Top Gaming Trends (November 2023)
Here are the current gaming trends of 2023 and 2024, found using our software tool and selected based on their growth and global popularity across sites like Google, TikTok, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, Amazon, and more. These are not fads, such as new movies or social media challenges – rather they’re long-term global gaming trends that are likely to see continued growth throughout 2023 and into 2024. We’ve also included our analysis on these new emerging trends below.
Honkai
Honkai is a 3D action RPG game by miHoYo and was originally released in China in 2016. The game combines a variety of genres and features gacha mechanics. It has gained popularity in the United States and Europe in recent years. … Read more
Fire Kirin
Fire Kirin is a fish shooting game that features an online sweepstakes and allows players to earn real money by winning. The overall gameplay is based on shooting as many fishes one can in order to earn coins. … Read more
AI Gaming
AI gaming is a form of gaming that involves the use of artificial intelligence or interactions with AI-controlled characters. AI gaming can be used to create games that are more challenging and realistic, or to create new gameplay experiences that are not possible with traditional gaming methods. … Read more
Betano
Betano is a fast-growing European online betting or digital sports betting company with headquarters in Greece. It is known for its seamless user experience in both sports betting and a wide range of casino games. … Read more
Blox Fruits
Blox Fruits is a popular One Piece-themed Roblox game that was released in January 2019. The game primarily revolves around obtaining Blox Fruits which are 3D objects used for combat and grinding. The fruits can be used to deal damage or impart unique abilities to players. … Read more
AirGPU
AirGPU is a cloud-based platform that allows users to run games, render 3D animations, and edit videos on high-performance computers remotely. The rise of eSports and more sophisticated games requiring advanced processing power has led to the popularity of cloud-based services for resource-intensive tasks like AirGPU. … Read more
PictoBlox
PictoBlox is a coding platform designed for educational purposes, promoting learning in Coding, AI, machine learning (ML), robotics, and AR-VR through a visually engaging user interface. A heightened societal interest in STEM disciplines is leading parents and educators to seek out engaging ways to introduce these topics to children, making interactive tools like PictoBlox stand out. … Read more
Skinport
Skinport is an online marketplace for buying and selling CS:GO skins using real money. The virtual items are not bound to the user's Steam account so it can be traded with other players. … Read more
PriceCharting
PriceCharting is a website and app that allows users to track the prices of video games and consoles over time. The site also includes a forum where users can discuss game prices and trade games and consoles. … Read more
Jellyfin
Jellyfin is an open-source software media system that allows users to control and manage their media library from a web-based interface. The rise in live streaming quality and network improvements has made the usage of media system software more seamless. With the greater awareness and concern around data privacy and control, users have increasingly turned to open-source solutions like Jellyfin. … Read more
Toca Boca
Toca Boca is a company that creates digital toys and games for children. The company’s games and apps are designed to be open-ended, allowing for children to explore and create without being restricted by rules. … Read more
Cloud Gaming
Cloud gaming is a term used for a type of gaming that allows users to play video games without the need for a traditional video game console or without having to download or install the games themselves. Games are instead run on remote servers, and users can access them through a web browser or a dedicated app. … Read more
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Xbox Cloud Gaming is a cloud gaming service by Microsoft that allows users to play Xbox games on computers, phones, and tablets. The rapid advancements in cloud technology and improved internet infrastructure globally have made it viable to stream high quality, latency-sensitive games. … Read more
Winbet
Winbet is a platform that allows users to bet on a variety of sports and other events. The site offers betting options for a variety of sports, including football, basketball, and cricket, as well as other events, such as the Oscars and the Eurovision Song Contest. … Read more
GamerSupps
GamerSupps is a website that specializes in selling supplements that are meant to improve gaming performance. The website offers a variety of supplements, including caffeine pills, pre-workout powders, and post-workout recovery drinks. … Read more
Romspure
Romspure is a site that allows users to download ROMs of popular games like Pokemon, Super Mario, and others from different consoles (e.g. Nintendo, Sony Playstation, etc.), so that they can be played on their computer or mobile phone. ROMs are deprecated game files on consoles that can be played on another device using an emulator. … Read more
