Gaming & iGaming: Insights & Growth Prospects
The gaming world stands tall and robust more so now, thanks to advanced technologies powering it. From mobile gaming to consoles to casino gaming, eSports, and more, this trend of progression is not ending any time soon. Some of the most popular games have won millions of players, owing to rapidly improving communication and technology and as trends evolve, developers work behind the scenes to ensure their wares appeal more to the mainstream audience.
- Virtual Reality provides gamers hyper immersive gameplay. Incredible as they look, there’s still more ground to be covered in the sphere of game graphics that will blur the line between reality and the game. For instance, when photorealistic graphics are merged with VR, results are bound to be amazing.
- Nearly all online casinos in the lead make use of Artificial Intelligence by helping players achieve a personalized experience. From an enhanced customer service experience to recommended games that are in sync with their online behaviour, AI helps cater to the players’ needs as closely as possible.
- The use of wearable in the gaming industry is still at a nascent stage and different sections of the business are working with wearables to make the entire gameplay experience smoother, easier, and more realistic. For instance, the Myo armband helps players control actions on games by making gestures.
Growth of iGaming
iGaming has seen phenomenal growth in recent years and now with increased interest, there’s been a visible growth in online casino gaming and sports betting. With the advent of new tech trends that include virtual reality, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cyborg, the online gambling market’s expected to grow at nearly 17% between 2020 and 2026. Further, the revenue generated from this market as well as a high rate of employment has encouraged many countries to legalize online gambling.
Diversity from a growth standpoint
Across all realms of Gaming, diversity has been an area of concern. Online slots are in abundance with innumerable titles which makes it easier for such games to appeal to a wider audience. Check out some popular sites for slot games not on Gamstop which are renowned for great pay outs, fabulous bonuses, and more. Now, games are also being aimed at the female audience which constitutes 40% of the iGaming population. This figure makes it imperative for the gameplay to be rich in content and overall experience. For instance, Mei-Ling Rider’s appointment for G2 eSports will help this developing gaming sector to charm a wider audience.
Convergence of Gaming & iGaming
Thanks to the rapid evolution of communication and technology, online gaming has reached every corner of the globe extensively. While gaming is essentially focused on results-driven by skills, iGaming is all about achieving results by chance. Both these activities are similar to each other in the way they are designed, constitute varied elements, and more.
Most gaming apps include gambling features and vice-versa, and these activities overlap each other to such an extent that they are referred to as gaming-like gambling and gambling-like gaming. Whether you play a video game that features mini-games to wager on in an online casino or a game that features loot boxes, games and gambling have come to converge a great deal. The union of these two genres not only makes the gameplay more exciting but also call for a high level of participation.
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Only 12 months ago, Riot games stood as a firm that created a single video game only, and that was the League of Legends, and that entailed a single esports ecosystem that went global. However, on the 16th of October 2019, the company marked its one year anniversary, and it celebrated it with a video that revealed the list of new games that it was working on.
Currently, in 2020, the firm has not just launched three more games, but they now operate three different esports ecosystems. This somewhat rivals Valve’s foot in the door and Counter-Strike has inexplicably been responsible for some of the best CSGO gambling sites in 2020 which has allowed players to partake in skin gambling, item trading, games like crash, coinflip and jackpot and much more.
Throughout 2020, Riot Games have constantly been at conflict with Valve’s 2012 title Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Despite not drawing in the same viewership or played hours as CSGO, Valorant still seems to be heading in the right direction.
The firm has succeeded in implementing a community centered initial growth system with the three new titles, including Valorant, Legends of Runeterra, and TealFight Tactics. Instead of running away with franchised leagues and million dollar prize pools, some form of breathing space was given to each of the titles by the publisher.
Through communication with organizers and teams, less intrusive support like incorporating unique features and funding of smaller prize pools would be provided. The senior director of global esports, Whalen Rozelle leads this growth strategy, and he does that by building on their experience from the evolution of the League of Legends esports.
According to Rozelle, one of the critical things which has been absolutely essential in helping them unravel how to get the best out of the strengths of each of their titles is the understanding of their communities, through partnering, participating, and listening.
