Trends in Gaming 2014

New gaming technological trends in 2014 could alter the way players experience online casinos and mobile gaming.

2014 might just be the year in which gaming will move up a generation. Advancements in virtual reality, augmented reality, second screen, mobile technologies and more are rapid and constant, also fueled by the recent acquisition of Oculus by Facebook. In this article we examine how some prominent technologies could impact the world of online casinos and mobile gaming.

Virtual Reality

Fueled by the emergence of Oculus Rift, virtual reality could become a reality by the end of this year. Using special goggles, gamers can actually be inside the game which they are playing and to experience the game world true first-person. With the emphasis online casinos put on live dealers today in order to deliver players with the most realistic casino experience they can, this could be groundbreaking. Players could rid the PC or mobile screen as an intermediary and get right into the thick of things as if they were sitting in the casino itself.

Augmented Reality

A close relative of virtual reality, augmented reality allows players to interact with a game set in their own world. What augmented reality does is enhance the player's real environment making it interactive and digitally manipulable on the device on which he is playing. Think Nintendo Wii just much more sophisticated. For online casino fans this could revolutionize the way in which games are played; imagine actually using special cards to play with live dealers or pulling a slot machine's lever by a thrust of the hand. Add to that the advancements in motion sense technology and a huge leap in the way we experience online casinos is not sci-fi at all.

Second Screen

2014 is likely to be the year of the second screen. What second screen technology essentially does is provide players with access to enhanced gaming features while during the game itself without severing the game flow. This is very useful in games incorporating map and inventory systems in which players can enjoy a seamless experience without constantly flipping screens. This could revolutionize the way in which online casino games are played by excluding many click-able options and letting players instead access them through an interactive second screen.   

Mobile Devices

Mobile devices are slowly becoming very serious gaming platforms, standing aside and unbound to the constant fight between PCs and consoles. Advanced technologies allow smartphones and tablets to run high-demanding games with top of the line graphics. While the day in which mobiles will be viewed as independent "serious" gaming platforms like PCs and consoles is still far, these are becoming serious players in the scene every day. Mobile online casino players could benefit greatly from such advancements which could make way for even more realistic and sophisticated online casino games in mobiles.

Esports

Esports, also a name for competitive gaming, is becoming more and more prominent. A global sport without any special geographic focus, it brings together players from all over the world. It wouldn't be impossible to see something akin to competitive gaming tournaments in online casinos. Online poker is already doing it, so there is no reason not to see tournaments make the switch into the big world. Nowadays online casinos hold tournaments exclusive only to their players, following the Esports trend we could possibly see huge tournaments bringing together multiple online casinos in the future with even bigger prizes.

Fiber Internet

Fiber internet is truly the new age of internet high speed. 2014 and 2015 will be big years for this technology's rollout across the USA. This could greatly affect online casino live dealers, enhancing by far the quality and speed of these experiences.