How Does Online Gaming Influence the Irish Industry?
The gaming market continues to grow and evolve, and it represents one of the fastest-growing industries on a global scale. Ireland is also not an exception. It was predicted that the video gaming market in Ireland would reach a record-breaking worth of $438.40 million in 2023.
Moreover, there are other subsets of gaming that also gained traction, including online gaming. Online gaming has gained prominence with the advent of the Internet and new technological innovations that are derived from the Internet.
Social media platforms introduced social factors in gaming as well as virtual reality technology that made gaming more immersive and created a virtual space where online gamers could meet. But, its impact is also overreaching on the Irish industry here; we will take a closer look at its influence.
What is Online Gaming
In short online gaming includes games that are partially or entirely played via the Internet. This category has many genres and subgenres, from multiplayer games to MOBA, first-shooter games, and many other titles.
Currently, there are also virtual reality games that allow you to play certain games in a virtual setting while you’re still connected with your friends. The main factor for the popularity of online gaming is the ease of access to online gaming platforms as well as the social factor, which draws many serious gamers.
Since they do not only get to play with their friends or socialize and make new acquaintances, but they also play games that are focused on teamwork and communication. Moreover, there are also browser-based games that are also accessible online on specific online gaming platforms.
They allow you to play simple games without creating an account, although that’s not the case on every gaming site. And the games are typically user-friendly and easy to play. Another aspect of online gaming that has gained prominence in recent years is iGaming platforms. The popularity of online gaming in different formats has given rise to online casino sites because they are easy to access than land-based casinos.
For example, there are based on casino websites that host a vast collection of casino games. The casino sites function similarly to other gaming sites, you will be asked to register on the platform and create an account, and then you can try your luck with a variety of games, starting from slots which come in many themes and variations, to table casino games as well as live casino games and many other options.
Impact on the Demographics
Online gaming attracts different audiences. Most of the online users are from the male population, specifically, male adults who engage in online gaming. The Irish online gaming spend is estimated to reach €536 million yearly.
Moreover, gamers In Ireland generally spend 70 minutes per day playing online games; it’s estimated that the dominant population that plays online games the most are Gen Z gamers, that play up to one hour and 40 minutes on a daily basis. Also, again male gamers are more present online with action-packed games and sports, while women spend about 30 minutes less gaming than males.
Impact on Gaming Gear
Popular online gaming also had impacts on gaming gear . You can actually play video games on your game console, computer, and of course, mobile devices are also used for online gaming; however, serious gamers typically invest in their gaming gear. In Ireland, the most purchased gaming device was PlayStation , while Nintendo NES, and Xbox followed suit.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Metaverse attracted more people to VR gaming because it takes place online and allows you to connect with other people. As a result, there are many games in based on virtual reality technology that wants to recreate the same gaming environment that emphasises socialising in a virtual setting.
Consequently, this had an impact on the Irish gaming market. It has spiked the number of virtual reality headsets because many gamers want to have an immersive gaming experience while they play any VR game.
Game Development
The popularity of online gaming also impacted the portfolio of game developers. There is an increasing number of indie game developers as well as game studious who are interested in creating online games.
That is one of the reasons why online gaming is such a successful sector because there are many opportunities to create games that appeal to different audiences and demographics, from puzzle games like Worddle to popular online games like DOTA, League of Legends, Minecraft, and many other well-known titles, so there is definitely a rise of a number of game studios and developers that continue to create online games and to further push the boundaries of innovative online games.
Summary
In conclusion, online gaming represents one of the most profitable aspects of the gaming sector. It attracts millions of users on the world, on a global scale. Also, in Ireland, there is an increasing number of online users, especially males, that want to play games online.
It’s also very accessible because only games are compatible with different browsers and game consoles. It’s also a very accessible format of gaming because online games are compatible with different browsers, game consoles, desktops, and mobile devices.
The games which are available vary from hyper-casual and user-friendly games to multiplayer games that are designed to challenge your critical thinking skills and teamwork. Moreover, there’s also a spike of online gaming platforms where you could try your luck with games of chance.
iGaming has also had a boost in popularity because online games of chance are easily accessible and mobile-friendly. So, you can actually try your luck with different casino games on your mobile device.
Otherwise, the development of the gaming sector is further impacted by the evolution of virtual reality technology and the Metaverse. In our opinion, the next step would be to create an immersive virtual environment where you will be able to play virtual reality games in a more social as well as virtual 3D setting.
