Statista predicts that the market will show a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 7.89% until 2027, meaning that revenue will continue to increase exponentially.
And, with so many new and exciting gaming options appearing week after week, there’s no question about whether or not more people will be turning to gaming as their favourite pastime.
The global rollout of 5G networks, an increasing number of smartphone owners, and an interest in the ‘gamification’ of almost every task means that gaming is at the top of many people’s agendas for one reason or another.
Despite the gaming industry’s seeming dominance of the entertainment sector, though, how many times do we stop to consider what exactly is going on behind the scenes of our favorite titles?
After all, AAA console games used to take years and years to develop, whereas, these days, they take a fraction of the time and sometimes much smaller teams of workers.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the key technology helping popular gaming titles both to run smoothly and challenge dedicated players.
RNG
If you’ve never heard of an RNG, then know that it simply refers to a random number generator. There are different types of this tech, including pseudorandom and true random. Whereas a PRNG uses a computer algorithm to generate values, here, we’ll be talking about the true random RNG as this is the version most often used in the gaming industry.
A TRNG uses a physical process, often of natural origin, to generate the values which it then produces. These processes can range from the movements of a wall of lava lamps to atmospheric noise to the protons emitted by lasers. The generated values can then be used for purposes like creating passwords, encrypting messages and determining outcomes in gaming.
RNGs are behind loot boxes spawning in Fortnite, the accuracy of a shot in Call of Duty and the spinning wheels of an online slots game. In this latter example, the use of an RNG ensures a truly random result, meaning that online versions of the game remain fair and unpredictable. The reason why TRNGs work so well is because they are dealing with data which cannot be anticipated – it is truly random.
Game Engines
It is sort of like the hidden architecture within a soaring and complex building; we see the façade on the outside, with all its fancy features, but internally the design is very different.
Unreal Engine is currently the gold standard in its field. It is owned by Epic Games and has existed in one form or another since 1998. Last year saw the release of Unreal 5 so we will soon start to see games built on this advanced framework.
Its competitors include engines like Unity, upon which Pokémon GO and Hearthstone are both built, and CryEngine which, unsurprisingly, was used to develop many of the Far Cry titles.
Game engines can include animation tools, physics engines, memory management, collision detection, audio engines and much more.
Their complexity can range from beginner-level all the way up to customizable expert software which requires familiarity with different programming languages.
AI
Artificial intelligence has been having something of a moment in the mainstream lately after the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. However, AI has been an integral part of gaming for a very long time.
The most obvious example comes in the form of NPCs or non-player characters. The actions, speech and usefulness of these characters which populate a game’s world are generated through AI; the unpredictability and seeming independence of their actions leads to greater realism and more believable interactions for the player.
This isn’t the only use for AI in gaming, though. It can also help to make a game more challenging for players by matching the difficulty level with their ability, as well as keeping an eye out for bugs which would impede smooth gameplay and progression.
AI could even be called a collaborator when it comes to the development stages of creating a game. Many studios will use AI to generate content such as maps and quests in order to decrease costs, development time, and repetition, therefore bringing a more complex, comprehensive and variable title to market within a shorter timeframe.