PS Remote Play
PS Remote Play is a feature from PlayStation that allows users to stream and play their PS4 and PS5 games, alternating between games, viewing their console home screen and navigating the console's menus on any compatible device. The recent launch of the PlayStation 5 gaming console, which comes with enhanced PS Remote Play capabilities, has reinvigorated interest and searches for this topic. … Read more
Wired Earphones
Wired earphones are headphones that are connected to a device by a cable. The earphones are often favored for their better sound quality and noise-cancelling abilities when compared to their wireless counterparts. … Read more
MLBB
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) is a popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game where players form a team and fight against another team with the goal of destroying the opponent's base while defending their own. … Read more
War Thunder
War Thunder is a cross-platform, free-to-play combat game that involves military vehicles and spans multiple countries and eras. War Thunder's enhanced historical accuracy and meticulous attention to detail have led to robust word-of-mouth referrals, driving more and more gamers' curiosity and resulting in a notable uptick in search volumes. … Read more
Gamified Learning
Gamified learning is an educational approach that applies gaming strategies for an engaging and effective learning experience. A fascinating aspect is the rise of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, which have made gamified learning more immersive and interactive. … Read more
Duolingo
Duolingo is a language-learning platform offering 38 distinct language courses across 23 languages, using a gamified approach. The rise of solo traveling and digital nomad lifestyles has further boosted interest in language learning tools such as Duolingo, helping individuals better navigate different cultures and countries. … Read more
Xbox Storage Expansion
An Xbox storage expansion is a storage device that is designed to be used with the Xbox One gaming console. The expansion allows gamers to add more storage to the console, which can be used to store games, videos, and other media. … Read more
Blockpost
Blockpost is a 3D shooting game that features Minecraft-inspired cubic graphics. The game allows for real-time matches between players and customize their characters and arsenal. … Read more
Eneba
Eneba is an online marketplace for buying and selling digital games. The platform also allows users to buy game keys, prepaid gift cards, and game points at a cheaper price. … Read more
CDRomance
CDRomance is a gaming site where users can download ROMs and ISOs of retro games from mostly abandonware and 8-bit games up to the 6th generation of consoles (128-bit). The site also features romhacks, translations, emulators, and game guides. … Read more
Merge Game
A merge game is a game in which players are given a set of objects and must combine them to create or unlock a new item. Merging may result into acquiring bonuses, new characters, items, coins, or special treasures. … Read more
Gaming Earbuds
Gaming earbuds are earbuds that are designed specifically for gaming. The earbuds typically have a more spacious soundstage to create an immersive gaming experience and may also have features such as noise cancellation and surround sound. … Read more
Backbone Controller
The Backbone Controller is a gaming device that allows you to slot in your iPhone and turn it into a gaming console for a better mobile gaming experience. Android phones can also be hooked up using a Lightning-to-USB cable. … Read more
WeMod
WeMod is a platform that connects creators with gamers to use their Mods, which are tweaks that change how things look or behave in games. The platform is known to offer thousands of free cheats and trainers for games that players love. … Read more
Metafy
Metafy is an online platform that connects expert gamers with students for personalized one-on-one coaching to improve their skills in various online and video games. The rapid rise in competitive gaming and esports has created a demand for personalized coaching to improve gaming skills. … Read more
Earning Game
An earning game is a game where players can earn real money or in-game rewards by completing tasks or challenges. The rewards can be in the form of real money, virtual currencies, or exclusive in-game items. Earning games are designed to incentivize players to continue playing the game and to promote social interaction between players. … Read more
Ayn Odin
Ayn Odin is a handheld gaming console for Android. The device features an ergonomic grip for a more immersive gaming experience, custom analog trigger buttons, high-speed active cooling fans and passive cooling heatsink. … Read more
Blockbench
Blockbench is a free, open-source 3D modeling web app and animation editor for low poly and pixel art. The application is known for its native support for many Minecraft 3D model formats and low-poly modeling tools to easily create Minecraft models or complex pixel art. With its animation editor, Blockbench animations can also be exported to Minecraft: Bedrock Edition or rendered on Blender, Maya, or Sketchfab. … Read more