Roselle went ahead to reveal to Esports Observer that they need to work with an approach that must be customized towards the needs of each game, while also considering the full scope of the global esports infrastructure of the group if they are to come up with very competitive ecosystems that will engage the players and fans for many more years.
An example to this is that the success that LOL has recorded globally has given Riot Games the chance to come up with regional esports operations across the globe. Each of the regions is spectacular and only people that work within the region would have a clearer understanding of the community engagement work, schedules, and formats over there. So, whenever they are searching to come up with an official global championship for TeamFight Tactics, Riot will study a region to know the most appropriate qualifying process for that region.
When 2020 wraps up, four global championship events would have been hosted by Riot Games for four games of completely different genres. In the coming years, there will likely be an increase in the number, as the publisher goes ahead to release the remaining titles that were announced in 2019, including a mobile LOL version and one fighting game.
The continuous expansion of Riot across the entire esports landscape must also create more partnership openings. Some of the non-endemic global brands have been brought into the space by the company, and they include Louis Vuitton, MasterCard and others. Having established those relationships, the multi-year established deals by Riot could be easily expanded to bring in international competitions in its other esports properties.
The 5 Best Games to Stream if You Want to Make Bank
Many years ago, no one imagined they can get paid playing video games online. Today, video game streaming is a lucrative business, gamers can gain exposure and participate in eSports tournaments while millions of viewers watch. Making money from video game streaming is not an easy venture, but choosing the right game can increase your subscribers and ultimately earn you revenue. Here are 5 best games to stream if you want to succeed at game streaming.
1. Online Casino Games
Casino games are timeless classics that will forever remain appealing to many people across the world. If you enjoy evergreen casino games consider steaming blackjack, baccarat, poker, roulette or slots. While the audience enjoys the excitement of fast-paced video games, they also like to relax while watching slots or learn a few moves in a traditional table game. Also, when you stream online casino games, you have the advantage of promoting the game and the casino to your audience. Your gamblers may be searching for a new place to gamble, so they will try any casino you recommend. Moreover, when you promote Real money pokies, they may reward you with rewards or VIP membership.
2. Call of Duty – Modern Warfare
The seventeenth entry in the Call of Duty series is set to be launched on November 13th, 2020. The much anticipated Black Ops Cold War is predicted to become one of the most popular games to stream on Twitch once it is released. If you enjoy FPS games, Black Ops Cold War could be a good choice for your streaming venture.
3. Grand Theft Auto V
If open-world adventure games appeal to you, streaming Grand Theft Auto V may be a fun and easy way to make money. Launched as far back as 2013, GTV is still currently one of the most popular games to stream on Twitch. While other types of games might become monotonous after being streamed repeatedly, GTA V always has some fresh experiences to offer.
4. Fortnite
In June 2020, Statista listed Fortnite as the most popular game streamed on the platform. With a combined 9.45 million viewing hours, the shooter hit has been of the biggest games in the world of gaming. If you are a big fan of COD, there is a huge chance you might like Fortnite. However, both shooter games play differently and also attract different audiences.
5. League of Legends
As revealed by Statista data, League of Legends (LOL) is the fourth leading game on Twitch in terms of hours streamed. LOL is a freemium battle arena game, which means it is easy to get into as a beginner with low entry barriers and less cash. Asides from that, LOL is a great option for streaming to gain ad revenue and donations. If you can master the game, you can compete with other players in professional esports events and ultimately win a lot of money.
PTR 2.6.10 has been made public
Blizzard has announced that its 2 week PTR (public test realm testing period for the 2.6.10 update has begun on October 1 and, once again, Blizzard are asking for our help to stem the tides of surging demons.
We've taken a look at the preliminary patch notes and summarized the important points below, detaling this season's content including, a new item, and tons of Legendary item changes for Patch 2.6.10.
PTR 2.6.10 Table of Contents
Please note that this is a preview for PTR 2.6.10 content, which is subject to change.
