From Multiplayer to Themed Games: PC Gaming and the Expanding Fanbase

Gaming couldn’t have begun in a simpler fashion. The first title ever created, Pong, required players to hit a pixel from one side of the screen to the other. In the years since that 1972 offering from Atari, the gaming world has evolved exponentially.

Nowadays, players are spoilt for choice with multiplayer games and immersive worlds. However, there’s still an argument for keeping things simple in some genres to appeal to the ever-expanding fanbase for video games.
 

 

Early Computer Games and Simple Graphics

People who have been introduced to gaming through today’s sprawling open-world offerings like Red Dead Redemption 2 would be incredibly surprised to see the titles that kickstarted the industry. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the games were extremely basic. Players could still enjoy offerings like Adventure and Zork thanks to the problem-solving skills required, but there’s no denying that these titles were lacking in the visual department.

As gaming has progressed, developers have often strived to make titles more complex. They want to build on what’s come before but also add new features. In some circumstances, this leads to great innovations, but other times, the newer titles aren’t as popular as their predecessors. For instance, 3D Tetris was designed as a futuristic spin on the classic puzzle game, but the 1996 release was a major flop.
 

Blackjack, Roulette, and Snake

Despite the evolution of gaming, it has become clear that players are often in search of simpler offerings among the more detailed titles. A prime example of this was when Snake became the first viral mobile game. That offering found on Nokia devices was the precursor to the booming mobile gaming market, where more basic games like Candy Crush and Doodle Jump have reigned supreme. As mobile tech has developed, the market for simpler games has remained, highlighting its huge casual audience.

The online casino industry is another great example of how humble games are still ruling the roost. Blackjack and roulette have thrived for centuries thanks to their simplicity, and the fact that players can pick them up easily. The card game does have different variations with diverse numbers of playing cards, including Double Deck Blackjack, Five Deck Blackjack, and Eight Deck Blackjack. The rules in each of these strains remain the same, however. Modern casino games show how you can mix basic gameplay with new technology, such as improved graphics that make the visuals more appealing.

 

MMORPG and Immersive Online Worlds

At the other end of the complexity scale in gaming, there are MMORPGs, which take players away into immersive open worlds. Players can pretty much live alternative lives within these, jumping into the skin of their avatar and socializing with other digital beings. This branch of gaming is arguably geared more towards a hardcore class of gamer who is happy to spend several hours a day online.

With simple mobile and casino games enjoying so much success, perhaps MMORPGs need to offer something different for casual players as well. In the future, there could be basic versions of titles like World of Warcraft to appeal to a wider demographic.

With the gaming fanbase constantly expanding, developers need to be more careful than ever to keep aspects of past offerings that players still want. People still want simplistic titles among the more complicated offerings of today, so there needs to be a mix.