The Evolution of Gaming Through the Past Decade

The colorful world of gaming continues to evolve as more and more technological advancements are made. The video game industry is perhaps the biggest market out there for both large and experienced companies, and small indie developers. A lesser known fact is that the video game industry beats the film and music industry deeming it the leading commerce in entertainment. Such a competitive and important market is constantly on the lookout for new ways of innovation. Back in the day gaming was known as going to an arcade with a paper bag of pennies to beat the newest PAC-MAN high score. However, as new technologies were developed the industry experienced a great amount of change. Today when we mention gaming, a few things that come to mind are sitting in front of a dual screen monitor at 2:00 am with a bag of potato chips and a can of red bull waiting for your opponent to peek a corner. Or maybe sitting in a crowded stadium together with all sorts of people from different backgrounds cheering for your team to defuse the bomb or destroy the enemies Nexus. 

 

This decade has introduced the gaming community to certain things we could have never imagined. For example, the wide-spread use of virtual reality in all genres of gaming. After announcing a Kickstarter campaign to develop a new virtual reality headset which would allow the user to experience being inside game first-hand in 2012, Oculus Rift on March 28th, 2016 released their first VR headset to the public. After realizing the massive potential in this brand-new technology, many large gaming companies such as PlayStation and Xbox began developing and selling their own VR devices. During the rise of VR gaming many genres of games were being converted to be playable using these devices. From horror games to first person shooters and even old-school games like hide and seek, they were now all accessible using VR technology. Even though I do not own a VR headset myself, I have been given the opportunity to experience the technology on multiple occasions, and I can without any doubt in my mind say that it is one of the most magical things a person can ever experience. The feeling of riding a never-ending roller coaster through the mouth of a dragon or exploring an abandoned mental hospital with only the light of a small candle can drive a person crazy. Crazy enough to buy a very expensive peace of gaming equipment and spend hours on hours exploring the virtual world. 

 

However, the evolution of gaming is not only done through technological advancements. The community is what makes the industry, and this decade gamers from all around the world experienced defining moments for the history of competitive video games and the adoption of e-sports. During the early 2000’s e-sports was being ridiculed for not actually requiring any physical effort. However, this could not have been farther from the truth as the gaming community proved the world through the years 2010 through 2020. The world's biggest e-sports tournaments yet took place in gigantic stadiums proving that e-sports is much more than sitting in front of a computer screen and swiping a mouse. In 2017, one of the largest e-sports tournaments ever, took place in Beijing’s National Stadium in China. This was the League of Legends 2017 World Championship Finals between SKT and SSG. I’ve never been into League myself as it is not really the type of game I enjoy, but I was still at the edge of my seat while watching every second of the tournament. Such a big event could not be missed, and it was one of the most fascinating e-sports tournaments I have ever seen.

 

Gaming is a huge part of many lives world-wide. Some play to escape the mundane nature of life, some play to be the best and compete in the highest levels of professional gameplay. The gaming has been evolving significantly this past decade and without doubt it will continue to do so as well in the future. As we sit in front of our unique setups each day meeting new people from around the world and enjoying ourselves, we continue to patiently wait for the new best thing to change the way we play forever.