PTR Focus 2.6.10 Details
Blizzard will be running the Patch 2.6.10 PTR on test servers, and phasing in content updates over the course of two weeks, starting Thursday, October 1. Blizzard again warns that, during this period, there may be periodic maintenances, outages, hotfixes, or minor patches. This time around, testing will consist of two phases:
- Phase 1 - October 1st:During this phase, Blizzard will be introducing Legendary and Set item changes
- Phase 2 – October 8th:&In this phase, Blizzard will be adding the Seasonal Theme content
NOTE: Phase 1 content will be available throughout the period of the PTR. Phase 2 content and will be an addition to the existing content.
There will be two PTR-unique buffsavailable to aid you on your journey: increased Legendary drop rate and double Blood Shard drops. You will also be able to purchase new gear for testing from the special PTR vendor, (more revenue for Blizzard)Djank Mi'em, who will exchange Blood Shards for class-specific bags full of Legendary items that Blizzard are keen for you to try out and feed back!
Class Changes in PTR 2.6.10: To ensure that the most significant class changes receive an ample amount of attention, Blizzard are asking players to focus testing and feedback on the Wizard changes around Etched Sigils and Hydras, the Crusader’s Steed Charge build, and the Witch Doctor’s Crazy Chicken build.
Feedback should be provided in the PTR Feedback forum, while bug reports should be provided in the PTR Bug Report forum.
PTR 2.6.10 Testing Tips
As with previous PTRs, this testing period is only 2 weeks, so it's best to hit the ground running. Whether you’re a PTR veteran or newcomer, here are a few tips to get you off to the best possible start.
- Because of the limited duration of this PTR, Blizzard ask that participants pick a particular portion of this update to focus on testing.
- For example, if you're primarily a Wizard player, consider what changes impact the Wizard specifically. What you like best, what you think may still need adjustment, and what you'd want to see in the future (even if that may be beyond the scope of this patch) are all good questions to ask yourself.
- Prior to the start of PTR 2.6.10, consider stocking up on items like Puzzle Rings and Bovine Bardiches. Having these available after you import your character can make any necessary PTR farming much faster!
- Try to break things, the more we can break now, the better Blizzard will be able to launch a reliable patch!
- When providing feedback, Blizzard ask that players concentrate less on a solution and more on your experience of the game. How did the changes make you feel? Was there something not quite right that you noticed? Did something seem wrong or insufficient? Suggestions are always welcome but identifying the issues themselves is most important.
Patch 2.6.10 Notes
Here are some thoughts on the upcoming update for Diablo III, Patch 2.6.10.
Table of Contents:
Note: All changes apply to all versions of Diablo III, including PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC unless otherwise indicated. Please note that PTR is only available for PC and Mac users.
2.6.10 Seasons
The shadows, they're moving, and they seem to be animated. It is as though they have a will of their own. Whatever this trickery is, perhaps you can use it to your advantage? Let's see what the demons say when you fight side by side with your own shadow!
Shadows of the Past Activating a Shrine/Pylon will spawn in a shadow clone of your class. This clone will randomly have 1 out of 3 predetermined builds. This clone's power will scale with your character and will last for 1 minute or if your character dies. See below for the shadow clone variations that can spawn when activating.
