Trends in Video Gaming in Recent Years
What is Gamification? A Gamification approach means “to enrich”, but it doesn’t necessarily mean “to make more interesting”. A computer or video game is an interactive computer or video game that entails interaction with a user interface or control device including a keyboard, mouse, joystick, or light sensor to generate digital input. The resulting digital output from these activities is something that the user sees and experiences as a result of his or her interaction with the digital environment.
Gamification can be applied to many different elements of online video games, including levels, objectives, challenges, and loot boxes. It has recently been applied to the world of online shopping, which exhibits all the advantages of a well designed Gamification system: convenience, speed, monetization, sales, and player engagement. In shopping, Gamification provides the ability for shopping sites to provide their customers with more options, better service, more value, and enhanced security. In gaming, the gamer is able to participate in his own virtual economics. This adds another dimension to the experience of playing a video game.
In the last several years there has been much discussion about the relationship between shopping and gaming. Many people are calling for new legislation to force online retailers to offer more options, games, and features for their customers. Gamification has also been used in the realm of multiplayer online gaming. In the last few years we have seen an increasing number of MMORPG ( massively multi-player online role-playing games ) titles that adopt some or all of the techniques of Gamification. In fact, we have just recently seen the release of two very popular massively multiplayer online games, Rift and World of Warcraft, that use Gamification extensively.
Some people are concerned that using the techniques of Gamification may lead to the gradual destruction of the video game industry. Gamification is a natural outgrowth of the video game business, and there is no danger to the industry. In recent years, as technology advances, the complexity of many of today’s games has increased dramatically. Therefore, developers have the added benefit of being able to add more complex and engaging elements to their titles in order to keep the players interested.
Many modern gamers are also concerned that with so many different types of computer-based activities, they may be spending too much time playing entertainment games that involve time limits or other distractions. Gamification provides a way for gamers to increase the efficiency with which they engage in their chosen activities. Gamers are increasingly aware of how much time they spend playing their favorite video games, and are searching for ways to make gaming more efficient. For example, many gamers are playing online role-playing games that require them to actively take part in the storyline while developing their character.
If the growth trend continues, then there will be a greater need for new titles that require a greater level of engagement. Gamification is not only beneficial to developers, but to gamers as well. With the use of smart phones and other mobile devices, it is now possible to turn the PC into a device that can become a powerful gaming device. There will be a greater need for developers who create applications for mobile devices and electronic gaming. It is also possible that the trends noted here in november will continue into the next decade, with more sophisticated forms of entertainment and interactive games likely to emerge.