Gaming is one of the most popular and lucrative sectors in the entertainment world. Since the turn of the century, gaming has become more prominent in terms of recreation and competition. In fact, the rise of eSports has turned gaming into a spectator sport for some.
Even the Olympic Committee is eyeing eSports as a potential future event, while major sports leagues like the NFL and Premier League have successful eSports branches. Moving away from competitive FPS, MOBA, and RTS games, even small hits like casual mobile puzzles, match-threes, and similar games have risen to prominence.
In fact, the rise of mobile gaming has helped push the industry to new heights. At the moment, there’s constantly a new trend on the horizon—from handheld consoles to daring new conceptual releases to developer acquisitions. But do you know which gaming sectors and categories are top-performing this year?
Let’s take a closer look at the games, hardware, and categories that have taken the world by storm.
Casino Games Consistently a Hit
In the early 1990s, casinos set up some of the first gaming platforms on the internet. Since then, the digital casino has remained a popular category for gamers—even if it receives less attention from publications. Slots, in particular, represent the bulk of casino game reach.
Some of these mini-games have been around for decades.For example, Starburst is one of the most well-known names in slots and was released back in 2012. Despite being over a decade old, players from around the world still seek out this NetEnt hit—and it’s far from the only cult slot in the casino sector.
Mobile Games Keep Rising
Similar to casino games, casual mobile titles are yet another unsung hero in the gaming world. Alongside casino hits, casual puzzles, RPGs, and strategy games rake in billions in terms of revenue. These massive figures are thanks to the accessible nature of casual games.
Not only do they have a shorter learning curve for first-time players, but casual mobile games are also easy to download—all a player needs is a mobile device. Similarly, most are free-to-play, removing any financial barriers. Despite this, developers earn big thanks to microtransactions.
The most prominent category for casual mobile games is match threes. Similar to slots, the appeal is based on the simplicity of the game and the player’s ability to get into a ‘flow’. Match-three games include hits like Bejeweled (also over a decade old), Candy Crush Saga, and Royal Match.
Handhelds Looking to Take the Lead
In terms of gaming hardware, one of the latest developments that’s shaking up the industry is handheld consoles. The first handheld consoles were released back in the 1990s—think GameBoy and Nintendo DS. But back in 2017, Nintendo took its original projects even further with the release of the Nintendo Switch.
This handheld allows players to either game with the Switch using their hands or hook it up to a monitor to game like they would with a console. In 2022, Valve evolved this idea with its Steam Deck, which offers a more traditional PC gaming experience in a handheld form.
Next year, Nintendo will release the second iteration of its Switch handheld console. Though both the original Switch and Steam Deck remain relatively niche, they mark a highly lucrative sector in the gaming industry—one that will likely grow in the coming years.
Sandbox & Open-World Games Continue to Delight
When it comes to the best-selling video games ever released, the focus isn’t on FPS or MOBA titles popularized by eSports. Instead, the focus is on freedom. Minecraft is the world’s top-selling title, which allows players to create their own games, sample those created by others, and otherwise enjoy the game at their own pace.
The same is true for open-world games like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and The Witcher. Though there’s a narrative to follow, players are allowed to explore vast worlds as they see fit. That means that, similar to casual games, the appeal of sandbox and open-world games is their more relaxed format.
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