2020 was a tough year, but, even with all its challenges, gaming made it possible to connect with others in a world where face-to-face engagement was just no longer smart or safe. When the world was turned upside down, gaming created a sense of normality, filling a void created by travel bans, closed entertainment destinations, and social restrictions. As a result, the gaming community welcomed a ton of new gamers, indie-game titles, like Among Us, became household names, and more gamers took up content creation to meet the demand for game streaming.
With no sign of ‘normal’ social life returning any time soon, what trends can gamers look forward to in 2021?
More spectator gaming:
Siblings or friends are no longer battling it out on the couch for the opportunity to get their hands on the game controller. Rather than spending all their time playing themselves, gamers are choosing to send more time watching the pros battle it out as well. Whether it’s to marvel at leading players’ skills or to learn some new hacks and tricks to boost their gameplay, gaming is more of a spectator sport than ever, even if there isn’t a tournament on the go.
We can expect gaming to become even more of a spectator sport in 2021. Newzoo’s 2020 Global Esports Market Report shows a growing audience that’s more interested in watching gamers battle it out in the virtual world than in watching regular sports broadcasts, with significant growth expected over the next couple of years.
This is great news for gaming content creators looking to start up their channels.
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Gaming subscriptions:
Much like Netflix’s disruptive video subscription model, gaming subscriptions that allow players to pay a monthly fee to access their favourite titles, without spending a fortune on individual game copies, have continued to grow in popularity.
Heading into 2021, platforms like Xbox Game Pass will undoubtedly attract even more gamers with relatively low subscription prices and access to a library of over 100 titles by popular developers like EA and Bethesda.
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Better gaming hardware:
Levelling up as a gamer is as much about getting the best gear as it is about investing gameplay hours.
Much like previous years, gamers can look forward to more advanced gaming gear in 2021, with gaming peripherals manufactures working tirelessly to produce better, faster, lag-free equipment to keep players performing at the top of their game. Take, for example, the Logitech G Pro X Superlight, the brand’s lightest gaming mouse yet.
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