Initially, it may be hard to see how online video games and casino games are related. One is almost as old as civilisation itself, while the other has only sprung up in the last couple of decades. However, the reality is that these two separate pastimes are intertwined, with each having an influence on the other. Here’s a look at how casino games and online video games influence each other.
Video Games Are Driving Higher User Experience in Casino Games
The video game industry is just short of $100 million in the United States alone and has been growing significantly over recent years.
Much of this growth has come off the back of video game developers continuing to offer newer and better user experiences to their customers. Specifically, the graphics and storylines of games are becoming more and more realistic and engaging, driving more interest in video games as a whole. This has had an influence not just on the size of the video game market, but also on casino games as well. While casino games used to be simply about the potential financial return, now developers have made the graphics and storylines so high-quality that playing has become an immersive experience in and of itself.
This higher quality has also led to an increase in the online casino industry, which is riding a growth wave off the back of this surge in engagement.
Casino Games Are Featuring More in Online Video Games
The influence of online video games on casino games is not a one-way street, however. The booming online casino industry is also influencing the world of video games.
Now, if you log into any online video games, particularly first-person role-playing games, and there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find an online casino within the game. Such a feature enables you to gamble for real, but within the game as the avatar, you’re controlling. This gambling will be linked to your real world account and will offer up rewards in the form of in-game purchases, or real money winnings.
Next time you’re looking to do some gambling online, try something different and do it within a video game. Two great places to start are the latest Grand Theft Auto game, or Fallout: New Vegas, both of which have online casinos with a range of games available.
Looking Ahead to the Future
Just as the hardware side of gaming is continuing to evolve, so too will the development of both video and casino games. Chances are, these will continue to overlap more and more.
The two main trends we’ve looked at are bound to become increasingly prevalent over the coming years. Casino games will continue to push the bounds and improve their user experience, while online casinos will undoubtedly become more commonplace in video games. In fact, these trends should continue to the extent that online casinos become so intertwined with video games, that they are essentially the same thing.
Players will likely be able to role-play within casinos in a manner so realistic, that it is both gambling and a video game at the same time.
