The video games industry may be bigger and better than ever, but that doesn’t mean it’s afraid to take inspiration from others. Indeed, one of the main reasons gaming has become a $180 billion global empire is its ability to capture the zeitgeist. The developers at companies like Blizzard, Epic, EA, and Sony like to push the boundaries and dream up new innovations.
However, they also know how to put one finger on the pulse, and stick another up to the wind to find out what’s hot. This ability to capture the mood and embrace the latest trends is something gaming has done extremely well over the years and, in many ways, it’s the reason the industry has grown significantly.
For example, take casino-style gaming. This industry has become a much closer ally to video gaming over the last 20 years thanks to the internet. When poker, blackjack, bingo, and slots were digitized, the industry exploded.
Today, almost any adult can go online and play thousands of weird and wonderful games. Fishing Frenzy is just one example of what’s out there. This five-reel online slot is packed with features, including an interactive bonus round where players literally go fishing for prizes. What’s interesting about this slot is that it’s available via a bingo site. The online gambling industry has evolved to the point where verticals have merged and, today, players can move from bingo to slots in less than a second.
Developers Take a Chance on Chance
Video game developers have taken inspiration from this. Loot boxes are a prime example of how different verticals and concepts have been merged. Much like bingo and slots being combined into a single platform, loot boxes have been added to places you wouldn’t expect to see them. Just for clarity, loot boxes are add-ons that allow players to spend a certain amount of money and receive a random prize.
The box might contain a valuable in-game asset, it might be something less lucrative. The point here is that loot boxes contain an element of chance and they’ve clearly been inspired by the rise of online gambling. In fact, further confirmation of this comes from games such as Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA, and Konami’s Japanese offering, Ganbare Goemon Pachisuro.
All of those games feature some element of gambling. Red Dead Redemption 2 has a poker scenario, GTA has an interactive casino, and Ganbare Goemon Pachisuro is an anime-style slot machine. Again, these are all examples of how video gaming has spotted a trend and borrowed from another industry. Of course, it’s not just casino games that have shaped the industry.
Movies remain a major influence on developers, as do books, TV shows, and comics. Then, of course, there’s social media. Platforms such as Twitch and Twitter have inspired developers to incorporate interactive, social elements into their games. However, when it comes to some of the neatest innovations in recent years, casino products have definitely played their part and added an interesting element of chance to the mix.