Gaming will never be the same again as IoT infiltrates our everyday lives and opens up new capabilities for a broader church of users.
The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) – where billions of devices have become connected to the internet with the ability to collect and share data – is a trajectory which has shifted the lives and behaviours of people across the world.
For example, our houses and the belongings within them have become increasingly connected. This can range from security systems, air-conditioning, and kitchen appliances such as fridges and ovens.
The growth of IoT devices has expanded into gaming too, from virtual reality headsets and motion sensor devices through to IoT clothing gamers can wear to act as virtual characters in games.
So how are these new IoT devices changing gaming forever?
Fully immersed
Using IoT devices gives gaming a more immersive and often physical element. Gamers have the opportunity to play the roles of their virtual characters using IoT devices and then physically moving the characters.
IoT devices can also carry a wide array of sensors, such as touch and pressure sensors, cameras and heart rate monitors. This has the result of making gaming more immersive and physical, but there is another element to this increased sensory experience.
This is because it bridges the gap between gamers and the developers who work on the games. This is because new data sets around the gamer’s experience and reactions can be fed back to developers. By tracking and analysing these data sets, such as looking at facial reactions and speech, developers have a clearer insight into how gamers are reacting. This will impact updates and the future direction of games.
The new gamers
By no stretch of the imagination is gaming a niche interest for a certain demographic of people – there are 2.2 billion gamers across the globe, generating $108.9bn in-game revenues in last year, according to the Global Games Market Report by Newzoo.
However, the advancement of IoT devices is likely to open up new demographics of those engaging with gaming, with some doing so for the first time. This was witnessed by the popularity of motion sensor consoles which got families together, challenging each other in tennis or bowls with an IoT device in hand.
However, as IoT devices become more widely used and accepted, the barrier towards using such devices for gaming is likely to lower. The new experiences that the IoT produces will inevitability create new gamers, whether they develop a taste for active motion sensor family gaming or the immersive nature of 3D headsets for one-player gamers.
Only the best will do
As a widening market of new gamers emerge and people become increasingly comfortable with using IoT devices, there will be acceptance that the supporting technology needs to be able to handle the new capabilities.
For instance, the widening pool of gamers as discussed above may have a knock-on effect on the adoption of gaming consoles and high-performance PCs. From here, these consumers, plus the hardened gamers, will need further supporting technology to utilise IoT-enabled gaming.
These additional technology capabilities will cut across storage, graphics, endurance, speed and utilising CPU performance. One technology offering which comfortability satisfies these fresh needs is Intel’s Optane SSD 900P – a storage device created with IoT gamers in mind.
It offers work-station class performance and high levels of durability to sustain the rigours of gaming with IoT devices. Gamers want high-quality graphics, responsive gameplay, and the ability to load and store any game they want. With Intel’s Optane SSD 900P, they have peace of mind that the IoT gaming revolution will not pass them by.
In conclusion, the IoT will shift how gamers play, what we know about their gaming and the demographics which are playing. To fuel this transformation, supporting technology – such as Intel’s Optane SSD 900P – will be adopted to ensure everyone is able to harness IoT capabilities on the game of their choice.