The Impact of Advanced Technology on Modern Gaming

There's no denying the gaming industry has experienced significant growth over the past decade, with everything from mobile gaming to esports bringing new players into the fold. The gaming industry has always been at the forefront of technological innovation, which isn't surprising considering everything about gaming involves tech in some form. When a new tech emerges, gaming studios and developers look for new ways to use it to improve the gameplay experience. 

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In recent years, we've seen artificial intelligence (AI) change everything from how people work to how businesses approach customer service. AI is also having a significant impact on the gaming industry, along with technologies like virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), cloud gaming, and cross-platform gaming. Even blockchain technology has made an appearance from time to time. In this article, we look at the impact these changes have had on how we play video games. 

Artificial Intelligence in Gaming

If you've ever stepped into an online casino and felt like it was familiar and everything seemed to coincide with your preferences and expectations, there's a good chance you were experiencing AI at work. The iGaming industry was among the first in the gaming industry to adopt AI and has put it to good use. 

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The sector uses AI in many ways, including personalizing and improving game recommendations. If the AI algorithms on one of these virtual platforms pick up on a person's preference for playing themed slots or different card and table games, the casino will recommend similar games to them in the future. When players need help, AI chatbots are there to provide support 24/7, helping them resolve issues in a timely manner. 

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Online casinos aren't the only gaming sector using AI; you'll also find it improving gameplay in traditional video games. Most gamers have experienced non-playable characters (NPCs) following predictable scripts and not adding much to a game. AI has changed all of that, turning NPCs into intelligent beings with human-like behaviors that can adapt based on a player's behavior in the game, a big change from the past. AI is also making it easier for game developers to construct the fantastic worlds we explore when playing a game. AI-powered procedural content generation makes it possible for developers to create seemingly limitless game worlds, which has increased the replayability and depth of games. AI also allows games to adjust the difficulty level based on a player's skill level and playing style, so they don't get frustrated with a game. 

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

From Meta Quest 3 to PlayStation VR2, VR is taking over gaming. When VR headsets first came out, their high price point made them inaccessible to many gamers. However, that has changed in recent years, and more and more gamers are jumping on the VR bandwagon. Developers are paying attention, and many have focused on creating video games that take advantage of this emerging technology. 

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What makes VR so attractive is its ability to transport gamers to the heart of a game, where they can explore and interact with these virtual worlds in a tangible way. AR is also becoming an important part of gaming, as Pokémon Go showed the world when it debuted in 2016; unlike VR, AR overlays digital elements onto the real world, so players experience a blend of physical and virtual experiences when playing these titles. 

Cloud Gaming and Streaming Services

For a long time, getting started in gaming was an expensive endeavor. Players had to choose between investing in a gaming PC or console, which could cost several hundred dollars or more, depending on its specifications. As one would expect, many people opted out and simply didn't get into high-end gaming. 

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Cloud gaming is changing all of that, making it possible for gamers to play AAA games without investing in expensive hardware. Now, they can stream graphically intensive titles over their device of choice, with the game running on a server located in a data center instead of their device.

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