Amsterdam, 31 August 2023 - Gaming technologies are gaining ground in the electronics sector and beyond. Increasingly, we see gaming technologies in cars, for instance, in offices and even in the rehabilitation and physiotherapy sector. Meanwhile, gaming developments are determining product development across the electronics sector. Hendrik Klingner, Product Management - PC & Sat Technology, Loudspeaker Construction and Gaming at reichelt elektronik, describes how gaming has become an innovation engine for the electronics industry and will only become more important.
Gaming is no longer a niche
The prejudice that gaming is only for young, single men with too much free time is long gone. Gaming is a popular hobby in all age groups up to around 60 years old. The gender ratio is also becoming increasingly balanced. A new recent GfK study from 2023 shows that almost as many women (48%) as men (52%) now game.
In addition, the game industry has grown strongly in the Netherlands in recent years. According to a study by the Dutch Game Garden, profits of Dutch game companies increased by almost 18% from 2019 to 2022. In 2021, they had a combined profit of 420-440 million euros. "This is just the beginning. Many other industries are currently trying to figure out what the game industry does differently to achieve such high growth rates," says Hendrik Klingner. "I think gaming has a subtle influence on how customers want to experience different facets of their lives."
Game console to the office
Graphics cards in games make it possible for gamers to experience the most beautiful graphics in video games. Meanwhile, companies also like to use them for data analysis, complex design tasks and even Bitcoin mining. Similarly, multicore processors originally used only in gaming PCs are now often found in offices processing large amounts of data.
Virtual and augmented reality
According to Klingner, there are many interesting developments that are currently being tested. "Take the 'gamification' of 'boring' processes and tasks. With motion capturing and augmented reaility, these are turned into exciting, engaging events," he gives as an example. Many people are familiar with this technology thanks to games like Pokemon Go that merge the digital world and the real world. An example of this comes from tourism where travellers get information about places of interest via augmented reality and listen to it interactively in their own language.
Virtual and augmented reality are also gaining a foothold in logistics. There, employees use smart glasses to retrieve important information about orders and product locations. Via an integrated remote maintenance tool, they call in specialised personnel in case of technical problems.
Downloadable content
In addition, Klingner believes that the use of DLCs, downloadable content will become increasingly common in the electronics sector. DLCs and other microtransactions are now standard in the gaming industry. "DLCs can be customised relatively easily," he reasons. "Even though BMW's first attempt with their software DLCs in their 'Connected Drive' initiative was heavily criticised, I think it will not be the last attempt and we will see more in the near future."
Motion capturing
An interesting trend currently widely used in the gaming industry is streaming with motion capturing. This involves creating a digital avatar in a digital environment. You might be familiar with the Nintendo Wii's then innovative motion sensors or Oculus Quest's advanced VR Glasses. This trend is also interesting for companies. In the rehabilitation industry and physiotherapy, people have recently started using it. It is seen as the future of the branch.
Whether the Metaverse catches on or other platforms eventually become the standard, the technology of merging digital and real space even further thanks to motion capturing has great potential for the future.
