helps them see how it is done and maybe get the inspiration to run their own channel.
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons game enthusiasts live-stream gaming sessions is that they get to watch their favorite games being played. The e-sports industry features many players taking part in popular worldwide tournaments and winning prize money. In fact, the biggest ever e-sports prize pool, at the International 2021, amounted to more than $40 million!
Being able to tune in and witness world tournaments, see their favorite games played and watch winners get rewarded – is fulfilling for many. For example, the most-watched tournament in 2019 with over 3.9 million viewers was League of Legends.
The live-stream gaming industry is witnessing a large influx of excited gamers looking to interact with other gamers. Streaming platforms are essential in the growth of the industry, offering players many collaborating opportunities, to say the least. On these platforms, players can start competitions, exchange ideas, pass cheat sheets among one another, and just have fun.
It’s not just competitive video gaming that’s making the most of new live streaming technology: online casinos are also seeing the appeal. Today, live dealer casino games are one of the most popular genres in casinos. The best feature of this game is that dealerships are handled by real people, not computers (source: https://www.business2community.com/kr/gambling/live-casino). So, these games bring a human element to what was, for many years, a very individual and solitary gaming experience. With this technology, players can feel more than ever like they’re visiting a real casino, and can interact with their dealer as they would in a land-based casino.
Thanks to live streaming, dealers can be broadcast live to players’ homes, and players can place their bets on the game in real-time, while typing messages to the dealer and their fellow players. Unlike video gaming, live steam casino games rely on OCR (optical character recognition) to ‘read’ the cards on the table and show players the value of the bets they are placing.
As internet speeds get faster and faster and new technology like VR and AR become more mainstream, we can only imagine what might be next for the future of live stream gaming and how many more people it will appeal to.
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