From 2D arcade games to Virtual Reality gaming, the video games industry has moved forward in giant leaps in the past two decades. With recent technological advances, today’s gaming experience is far more different than what the kids of the 1980s may remember. Here’s a look at how technology has changed the gaming world.

Artificial Intelligence: Bigger and better challenges
The technology that has dramatically improved the gaming experience is Artificial Intelligence (AI). Technically, AI has been a part of the game design from the beginning of the gaming industry. When you’re playing an original game of Pong, you’re competing against the computer. However, the moves were pretty basic and predictable. Today’s AI is far craftier, which uses the same strategies that a human opponent might think of.

AI is getting more intelligent with each passing year. In fact, it has already gotten to the point where it is training a computer-controlled player to act like a human. AI can be regarded as the biggest advancements in gaming technology as it’s the reason for the existence of video games.

Faster Internet: Real-time, multiplayer games
Gamers play a lot of games online, a platform that wasn’t available in the 1980s. Online gaming allows multiple players to take part in a realistic experience, transforming gaming into a social outlet. Live casinos, which offer a webcast of the real-life casino games for players at their desktops, is an apt example of this global phenomenon. With live gaming, players can place bets on live games that are run by real-life dealers in any land-based casino in London or other parts of the world.

Another example is the rise in popularity of World of Warcraft, the game in which over eight million subscribers compete against each other from far-flung locations. With the rise of social media and the wide-spread availability of high-speed internet, gaming has become more democratic and international.

3D design software: More realistic graphics
The original video games were two dimensional. Players were able to move the character in only a few specific directions; mainly up, down, forward and backwards. As the graphics software started to improve in the 1990s, new and improved 3D capabilities emerged in the process. Today, almost all games use 3D technology, which offers a more dynamic and impressive looking virtual world. The recent advancements in 3D technology have allowed realistic animations that offer immersive gaming experience.

Mobile technology: Gaming on the go
Smartphones and gaming consoles developed specifically for playing on the go have made gaming both omnipresent and accessible. While not everybody might be interested to invest in a PC or console specifically for playing games, everyone splashes out to get the latest smartphones. Today’s smartphones are incredibly powerful and can even be used for performance-intensive games.

With the help of high-speed internet, players can easily download and play games on their smartphones. Players don’t have to purchase expensive consoles or play on a home PC as they can use their smartphones to play games with their friends. The new medium of a mobile screen has allowed developers to get creative with the smaller format and provide immersive gaming experience.