It is fair to say that gaming is a huge sector now that has really taken off in recent years. Once the preserve of young males locked away in their bedrooms, gaming is now something that many more people enjoy. It is not just more young men getting into it now either. The whole sector has started to attract a whole new audience from female gamers to older gamers.
Gaming’s increasing popularity is reflected in the sheer amount of money that we all spend on it now globally. In 2018, the annual global revenue for the video gaming industry was just short of $135bn! Such a colossal amount shows not only how much cash we spend on gaming but also how popular it has become to a mainstream audience.
One major reason for all of this is how gaming has changed the way that we use our spare time. It has given people a fun, exciting and at times financially rewarding way to stay busy and beat boredom. But how exactly has it done this?
Playing video games
Of course, the most obvious way that gaming has impacted on our spare time is the number of people who simply play video games now. More and more people are seeing how enjoyable playing video games can be when you have a spare hour or two to fill. With such a huge choice of game genres, it is easy to find one that captures your attention. These days, rather than read a book or learn to play an instrument, gaming has given us something different to do when bored.
Playing online casino games
When you start to dig deeper into the gaming sector, you begin to see just what a wide variety of leisure activities it covers. Online casino games are a great example of this and are another way that gaming has changed how we keep busy.
People who would not have dreamt of gambling or going to a casino in the past are more than happy to have fun with these online games. This has led many people to use them in their spare time rather than more traditional pastimes. The reason behind this is clear when you think about it. Online casinos are bright, fun, easy to use, and convenient. When you add in the chance to win money and the big list of casino games on offer, it is no surprise that this type of gaming has changed how we spend our spare time.
Watching eSports tournaments
eSports is a global gaming phenomenon with a worldwide audience of almost 400 million people. Since it was developed, it has grown massively and changed how lots of people spend their spare time. Whether attending real-life tournaments or watching an online stream at home, eSports has become something that many love to get involved with now when not working or at school. With the sector expected to grow even more into the future, this is only likely to become an even bigger way to kill boredom.
Staying amused when on the move
Before mobile gaming really came alive, people had limited options of fun things to do in their spare time when out. Whether it was during the daily commute to work or waiting for friends on a night out, any time spare could be really boring. Modern smartphones changed that by allowing people to play games while they travelled or waited. From cool online slots to multiplayer titles, the digital connections and power of mobile gaming have greatly changed this aspect of our lives.
Made us more tech-savvy
Another impact that the rising popularity of gaming has had on our use of spare time is simply making us more tech-savvy. Gaming has helped many people to become less scared of technology and more familiar with using it. This means that they will use other tech-based pastimes to stay amused, such as social media or music streaming, which they may not have done before. Over time, this has changed the landscape of what a great many people do in their spare time and made gaming a real force for progress as a whole.
Gaming is cool and fun
In essence, this is why so many people love gaming. After all, we all want to do things in our downtime that are fun and make us happy. With the rise of next-gen machines, ever more awesome games, and the online nature of modern gaming, it is no surprise to see just what an impact it has had on how we like to stay busy now.