With 2.6 billion gamers worldwide, video games are sold just about everywhere – in mall stores, main street stores, dedicated video game stores, and online. In 45 years, gaming platforms have gone from one player arcade-like games played in a living room, to games participated by millions of players and viewed by millions of spectators in arenas. In 2016, the League of Legends World Competition drew 43 million viewers. If the League of Legends viewers formed a country, its population would be roughly the same size as Argentina’s. That’s a whole lot of gaming devotees.
Gaming is a large and broad business, growing at the rate of over 9% year over year, according to Kleiner Perkins. Gaming generates $47 billion dollars of revenue in the Asia Pacific, $25 billion in North America, and $17 billion in Western Europe. And gaming is not just for kids. The average age of a U.S. gamer is 35 years old.
Virtual Reality platforms now go beyond sedentary play and engage the user more completely. New immersive gaming technology is improving athletic performance. STRIVR Labs and Stanford Football, for example, use video and virtual reality to help athletes by repeatedly running plays and scenarios.
Even exercise equipment now comes with integrated interactive touchscreens. When you purchase a Peloton exercise bike, for example, you can participate in live Peoloton cycling classes streamed onto your bike’s screen, or cycle to one of Peloton’s on-demand classes. With retention rates of 95% after one year, this form of immersive, individualized group instruction is shaking up sports training.
Optimize Your Gaming Experience
Whether gaming on a gaming console, computer phone, or wi-fi connected exercise bike, the last thing a player wants to do is struggle to see – or miss – nuances on the screen because of glare or image reflections. An inexpensive NuShield Triple A Anti-glare screen protector on gaming consoles and computers, or the DayVue Anti-reflective screen protector on phones used in direct sunlight, can vastly improve the gaming experience and results. NuShield films are easy to apply, and fit virtually any device with a display screen. You also get scratch protection, protecting your screens when players get overly exuberant.
New gaming platforms and models roll-out frequently. To improve your playing experience, order your screen protector for all of your gaming devices, including gaming consoles, monitors, laptop, tablet, computers, TVs, and phone brands. If you don’t see the brand and model number listed on our site, get a custom cut film to fit the exact dimensions of your device. We make it easy for you to improve your game – on all your devices from one, easy to order online store.
What are Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and
Immersive Gaming?
Virtual Reality gaming simulates real life situations and environments via our dominant senses of vision and hearing through a headset. Games such as the Playstation VR, Samsung Gear VR, and Google Cardboard block out the room and bring the gamer to another place – in a 3-dimensional visual field. Our visual sense so dominates our other senses, that VR gamers often report feeling movement as they ride a VR rollercoaster. The technology that was originally developed for gaming and entertainment is also now used for training pilots providing a safe, but realistic practice experience. Other Virtual Reality VR platforms include HTC Vive, Oculus, Microsoft HoloLens, and Google Daydream.
Augmented Reality combines both existing reality with computer graphics, often for games used on a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Augmented reality can be as simple as displaying scores over streaming sports games, or changing scenes in movies such as Minority Report or Ironman. Most of us are familiar with Pokemon Go – the game that brought Augmented Reality mainstream. Gamers play by interacting with the real world in search of Pokemon monsters. According to Juniper Research, AR subscriptions and license fees, as well as tablets and glasses will contribute to the $5.7 Billion AR business within the next four years. With Augmented Reality, you stay firmly grounded in your real environment – with some extras added in. For kicks, check out the Pepsi Max AR bus stop display.
(Infographic: https://blogs-images.forbes.com/kevinanderton/files/2016/11/AR-Future-Pokemon.jpg?width=960)
Immersive Gaming delivers a 360 degree gaming experience, expanding the gaming experience beyond Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, by including participation with a shared set of gamers. Gamers collaborate together to find solutions to dramatic situations in gaming venues. New entrants into this space include Escape Games, also known as Escape the Room (ETR), and Puzzle Hunts. Going beyond a phone, console, computer, or headset, these games are more physical, kinetic, and dramatic.
If you live or visit Augusta GA, Jacksonville FL, Overland Park KS, Peachtree City GA, Sandy Springs GA, or Schaumberg IL, you can spend an afternoon with friends playing Sorcerer’s Secret.
10 Most Popular PC Games*
- League of Legends
- Crossfire
- New Westward Journey Online II
- Dungeon Fighter Online
- World of Warcraft
- World of Tanks
- Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds
- World of Warcraft
- Overwatch
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
9 Most Popular Console Games*
- Battlefield 1
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III
- Overwatch
- Persona 5
- Destiny
- NBA 2K17
10 Most Popular Mobile Games*
- Clash Royale
- Monster Strike
- Clash of Clans
- Game of War: Fire Age
- Fantasy Westward Journey
- Mobile Strike
- Honour of Kings
- Pokemon Go
- Lineage 2 Revolution
- Fate/Grand Order
* Source: https://www.superdataresearch.com/ as of 6/6/2017