Has online gaming changed the future of the Internet?

Predicting the future of any industry can be very tricky. Still, with something as far-reaching and established as the Internet, many moving variables span borders and cultures, bringing many differing components into place. One thing that can be said for sure is that online gaming has shaped the modern-day Internet. As many sectors within the gaming industry are continuing to grow, it’s a safe bet to say they have already had an enormous impact on how the Internet will look in the future.

Casino gaming pioneers who moulded their corner of the Internet

Two big sectors within gaming shaped the future of the Internet—video gaming and iGaming. Online casino gaming was one of the first mainstream crossover sectors to bridge the gap and onboard people in the late 20th century. 

Although it was only 25 years ago, many more people were sceptical about the rise of the Internet. It wasn’t until they could do things online with more convenience—such as online shopping or, in the case of gaming, playing at an online casino—that millions of people started to purchase home PCs. Then, the rise of mobile phones meant that companies genuinely explored the possibility of implementing the Internet on smartphones with real vigor and urgency, seeing the huge potential.

Due to the universal nature of online casino gaming, businesses compete against each other in an interesting way. Once Internet use became more common, a UK-based land-based casino no longer had to compete with two or three competitors within a five-mile radius but instead would be battling to grab and keep the attention of casino players logging on and looking to spin some roulette wheels or play a few hands of poker. 

The expanse of the Internet meant that a trusted online casino in New Zealand could compete with a top-rated online casino in the UK. Designers, software programmers, and cybersecurity experts had to ensure online casinos could facilitate safe payments and secure the mountain of private customer data they held on their servers. Once this formula was correct, it resulted in a multi-billion-dollar swarm of new customers and investors who wanted to use the Internet as their primary gaming foundation.

Video gaming entrepreneurs

The online gaming revolution wasn’t solely down to the innovation in the online casino world (although it did play a significant part). Video console gaming companies throughout the 1990s spent tens of millions of dollars trying to find ways to connect gamers from all over the world. 

Although we have seen this rolled out in casino gaming—most notably in the world of poker, where players face off against each other from all over the globe—video gaming juggernauts like Microsoft and Sony made the most substantial changes when it came to the Internet and its relationship with gaming. Those who were in their former years during the early 2000s will surely remember the excitement that came with playing against your friends online in shooters like Halo and Call of Duty for the first time, an experience that is taken for granted these days!

Of course, online video console gaming is now a given. Most games are downloadable through the console (you don’t even have to go out and buy the disc like in the 1990s and 2000s) and some of the more recent consoles don’t even have a disk drive, making games only accessible with an Internet connection. From a gaming point of view, this has changed the net as it has made the Internet indispensable and expedited the overall quality of the console. 

Again, just like in casino gaming, wherever there’s such massive potential for profit, an entire ecosystem of designers and creative minds who want to get their slice of the pie is galvanized. This means the Internet is invaluable in gaming, just as it is in so many other sectors—finance, tourism, healthcare, etc. 

Final thoughts

Nobody truly knows which way the Internet will be headed over the next decade, but most experts seem to agree that AI will play a much more significant role. In fact, some notable figures believe that AI will eventually take all our jobs. While Elon Musk has no qualifications in AI, his actual expertise comes from the field of EVs and the latest Tesla updates

Some actual experts in the field also mirror his opinion about the future of AI and the jobs it will take; it’s already become quite a prevalent issue for some digital artists and graphic designers who have issues with AI users creating images with a few clicks of a button and haphazardly entering a prompt. 

Blockchain and VR (virtual reality) could have a similar, sizeable impact. They’ve started to make some headway in gaming. Still, with all these innovations relying on the Internet, their implementation in gaming will almost inevitably change the future of the Internet and how gaming companies adapt to the latest digital innovations. With gaming intersecting with these industries, it will likely continue shaping the approach these industries and sectors take over the next couple of decades. 

We don’t know exactly what form the Internet will take over the next 25 years, but it’s almost certain that the changes ushered in by online gaming companies in the early 21st century, which have helped shape countless forms of entertainment, will continue to be prevalent and play a crucial role. Gaming is changing all the time, and becoming more and more accessible for players, due to rapid tech advances and a growing player base who are eager to log on and unwind either with friends or alone.