Immersive gaming worlds, where players are able to enter the world in which they are gaming, have been the stuff of dreams for gamers ever since Star Trek brought us the world of the holosuite. This depiction showed the potential that being fully immersed in a ‘real’ environment could have for otherwise fairly passive entertainment outlets.
Recently, the world of immersive, virtual reality took a huge leap forward (although admittedly not quite as big a leap as a holosuite!) thanks to the Dota VR Hub, a set of experiences that allow fans to enjoy live Dota matches and replays inside the virtual reality sphere.
What this has shown is that in a world where eSports is likely to take off in a big way, with the BBC reporting in an article that this audience will reach 600 million by 2020, with revenue reaching £1billion, there is an opportunity there to be innovative with people who are at the cutting edge of a new industry.
Why Is Immersion So Popular?
Of course, being at the coal face of emerging technology and offering a new way of watching an exciting and action-packed form of entertainment is wonderful to write about and to indulge in, but is it actually a concept that is likely to be popular with audiences? And, if the answer to that is yes, where is this evidence coming from?
The answer to this seems to be emerging from another driving force in the world of online technology: the iGaming industry. While iGaming companies are still relying on traditionally popular promotions like bgo free spins, other offers from bgo like free tickets to blockbuster boxing bouts in Vegas, and similar deposit bonuses from the likes of Jackpotjoy and Mansion Casino, a huge additional draw in 2017 for iGaming fans is brands offering a social element to the gaming experience.
Take live casino games as an example; players can interact live with the dealer in games like roulette or blackjack, building up a rapport with the dealer in a way that would otherwise not be possible unless immersion – to an extent – in the experience was possible.
Where Is All Of This Heading?
Of course while live casino games and the new Dota VR technology shows us that the future is going to be a more immersive one, it is key that these advances embrace the social side to gaming that helps to make the industry so popular. Fail to do this, and gaming will risk retreating back to the image of a nerdy 17-year-old sat in their room with a chicken pot noodle for company.
The gaming world is seemingly aware of this risk but if these new technologies are to expand, the companies and individuals developing them need to keep in mind the fact that the success of immersive technology is only going to continue if it allows those who are enjoying it to be able to share the experience and interact with others, even when it comes to watching eSports through VR tech.