Witch Doctor in 2.6.10
| Build Variation 1 | Build Variation 2 | Build Variation 3 |
| Grasp of the Dead - Rain of Corpses | Wall of Death - Fire Wall | Mass Confusion - Mass Hallucination |
| Piranhas - Piranhado | Firebomb - Flash Fire | Spirit Barrage - The Spirit is Willing |
| Wall of Death - Surrounded by Death | Hex - Unstable Form | Wall of Death - Communing with Spirits |
| Zombie Charger - Zombie Bears | Piranhas - Piranhado | Piranhas - Piranhado |
| Corpse Spiders - Medusa Spiders | Zombie Charger - Explosive Beast | Horrify - Face of Death |
| Hex - Jinx | Spirit Barrage - Well of Souls | Grasp of the dead - Unbreakable Grasp |
Wizard in 2.6.10
| Build Variation 1 | Build Variation 2 | Build Variation 3 |
| Arcane Orb - Frozen Orb | Meteor - Molten Impact | Arcane Orb - Obliteration |
| Frost Nova - Bone Chill | Arcane Orb - Obliteration | Disintegrate - Intensify |
| Blizzard - Unrelenting Storm | Explosive Blast - Short Fuse | Wave of Force - Debilitating Force |
| Ice Armor - Frozen Storm | Black Hole - Blazar | Slow Time - Exhaustion |
| Black Hole - Absolute Zero | Energy Twister - Gale Force | Energy Twister - Raging Storm |
| Ray of Frost - Snow Blast | Disintegrate - Convergence | Meteor - Star Pact |
Barbarian in 2.6.10
| Build Variation 1 | Build Variation 2 | Build Variation 3 |
| Seismic Slam - Shattered Ground | Battle Rage - Marauder's Rage | Overpower - Killing Spree |
| Ground Stomp - Jarring Slam | Threatening Shout - Falter | Threatening Shout - Falter |
| Avalanche - Volcano | Wrath of The Berserker - Insanity | Furious Charge - Battering Ram |
| Earthquake - Molten Fury | Sprint - Run Like the Wind | Wrath of The Berserker - Insanity |
| Wrath of The Berserker - Insanity | Whirlwind - No Rune | Bash - Pulverize |
| Ancient Spear - Boulder Toss | Rend - Lacerate | Hammer of The Ancients - Rolling Thunder |
Monk in 2.6.10
| Build Variation 1 | Build Variation 2 | Build Variation 3 |
| Blinding Flash - Faith in the Light | Fist of Thunder - Thunderclap | Exploding Palm - The Flesh is Weak |
| Seven-Sided Strike - Fulminating Onslaught | Deadly Reach - Scattered Blows | Wave of Light - Explosive Light |
| Inner Sanctuary - Sanctified Ground | Way of the Hundred Fists - Hands of Lightning | Lashing Tail Kick - Spinning Flame Kick |
| Epiphany - Soothing Mist | Lashing Tail Kick - Sweeping Armada | Epiphany - Inner Fire |
| Breath of Heaven - Circle of Scorn | Dashing Strike - Barrage | Sweeping Wind - Fire Storm |
| Wave of Light - Empowered Wave | Cyclone Strike - Implosion | Seven-Sided Strike - Sudden Assault |
Necromancer in 2.6.10
| Build Variation 1 | Build Variation 2 | Build Variation 3 |
| Land of the Dead - Frozen Lands | Land of the Dead - Plaguelands | Land of the Dead - Frozen Lands |
| Frailty - Volatile Death | Decrepify - Wither | Bone Spear - Shatter |
| Bone Spirit - Possession | Army of the Dead - Blighted Grasp | Death Nova - Bone Nova |
| Corpse Explosion - Final Embrace | Corpse Lance - Ricochet | Frailty - Early Grave |
| Bone Spear - Blood Spear | Death Nova - Blight | Army of the Dead - Death Valley |
| Death Nova - Blood Nova | Bone Spear - Blighted Marrow | Corpse Lance - Blood Lance |
Demon Hunter in 2.6.10
| Build Variation 1 | Build Variation 2 | Build Variation 3 |
| Marked for Death - Valley of Death | Marked for Death - Valley of Death | Marked for Death - Valley of Death |
| Caltrops - Jagged Spikes | Rain of Vengeance - Stampede | Rain of Vengeance- Flying Strike |
| Fan of Knives - Assassin's Knives | Cluster Arrow - Shooting Stars | Cluster Arrow - Maelstrom |
| Chakram - Twin Chakrams | Multishot - Arsenal | Multishot - Wind Chill |
| Vengeance - Side Cannons | Vengeance - Personal Mortar | Vengeance - From the Shadows |
| Impale - Ricochet | Elemental Arrow - Immolation arrow | Elemental Arrow - Frost Arrow |
Crusader in 2.6.10
| Build Variation 1 | Build Variation 2 | Build Variation 3 |
| Akarat's Champion - Fire Starter | Akarat's Champion - Hasteful | Akarat's Champion - Rally |
| Falling Sword - Superheated | Falling Sword - Flurry | Falling Sword - Part the Clouds |
| Sweep Attack - Blazing Sweep | Judgment - Mass Verdict | Heaven's Fury - Split Fury |
| Consecration - Shattered Ground | Consecration - Bathed in Light | Fist of the Heavens - Retribution |
| Bombardment - Annihilate | Blessed Hammer - Limitless | Iron Skin - Charged Up |
| Condemn - Reciprocate | Condemn - Reciprocate | Shield Glare - Uncertainty |
Rewards in 2.6.10: Two unique new rewards, a portrait frame, and a pet will be granted to players who complete the Season 22 Guardian Journey.
