Not all games are created the same. Starters and veterans alike should know the basic differences among different online mobile games available if they want to achieve their gaming objectives. Whether you want to monetize your plays, or sharpen your minds as you unsheath your swords, or just casually kill time with crosswords or match three casual games– it’s essential to know how they are different and where you want to spend your time in.
The stay-at-home set-up brought about by the pandemic forced people to forego their usual activities and adapt new types of lifestyles. Almost every social interaction and activity had to be done over the Internet. Thus, developers of computer and mobile applications offered products to provide consumers a semblance of normalcy in school and work activities. The variety of digital products also introduced new modes of fun, entertainment, and leisure activities.
In fact, the global increase in online activities gave birth to new industries and propelled some into dominance. One of these is the global online gaming market that gained a total market share of $62 billion in 2020. Market researchers predict that the industry will further increase its market up to $300 billion once things “get back to normal”.
This statistic is not surprising. For sure, every person forced to stay at home because of the pandemic has downloaded and played at least one online game within the period. It’s a perfect way to pass the time and relieve stress. For some, it has filled the void of social interaction.
Game developers have also integrated sports gaming into the mix, giving rise to the different verticals in online gaming. For example, you can play casino without deposit money. To draw the line between online gaming and competitive gaming, it is important to familiarize ourselves with the major types of online games such as esports and fantasy sports.
Let us first define online gaming. As its name suggests, these are games that are available and can be played online through the PC or your mobile. Since these digital games are played on computers, smartphones, and other gaming consoles, it is almost synonymous to video games. Board games, card games, sports, trivia games, and virtually all types of games are now available in online video game format.
Now let us try to understand the verticals of online gaming:
Esports
The term esports is often used as a blanket term to refer to all types of competitive online games. More accurately, it refers to all skill-based games in video format which can be played online or offline, and in tournaments and competitions. Some international sporting competitions such as the Asian Games have recognized esports and included them as medal events. Some games that were included are Arena Of Valor, Hearthstone, Pro Evolution Soccer, League Of Legends, Clash Royale and StarCraft 2.
The hundreds of millions of audiences it generated made it possible for the integration of gaming where many global spectators can watch the outcomes of the tournaments and competitions. This further contributed to the popularity of esports, its magnitude expressed in the hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money from events. It also led to the professionalization of the players and esporting events.
Online Fantasy Sports (OFS)
Online fantasy sports are video games that allow players to compete against one another by creating their own virtual teams. These virtual teams are composed of members whose performance in the fantasy game is based on the statistics of actual real life players or athletes. It is basically an opportunity to form your dream team and have them compete with other players’ fantasy teams.
The skill required to play and win in fantasy sports is different from other types of online games. Unlike other online games where players use their skills to win the game according to its mechanics, fantasy sports involve the ability to strategize a formidable team that can win against other possible team compositions.
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Casual Games
Casual games involve video format derivatives of popular and familiar games. This category includes sports such as billiard, pool, and chess; board games such as ludo, snakes and ladders, and scrabble; knowledge games such as educational quizzes and trivia; and even variations of matching games and brick games.
Many online igaming platforms offer free games while some require players to register for a chance to win prize money. Some applications also allow people to follow the results of the game and player stats, thus forming part of the fantasy aspect.
