Source: Pixabay
In mid-2020, the global casino and online gambling industry market size reached a record total of $227 billion – and this number is growing year-on-year. Whilst many factors have contributed to these record-breaking sums, one element that deserves notable credit has been video gaming. Many new casino games produced have been directly influenced by the video gaming industry, and this has undoubtedly aided the burgeoning popularity of the online casino sector. So, what are these gaming-influenced casino games? And is this current trend of video gaming influencing online casinos likely to continue in future?
Live Streaming
Live streaming has proven a gamechanger in the video gaming industry in the last decade. Be it gaming and esports influencers from YouTube – or more recently Twitch – live streaming in the video game industry is now arguably more popular than ever. In fact, almost half of all gamers now claim to spend more time watching gaming YouTubers than they do actually playing these games themselves. Video content currently accounts for 80% of the data traffic in the world, and online casinos have picked up on this burgeoning market by revolutionising the way that we play casino games.
The live blackjack options at Paddy Power Games give players a range of themed blackjack games to play. These tables are live-streamed from actual casino studios, so rather than a computer-generated outcome, players are dealt cards by real-life blackjack croupiers. In keeping with the gaming streaming links, players of live blackjack at Paddy Power Games can also communicate with the dealers and their fellow players at the tables. This has made for an overall more social experience for players of online blackjack and has allowed players to get the feeling of live casino gambling from wherever they may be located in the world.
Source: Pixabay
Gaming Inspiration
Casino gaming developers have also looked to already popular video games – and their characters – as a source of inspiration for their new releases in recent years. The list of most popular video games in 2021 features Super Smash Bros. Ultimate a 2018 release that has sold nearly 16 million copies worldwide. The game features the instantly recognisable Donkey Kong, who has proven an inspiration for the King Kong Cash slot franchise. As well as this, Jumanji: The Video Game – a 2019 release based on the hit movies featuring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart – has been amended to suit a video slot format. The Jumanji slot uses the jungle theme of the Jumanji series, and it follows on from other movie tie-ins in slots such as Conan, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and The Naked Gun.
Live-streamed blackjack gaming, and slot games using video game tie-ins, are just two of the ways that casino games have been directly influenced by video gaming in recent years. While the connection between these two online behemoths continues to prove mutually beneficial for both parties, it can be expected that the current trend of video gaming influencing new casino products to continue for at least the foreseeable future.