Kanai's Cube: Additionally, the Kanai's Cube will have a fourth slot this season. This fourth slot will have the choices of the first 3 slots but will not stack with any of them. The intent is to provide players with creative flexibility to their character builds.
Items in 2.6.10
General
- Haedrig's Gifts now grants all class sets and Blizzard has a new rotation schedule. This upcoming season, depending on which class you choose, Haedrig's Gifts will reward you with Horde of the Ninety Savages, Aegis of Valor, Gears of Dreadlands, Patterns of Justice, Masquerade of the Burning Carnival, Mundunugu's Regalia, or Typhon's Veil.
- Stone Gauntlets now drops for all classes.
- Paragon Bonus Gold Find has been changed to Gold Pickup Radius at 0.1 per point.
Item Changes in 2.6.10
- New Item* Gelmindor's Marrow Guards: Bone Spear cast from Simulacrums deal 400-500% increased damage.
- Ivory Tower: Rapid multiple blocks will now scale the damage for Fires of Heaven, up to a maximum of 2.5 times damage.
- Mantle of Channeling: Removed the 1 second start up before the power takes effect.
- Etched Sigil: While channeling Arcane Torrent, Disintegrate, or Ray of Frost, the damage of your Energy Twister is increased by 200-250%, and you also cast Energy Twister every second.
- Fragment of Destiny: Your Signature Spells attack 50% faster and deal triple damage. You gain a Spectral buff whenever you land an attack with a Signature Spell. Hydras deal 25-30% increased damage for each Spectral stack. Max 10 stacks.
- Valthek's Rebuke: Energy Twister now travels in a straight path and deals 300-400% increased damage.
- Winter Flurry: Enemies killed by Cold damage have a 25% chance to release a Frost Nova. Your Hydra deals 125-150% increased damage to enemies in a Blizzard.
- Wizardspike: Performing an attack has a 25% chance to hurl a Frozen Orb. Arcane Orb deals 300-350% increased damage.
- Delsere's Magnum Opus: 6 piece bonus increased from 8500% to 12500%.
- The Typhon's Veil: 6 piece bonus increased from 1300% to 2000%.
- Norvald's Fervor: Buff 2 piece bonus damage from 100% to 400%
- Armor of Akkhan: Buff 6 piece bonus damage from 1500% to 2000%
- Roland's Legacy: Buff 4 piece bonus damage from 13,000% to 17,500%
- Seeker of the Light: Buff 6 piece Blessed Hammer bonus damage from 12,000% to 15,000%
- Belt of the Trove: Every 4 seconds, call down Bombardment on a random nearby enemy. Bombardment deals 400-500% increased damage.
- Mortal Drama: Double the number of Bombardment impacts. Bombardement deals 400-500% increased damage.
- Manajuma's Way: Angry Chicken explosion damage increased from 400% to 2000%.
- Spirit of Arachyr: Buff 6 piece bonus damage from 9000% to 17,500%.
- Helltooth Harness: Buff 6 piece bonus damage from 9000% to 17,500%.
- Scrimshaw: Reduces the Mana cost of Zombie Charger by 75% and increases its damage by 6-7 times.
- Inna's Mantra: Buff 6 piece bonus damage from 750% to 950%.
- Shenlong's Spirit: Damage bonus increased from 200% to 350%.
- Gungdo Gear: Exploding Palm's on-death explosion applies Exploding Palm. Exploding Palm's damage is increased by 75-100%.
- Blade of the Tribes: War Cry and Threatening Shout cause an Avalanche and Earthquake. Avalanche and Earthquake both deal 150-200% increased damage
How to Take Part in PTR in 2.6.10
To participate in the public test, you must have a Diablo III game license attached to a Battle.net account in good standing. You will also need to download and install the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app if you have not already done so.
