In this article, we’ll look at Japan, South Korea, and China’s contributions to the Asian gaming industry, as well as some of the cutting-edge technologies that are expected to take online gaming to a whole new level within the next decade.
Online gaming has grown from its humble beginnings in the 1980s to become a complicated powerhouse today. As a result of technological advancements, the industry has gained a more favorable reputation across the globe. When new markets enter the gaming scene, local start-ups in game development, digital finance, and cybersecurity all play an important role in the gaming industry’s successful expansion. As a result, the global gaming industry is constantly competing to develop more games, innovative gaming technology, and gaming platforms that offer safe banking and a localized customer journey.
Broader Asia & Japan
Asian countries such as Japan and China have had a significant impact on the gaming industry at different periods.
Japan
Japan has long been recognized for shaping the current gaming industry from its foundation. It has produced some of the most trusted gaming brands such as Sega, Namco, Bandai, Square Enix, Sony PlayStation, and Nintendo. Sony, for example, has been a pacesetter in the consoles sector, with its PlayStation 4 becoming the best selling and only one pairable with Virtual Reality headsets. With a successful history of Japanese video game companies, the future now lies in the casino industry. With the passage of a new casino bill in 2018, Japan is ramping up to build nine luxury casino resorts. Despite the slow implementation and numerous delays, Japan is expected to become the world’s third largest casino market once the resorts open. Ever since the casino bill was passed, new startups and existing companies in numerous industries have stepped up their efforts to bring new innovative technologies to the casino industry. As soon as it became evident that the current training of Japanese casino dealers would not be able to keep up with the employment demand, the robotic industry altered its operations to produce robot live dealers to supervise table games at these new casinos.
South Korea
South Korea has a long history of gaming appreciation, resulting in one of the world’s largest gaming industries. While Japan focuses on casinos, the South Korean government has stated plans to support the domestic eSports industry and relax regulations to ensure the gaming industry’s continued growth. Some of its biggest games in South Korea include the League of Legends, PUBG, Warcraft, and Starcraft.
China
China has transformed the modern gaming industry through its more accessible technology and unmatched presence in major gaming tournaments. China underwent rapid economic development in a 20-year timeframe, leading to a sufficient supply of high-quality, affordable chipped devices. These devices have provided more viable alternatives to console gaming, which has faced various barriers, from costly prices to the government’s ban.
While the advancement of gadgets has inspired most gaming evolution, technological firms have no choice but to keep up with the rapid technological evolution. As the gaming industry grows, gamers can expect a better gaming experience and more income sources in the future. Besides, some advancements such as facial recognition are already incorporating real-world characters in the gaming world while improving security.
AR and VR Technologies
AR and VR technologies provide a whole new way of viewing graphics, making games feel more realistic. Virtual Reality utilizes wearable technology that projects graphics to immerse the gamer in the game world. All the graphics are artificial but feel natural to the viewer due to the natural-like placement of features.
Augmented Reality, on the other hand, projects virtual objects in the real world. It merges artificial graphics with realistic views flawlessly.
However, these technologies are expensive to acquire and require supporting gadgets to complement their functionality. Hence, they might take longer to go mainstream like smartphones.
Cloud Gaming
Cloud computing is relatively new to gaming and has made it even more accessible. Unlike before, when people could only play games supported by their gadgets, today, people can access more advanced technology remotely.
Cloud providers charge for these services, which need a stable internet connection to function optimally. The system facilitates a rapid interchange of actions and feedback between the gamers and the remote devices.
Gamers may rent and access gaming technologies, enabling them to play PC and console games from lesser performing gadgets such as smartphones.
Blockchain Technologies
Blockchains are among the most controversial trends taking the world by storm. With the numerous advantages they present, cryptocurrencies are rapidly taking over the financial sector, and online gamers have more to gain.
Unlike fiat money that varies from country to country, cryptocurrencies are global and transactive between any two points with internet access. They are faster to transact and hardly traceable, unlike credit/ debit cards and e-wallets. They also eliminate the need for middlemen such as banks who charge high transactional fees.
On realizing the multiple benefits, many online casinos now accept crypto payments.
Mobile Gaming Technology
At first, mobile gaming was only a pastime activity that hardly generated any revenues. Today, mobile phones can handle complex games almost as efficiently as PCs. They have even become a livelihood source for some survey gamers.
Some mobile phone companies have gone as far as designing super-gaming smartphones, such as the Asus ROG, Nubia Red Magic, and the Xiaomi Black Sharka. Game-maker companies such as the Japanese Konami Studios are also developing mobile games that provide a console-like experience.
With their cheaper cost and wider availability, smartphones continue to replace many devices, including gaming consoles and PCs.
Smartwatch Technologies
Initially, watches were nothing more than time tellers. Yet today, you can receive calls and reply to texts from a digital wristwatch. Besides tracking your calorie burning and managing other fitness factors, you can also game from your smartwatch today.
Watches have had some of the most surprising advancements, yet the creators are still pursuing greater, including the gaming market.
Although games such as Infinity loop and Space War are already playable on the devices, more influential and complex games are yet to be supported. Their fragile operating systems and tiny, varying displays make it impossible to play such games. But the game makers are already addressing such issues to bring a standard design process similar to the smartphone industry.
With the expansion of the eSports market and mobile gaming, the Asian gaming industry is expected to grow even more. South-East Asia is predicted to have the highest growth rate in the region with 8.5%, per year on average. Thailand with large casino tourism to neighbouring countries is expected to follow Japan’s lead and modernize their casino laws in order to benefit domestically from gaming revenue rather than having their citizens spend their money in countries where gambling is legal. To summarize, the gaming industry in Asia has a bright future ahead of it!
