The video game and gambling industry was always bound to cross paths and influence each other. As a result, both industries thrived from the trends that they spawned. Today, one of the most significant influences that the gambling industry has on video game developers and publishers are its improvements and efficiencies in player engagement. Video game developers have studied and eventually incorporated methods employed in digital casino websites or mobile apps like betway to varying levels of success. Learn how this fruitful relationship comes together and the challenges that it might face in the future.
Risks With Rewards
Some of the most popular video games, teeming with a few hundred thousand people playing actively almost all the time, have a lot of elements borrowed from digital casino websites and mobile apps like betway. When a player is engaged with the game for specific amounts of time, it serves as eligibility for certain rewards, incentivizing them of their achievements and their enjoyment of the game.
Daily rewards, for example, are excellent in this regard for both industries. In-game items in most online multiplayer games today require players to reach certain levels at best or pay with real money. By spending time in the game world every day, players get a chance to acquire these invaluable items and bonuses without shelling their resources. This is especially popular with mobile games like Clash of Clans and Mobile Legends. The same can be said on almost all casino games today on certain platforms. So long as players engage a certain number of hours or spin a few reels in slots, for example, they are incentivized with free chances or bonuses on top of their earnings.
Some online multiplayer games such as Overwatch or Genshin Impact have their own form of slots as well. Gacha games are very popular today and it encourages players to buy loot boxes that contain a number of in-game items along with the guarantee of including items with impressive rarities.
Challenges for Both Industries
As with the shared technology between the two industries, the digital gambling and video game industry also share a few controversies because of these practices. There is significant contention from many concerned parties about this practice in the video game industry, since it also mirrors the models of casino games recently. In fact, there has been significant pushback from gamers regarding this resemblance that it has been brought to courts in certain parts of the world.
This scale of publicity that the controversy earned has brought international and mainstream attention regarding the video game industry. Critics argue these mechanics exploit psychological vulnerabilities among its younger players, especially. As a result, some countries have regulated loot boxes as gambling, pushing developers to disclose odds or remove them entirely.
By borrowing casino mechanics, game developers maximize engagement as well as revenue. However, since these industries share a lot of similarities between them, it might result in necessary regulations to protect both gamblers and players.
About Author
