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The esports industry has steadily been moving on an upward trend to create a niche for itself, and true to its resilience, last year’s global health crisis due to COVID-19 created a platform for even greater success. As we head into 2021 and beyond, many analysts and esports enthusiasts project that online gaming will shape the gaming industry than witnessed before. Charlo Barbosa, the founder, and COO of GoodGamer, a popular fantasy, and esports gaming platform has weighed in on the discussion and shares some of his thoughts.
Barbosa says that one of the most popular trends we are likely to see is mobile gaming. He contends that the proliferation of the internet and increased mobile ownership is poised to rule the sector going forward. Even towards the end of 2019 and the entire of 2020, robust games such as PUBG Mobile and Garena Free Fire were at the forefront of winning a bigger viewership compared to PC-based games such as Dota2, a recent survey has shown. Most specifically, he has confirmed that the industry will be dominated by second version mobile casual games, which allows people to publish tournaments.
The other aspect that will be of great focus is the ability to adopt new ways of creating varied games to allow for different styles of gaming. It is comparable to the desire for casino players to play different slots. With the dramatic reduction in the advertised Cost Per Thousand (CPM) rates, those who publish games are now shifting their focus to the esports sector.
“Users are now interested in competitive social gaming experience as opposed to the conventional way involving playing against the computer,” he notes. As a serial and seasoned entrepreneur and business mentor, he has dedicated lots of his time to mentoring startups and helping them adjust to the environment. With over two decades of experience as an online marketer, Charlo Barbosa is considered a brand in the gaming industry, at least if taking the lessons from him as the brainchild behind Poker.com is anything to go by.
Industry Growth Prospects
Perhaps the question many people are asking is, “what growth prospects can we expect in the industry going forward?” And what driving forces will inform this growth? According to different studies, including the one commissioned by Insider Intelligence, the total viewership in the industry is expected to soar and grow at a compounded annual rate of 9% between 2021 and 2023 to 646 million up from 454 million recorded in 2019. Clearly, the overall esports viewership has doubled over the last three years. But something that will help to sustain this growth trend is the ability of game publishers to release socially competitive games that can create unique gaming experiences. This will mean shifting from computer-based games to more intuitive gaming.
With the changes in the working models adopted by many organizations across the world, many people are going to stay home. This means many people will be bored and have nothing meaningful to do. Consequently, they will be looking for more enjoyable and captivating ways of keeping themselves entertained and busy. Video gaming enabled by mobile phones will be a huge game-changer in the years ahead.
When viewed from the investment perspective, experts agree that the esports gaming industry presents enormous opportunities for not only game publishers but also mobile device and app developers looking to leverage the growth potential of the sector.
While it is likely that the full potential of esports will be realized after a considerable period, the growing acceptance of mobile and virtual reality gaming will be key at increasing the industry prospects. In addition, the emergence of virtual reality headsets is also a welcome trend, especially because it is a revolution in bodybuilding and fitness. In the end, the convergence of high-end gaming technology with esports and physical fitness will be the defining force for the sector.
Conclusion
Having discussed what the future holds for esports, it is evident that the growth of the sector will largely be fueled by mobile technology and the changing lifestyles of people across the globe.