Step 1: Restart the Battle.net desktop app.
Step 2: Navigate to the Diablo III tab on the left-hand menu.
Step 3: On the Diablo III screen, there is a drop-down menu right above the "Play" button (note that this may say "Install" if you do not have Diablo III currently installed). Select "PTR: Diablo III" from this drop-down menu before proceeding.
Step 4: Click Install to begin the installation process.
Your PTR account will be created automatically if you do not already have one. The PTR is available in all supported languages, and accounts from all regions are eligible to participate.
PTR 2.6.10 Character Copy
The option to copy your existing Diablo III characters from your live account to the PTR will be available and can be done directly through the PTR client. However, only one region per account can be copied at a time. So, if you choose to copy characters from your account in a different region, any previously copied PTR characters will be lost.
Step 1: Log into the live game and then log out.
Step 2: Log into PTR client and create a level 1 character. After you're done, return to the main character screen.
Step 3: Click on the "PTR Copy" button located in the upper right-hand corner. (The PTR Copy button will not appear in-game until you have created a new level 1 character.)
Step 4: Select your region.
Step 5: Click "Copy." This will copy all characters on your account from the selected region.
Step 6: You will be disconnected from the PTR client.
Step 7: Log back in. Your copied characters will be available for play.
Players should be aware that you can only copy characters from one gameplay region at a time. If you choose to copy characters from a different region, any previously copied PTR characters will be lost. In addition, you can only copy characters over to your PTR account once every 24 hours. Attempting to copy characters before this cooldown is up will result in an error.
The most glaring mistakes and bugs in Diablo 3 from across the years
Rumors and teasers regarding Diablo 4 continue to rain down on us with increasing speed, suggesting that the long-awaited release might soon become a reality. That’s borne out to a certain extent by retailers like Game offering Diablo 4 for pre-order. As ever, it is likely that only a handful of those rumors will be true, at least in the initial release.
But what is it that gamers really want when developers spend years creating an update of a much-loved classic? The answer is simple, they want it to be everything its predecessor is, but that much better. If Diablo 4 is to achieve greatness, then, it needs to avoid the glaring bugs and errors that were part and parcel of Diablo 3. Let’s step into the Chamber of Horrors and examine the biggest elephant traps that the game has to avoid this time around.
Error 37
If you were playing Diablo 3 from the get-go in 2012, the phrase Error 37 is liable to cause a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. After all that anticipation, no sooner were we in the thick of the action than hundreds of gamers were confronted with that dreaded red box and the Error 37 server message. When Diablo 4 was announced at last year’s Blitzconn, Luis Barriga, the game’s director, acknowledged that the team would have to learn from the past.
He told reporters that the problem arose last time around due to the developers being reluctant to show too much during beta testing. He said: “We had a limited beta during Diablo 3. I think you will see us take a different approach here.”
Real money auction house
Conceptually, the idea of in-game trading between players is a good one. Done the right way, it adds a whole extra dimension to the game and the universe in which it operates. The key part of that phrase, however, is “the right way” and both gamers and developers are in agreement that the real money auction house of Diablo 3 was wide of the mark.
The downside, for the handful of people in the world who did not experience it themselves, was that gamers found themselves facing real-world financial losses. Now that is one thing in an online casino, where the whole objective is to offer a gaming experience for actual cash, but it led to all sorts of problems in Diablo.
The auction house was one of those ideas that seemed great on the drawing board. The real problem was what happened in Runescape, when gambling clans started to appear from every direction, using the game as a real-world money spinner. When the Diablo auction house showed signs of going the same way, the developers were right to pull it. Art Director Allen Adham says the team has some “pretty solid ideas” on how to incorporate a trading element into Diablo 4 that will not become a danger or a disruption to the gameplay itself.
Login issues
Less common than the Error 37 issues we mentioned earlier but even more frustrating was the Error 3006 that a substantial number of users encountered. This had the effect of throwing the gamer right out of the game and making it impossible to log back in.