Royal Kludge
Royal Kludge is a brand known for making high-quality wireless mechanical keyboards. The company is based in China and has a wide range of wireless gaming mechanical keyboards and other gaming accessories. … Read more
Mecabricks
Mecabricks is a web-based 3D modeling platform that allows users to create, share, and customize 3D LEGO models. The platform is designed to be easy to use, with a simple interface and a wide variety of models to choose from. … Read more
Mod Pass
Mod Pass is a type of subscription service for video games that allows users ongoing access to MODS (Macros On Demand) to their existing Strike Pack controller device. The MODS achieve results that are typically too difficult to do by hand in the game. … Read more
Gaming Leaks
Gaming leaks are information or footage that is leaked from an upcoming video game. The leaks can come in the form of screenshots, videos, or game code. They often provide a sneak peak or spoilers at the game's content and storyline or reveal new features that were not announced before. … Read more
Roblox Coding
Roblox coding is the process of using the Roblox programming language to create games, worlds, and other objects for the Roblox platform. The language is based on Lua, and can be used to create a wide variety of objects. While not all users need to code, it is a skill that is becoming increasingly important for those looking to create and design in the Roblox world. … Read more
Wireless Neckband
A wireless neckband is a device that is worn around the neck to provide wireless audio. The band is typically adjustable to fit different head sizes and can be used to play music, answer phone calls, and listen to audio books. … Read more
Trend Highlight – The Growth of Video Game Playbacks
Consumers report that photo anxiety increasingly interferes with many memorable events since people are constantly wondering if they should be taking a picture rather than enjoying the experience. But as cameras and wearables get more common, it will be more and more practical to just record everything and then go back and select the best moments after the fact.
Part of the issue is that it's hard to snap a photo at the perfect second. A recent change in how iPhones take pictures solves some of this: the photo is actually a 3-second video (with the 3-second window starting just before the button press), so it's possible to go back frame-by-frame and capture the perfect moment. This idea is now extending to online games, where a new service, Gif Your Game, lets players convert perfectly-timed gameplay videos into easily shareable GIFs that they can then post on Discord, Reddit, and Twitter.
Sharable snippets have been an increasingly important driver of cultural awareness in the last few years; an apt reaction GIFs play the same kind of linguistic role today that a well-chosen Bible verse might have played in the 19th century. And media companies know that GIFs are a powerful marketing tool, a low-cost means of raising awareness, and of promoting peer endorsement.
For games, traditional GIF generation was challenging, because recording the screen could introduce performance issues during gameplay. Gif Your Game uses a different approach: it's really recording the changes in game state, not the video itself, which means that there isn't a performance hit and also that the replay can be viewed from different angles. The product can be configured to automatically record specific in-game events, so someone playing a first-person shooter can know that there will be a video of every kill, or a sports gamer will know that they can review every goal.
This doesn’t just improve performance for computer hardware, but for the gamer, too; they want to be thinking about playing the game, not about whether they should be recording. It’s a tool for gamers to never lose their best moments.
This is especially interesting because anxiety about when to enjoy the moment and when to start recording is common in the real world, too; ironically, the digital world is coming up with solutions for living in the moment faster than the analog world can. While recording everything then going back for what you want is currently restricted to gaming, cheaper cameras, storage, and connectivity mean that it will spread to other parts of life, too.
Many online media sites put substantial effort into optimizing their sharing process. For example, when a TikTok video is being viewed in a browser, ⌘-L, the hotkey for selecting the URL, gets hijacked to show a sharing dialogue instead, with prompts to post the link to various social media sites. Sharing is especially important in gaming since so many games are multiplayer; sharing a gameplay GIF is practically inviting someone to buy the game and try it out themselves.
Many image- or GIF-creating sites add a watermark to raise brand awareness, but Gif Your Game does not. Instead, the service operates on the assumption that there's wide awareness of its brand in the gamer community, and that if anyone asks how the video was recorded, someone else will chime in and say it was through Gif Your Game. This is much more organic than merely including the watermark; it’s a peer endorsement, rather than an ad.
