The Impact of Current and New
Technologies on Computer
Games Development
Introduction
This article aims to explain the current technologies that are being used for computer game
development and the new technologies that will further evolve the sector.
The gaming industry has evolved rapidly for a few reasons: the quick and huge technological
advancements; the introduction of online and the large rise of mobile gaming. Because of this,
there has been an increase in higher quality and complex games and a large growth in esports.
The gaming industry has become one of the largest sectors in both entertainment and technology
and this article will evaluate all of the key factors that caused the success like: player
demographics; production diversity; multiplayer, AI, security, hardware, software, platforms, and
engines.
Social and technological trends in Computer Gaming
Player Types
Age Range
At the dawn of video games, they were usually associated with the dominant age group being kids
under 18. But as seen in Figure 1, nowadays, video games are enjoyed by everyone, young and
old.
24% of children under 18 actively play video games. They have been an important part of the
development of gaming. A large amount of them plays more casual and simplistic games like
“Minecraft” and “Roblox” and they mostly play on mobile.
36% of teenagers and young adults aged 15-34 actively play video games. They are likely to play
more competitive and narrative-driven games like “Call of Duty” or “The Last of Us”.
25% of adults aged 35-54 actively play video games and are known to play RPG games like “The
Witcher”.
15% of adults aged 55+ play video games as a source of entertainment. They are likely to play
puzzle games like “Brain Age” or “Picross”.
Figure 1: Graph showing age demographics of people that play videogames in 2022
, Gender
Males used to be the stereotypical video gamer. This used to be due to sexism as well as the
underrepresentation of women as characters in games. Females make up 25% of the working
industry for video games while female players make up 50%. This difference is because of the
sexual misconduct that sometimes occurs in some video game companies like Riot. But it has
slowly gone down and the industry has become more inclusive to females. Now, many games have
featured female protagonists to show the increase in inclusiveness.
Figure 2: Ratio of Male to Female Gamers in 2023
Gaming Preferences
There is a huge difference between what each type of gamer plays. The most well-known types
that are distinguished are “Casual” gamers and “Hardcore” gamers. Many mobile games such as
“Angry Birds” and “Candy Crush” are usually determined to have a casual player base. This is
because these types of games are more accessible to anyone with their mostly simplistic and quick
gameplay which promotes shorter play sessions.
Alternatively, hardcore gamers look for more in-depth, challenging, and immersive games that
have large amounts of content in them, promoting longer play sessions. Games like “The Elder
Scrolls” and “Breath of The Wild” have large narratives and large worlds for players to explore.
Hardcore gamers also look for more competitive games “Rocket League” or “Tekken” which have
complex mechanics for them to master.
Figure 3 - Ratio of casual to competitive gamers
Technologies on Computer
Games Development
Introduction
This article aims to explain the current technologies that are being used for computer game
development and the new technologies that will further evolve the sector.
The gaming industry has evolved rapidly for a few reasons: the quick and huge technological
advancements; the introduction of online and the large rise of mobile gaming. Because of this,
there has been an increase in higher quality and complex games and a large growth in esports.
The gaming industry has become one of the largest sectors in both entertainment and technology
and this article will evaluate all of the key factors that caused the success like: player
demographics; production diversity; multiplayer, AI, security, hardware, software, platforms, and
engines.
Social and technological trends in Computer Gaming
Player Types
Age Range
At the dawn of video games, they were usually associated with the dominant age group being kids
under 18. But as seen in Figure 1, nowadays, video games are enjoyed by everyone, young and
old.
24% of children under 18 actively play video games. They have been an important part of the
development of gaming. A large amount of them plays more casual and simplistic games like
“Minecraft” and “Roblox” and they mostly play on mobile.
36% of teenagers and young adults aged 15-34 actively play video games. They are likely to play
more competitive and narrative-driven games like “Call of Duty” or “The Last of Us”.
25% of adults aged 35-54 actively play video games and are known to play RPG games like “The
Witcher”.
15% of adults aged 55+ play video games as a source of entertainment. They are likely to play
puzzle games like “Brain Age” or “Picross”.
Figure 1: Graph showing age demographics of people that play videogames in 2022
, Gender
Males used to be the stereotypical video gamer. This used to be due to sexism as well as the
underrepresentation of women as characters in games. Females make up 25% of the working
industry for video games while female players make up 50%. This difference is because of the
sexual misconduct that sometimes occurs in some video game companies like Riot. But it has
slowly gone down and the industry has become more inclusive to females. Now, many games have
featured female protagonists to show the increase in inclusiveness.
Figure 2: Ratio of Male to Female Gamers in 2023
Gaming Preferences
There is a huge difference between what each type of gamer plays. The most well-known types
that are distinguished are “Casual” gamers and “Hardcore” gamers. Many mobile games such as
“Angry Birds” and “Candy Crush” are usually determined to have a casual player base. This is
because these types of games are more accessible to anyone with their mostly simplistic and quick
gameplay which promotes shorter play sessions.
Alternatively, hardcore gamers look for more in-depth, challenging, and immersive games that
have large amounts of content in them, promoting longer play sessions. Games like “The Elder
Scrolls” and “Breath of The Wild” have large narratives and large worlds for players to explore.
Hardcore gamers also look for more competitive games “Rocket League” or “Tekken” which have
complex mechanics for them to master.
Figure 3 - Ratio of casual to competitive gamers
