How Technology Has Shaped the World of Gaming

If you’re old enough to remember what gaming was like in the 1980s or 1990s, you’ll know that it was very different to what we experience today. Just about every element of the medium has changed and almost all of it is down to technology.

Without tech, gaming wouldn’t exist at all and its influence continues to be huge as whenever there are changes and developments in the technology space, the world of gaming is altered.

Of course, not all changes are monumental, but some certainly are. Here are the biggest ways tech has shaped the world of gaming.

Graphics

Early video games consisted of very primitive graphics, often a single colour that depicted some basic shapes.

Over time, the technology used to generate graphics on a computer screen has come on leaps and bounds. It has been one big step forward though, instead, it’s been incremental advancements that have compounded to allow developers to create titles that have graphics so realistic they can be confused for live-action videos and photographs.

Some players prioritise graphics over just about everything else, but you don’t need photorealistic graphics to have a fun and enjoyable game.

But graphics improvements have affected gaming in more ways than you think. Of course, the ray-traced 4K imagery produced by the PlayStation 5 is one result of this, but there are others.

A notable example is in the world of casino gaming. Graphics technology has helped to bring the slot machine, which was originally invented in the late 19th century, into a modern marvel. Gone are the days when physical reels would rotate in a machine, revealing different-coloured fruits as modern versions are immersive story-telling devices.

Known as video slots, these games use the same type of graphics as a video game and allow the developers to create more exciting and engaging titles. For example, Gonzo’s Quest MegaWays goes beyond the usual reel spinning to tell a story with special symbols, cascading reels, bonus rounds, and variable multipliers. These features are all set in a Mayan theme with a central Central American forest backdrop, tumbling rocks, and stone masks.

Online Multiplayer Modes

In decades gone by, most video games were created primarily for people to play alone. They would contain multiple levels where you’d need to beat AI-driven enemies, often with increasing difficulty.

If you wanted to play with your friends, you’d have to all gather around one screen and either take turns or use a split-screen mode.

But, just like how the internet changed the way we work, it made playing with friends (or complete strangers) a doddle.

Computer users were the first to experience this delight, though it did often require a lot of work to set up and configure early multiplayer games. Console manufacturers began to experiment with internet connectivity in the early 2000s, adding multiplayer options to some games.

Since the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 era, multiplayer gaming has begun to become more prominent in titles. Over the last decade or so, most major developers have slowly shifted focus in their flagship titles, moving away from single-player modes and designing primarily for online play. Prominent examples of this include Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, and Forza.

In fact, some games like Fortnite can’t be played in single-player mode at all, requiring users to always be connected to the internet.

Digital Distribution

Technology hasn’t just changed the way we play games, it’s revolutionised the way we buy them too.

Traditionally, we would have to take ourselves to a shop, pick up a box, hand over some cash, and then carry it all the way home. That began to change when fast broadband connections became commonplace, allowing large amounts of data to be transferred in one go.

This meant that games that took up several gigabytes of space could be downloaded directly to the PC or console, allowing the player to begin enjoying their new title in just a matter of minutes.

Some developers have gone further, downloading core files first so the game will run while the download finishes.