Trend Highlight – The Rise of Supplements for Gamers
Fitness surprisingly wasn’t always popular. The Olympics inspired a running surge in the 1970s. In the 1980s, stationary bikes first started making their way into gyms everywhere. And the release of Jane Fonda’s Workout exercise videos in 1982 is largely credited with kickstarting aerobics’ popularity. In the grand scheme of things, the commercialization of fitness is a relatively recent phenomena.
As the fitness industry boomed, everything from supplements to courses took off and turned into a massive industry. The sports nutrition market in North America alone clocked in at a whopping $12.6B in 2020.
Today, gaming is a massive and growing market - some estimates size the gaming market as even bigger than the movie business and North American sports put together. Another way to look at it: Top-grossing games earn $10B+ while top-grossing movies earn low billions. Many argue too that the gaming industry is still early in its days of commercialization and, as the space gets more commercialized, gamers are increasingly looking for real life powerups.
This has created a growing category of products and brands – everything from finger sleeves which are like sweatbands for gamers’ fingers to emerging brands like GamerSupps, Gamerbulk, and G Fuel which sell what is essentially caffeine for gamers. Sometimes the biggest categories start out as a new take on an old product.
And while the gaming market is bigger – financially speaking – than most people realize, it’s also broader demographically. Women make up 46% of U.S. gamers and almost 40% of gamers are older than 35.
Trend Highlight – Gaming Coaches are Becoming More Common
If there's a large skill gap between trained and untrained players, it can be demotivating to get an accurate assessment of one's play. So Leetify, which tracks players' actions automatically and summarizes them after games, uses a different kind of metric: it calculates players' relative abilities, showing where they're stronger or weaker. In other words, Leetify tells players that someone who is as good as they are at aiming should be much better at dodging. This is a way to simultaneously provide both guidance and encouragement and, in some cases, is an alternative to a leaderboard. If you’re 99th percentile at one thing, Leetify implies, there’s no reason you can’t work up to being 99th percentile at everything. Since people develop unevenly, Leetify is always giving users something new to work on.
The rise of competitive gaming, more broadly, has created a two-tiered gaming culture. Some players just want to relax and have a good time, while others want to excel competitively. As games get more challenging, and players refine their techniques, it gets harder and harder to leave the first group and join the second.
Even for casual players, the required skill level is rising. Gen Y treats video games the way an older generation treated golf: as a way to socialize while also competing. This has led to a profusion of companies that offer training and analytics to help players build up their skills. Leetify is popular in this space, focusing on improving players' skills in a specific version of Counterstrike. Counterstrike is one game of many, and far less popular than games like Fortnite, indicating that this is a large market with room for more participants.
Trend Highlight – Why Voice Changing Tools Are So Popular Among Gamers
Voicemod, a voice changing tool for gamers, uses a creative pricing strategy and a similarly brilliant defensive SEO strategy.
For years, video games have let players customize their character’s looks. But if they chat with other players during the game using services like Steam (over 100M monthly active users), they still have their real-world voice. For a number of reasons, gamers are increasingly using products like VoiceMod to customize their voice the same way for in-game chat.
Many freemium products get caught in a classic pricing paradox where total value is zero sum so the more value you give up front to free users, the less there is to give to paid users. But Voicemod creatively gets around this.
They offer a free version of the product, which includes a set of voice modifications—but they rotate which ones are available every week. It’s free to try out identities, but costs money to keep the one you like. It’s a form of price-discrimination; VoiceMod doesn’t bother selling to people who want to use a funny voice for a prank call, but does want subscription revenue from anyone who wants to choose their online identity.
Voicemod also has a clever SEO strategy. Because they're targeting gamers, who are tech savvy, have lots of free time, but may not have much disposable income or even a credit card, they also engage in defensive SEO: their site has blog posts designed to rank for terms like “voicemod crack” and “voicemod license key download” so they can capture users who are looking for a free copy and encourage them to pay up instead.
This has been moderately successful: Voicemod is the first non-video result on Google for “voicemod crack”.
This dynamic of renting an identity holds true in realms outside of gaming: if your identity revolves around being fashionable, fit, or up-to-date on pop culture, it requires a constant investment of time and money. Cosmetics might be the most extreme example: you can use samples to look a certain way, but you have to make continuous purchases to keep your chosen appearance
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See all 3,709 Gamingtrends
