Video Gaming Review
Video games have never been more popular. The industry is worth around $120 billion worldwide and the biggest titles comfortably generate more income than blockbuster movies. However the sale of consoles and video games has seen a steady decline in reccent years. The gaming world is changing. Dedicated games consoles are expensive and non-portable so it is not surprising that industry growth is coming from other sources. Gaming on tablets and smartphones is growing rappidly, as are games played through web browsers and social-networking sites.
Video Games
The majority of video games are designed to entertain people but they can also educate, inform, persuade and stimulate the user. Games are categorised into commonly used video game genres which are mainly based on their gameplay, interaction and category. The best-selling games are highly polished cinematic thrill-rides that take you on an emotional rollercoaster. Outstanding graphics, incredible storytelling and superb voice acting make the experience similar to watching a movie; the difference being that the gamer controls the action.
Online Gaming
Online gaming is one of the most popular entertainment activities on the World Wide Web. With the evolution of advanced internet technologies, and cheaper and more accessible broadband connectivity, the number of younger web users has increased, resulting in a demand for online games across the continents. Many online gaming sites offer paid subscription services, whilst others offer free gaming usage in order to increase their web traffic and advertising revenues.
The launch and popularity of multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) prompted console manufacturers to produce more advanced gaming consoles and gaming software that allowed users to play against one another online. This brought multi-player games to the console environment and allowed users to play with others anywhere in the world. The following graph shows the worldwide distribution of online game players in 2022:
e-Sports
e-Sports is the umbrella term for organised, competitive, multiplayer video gaming, usually between professionals. These events are big business and growing in popularity, both online and in arenas. The market is expected to grow from $170 million in 2019 to $912 million in 2023. Tournaments are well-funded with the total prize fund for 2022 being worth $95 million. Events are often held in large arenas with spectators watching the action on giant screens. The most lucrative tournament to date was held in China where 90 players in 18 teams competed. The event offered the highest e-Sports prize pool so far at $34 million. This prize fund far outweighed the amount offered at other traditional sporting events.

Whilst South Korea and China dominate the market of e-Sports, it is now doing enormous business in Europe and North America. Some countries have constructed purpose-built stadiums for competitive gaming. As with traditional sports, e-Sports consists of many different games. Currently the top five games are:
•	Alliance of Power
•	Impetus IV
•	Nebular Oasis
•	Diametric Force
•	Athena Crusade
Gaming is a valid career choice for a skilled few. As with traditional sportspeople the top players train for 14 hours a day. They study strategy and technique and demonstrate remarkable reflexes and mental agility. Top pro-gamers are famous all over the globe and can earn well over $1.5 million a year from prize money and sponsorship deals. Sponsors are attracted by the global reach of the e-Sports industry and the user demographic. The global audience reached 398 million in 2021 with 87% of these viewers being young males. By 2024 there are expected to be 578 million viewers worldwide. Through sponsorship companies can push their branding to a demographic which they may otherwise struggle to reach. 
Mobile Devices
Aggressive competition between manufacturers has resulted in the superior features we have today. Games are increasingly realistic and technologically advanced. They feature richly textured, full-colour graphics, amazing sound and complex interaction between player and system. Social networking has even made its way into the video game industry.
Mobile gaming is expected to continue its rapid growth through 2023 and beyond. A total of 2.6 billion people play games on smartphones and tablets. In a recent survey mobile phones were the most used devices for gaming worldwide. While not everyone owns a computer or console gaming system, almost everyone owns a mobile phone. The ability to reach this audience will have a huge impact on the growth of mobile gaming. Revenue from smartphones and tablets is seen by many as the future of gaming.

The revenue from mobile games has surpassed console gaming sales for a number of years. Global mobile game revenue reached $77.2 billion in 2020 and is expected to exceed $102.8 billion in 2023. This is significant considering that many console games cost over $60 but most mobile games are inexpensive or free with revenue coming from charging nominal amounts for game enhancements such as additional lives, levels or features. Today many mobile games have adopted ‘Freemium’ as a new business model. This enables them to supply mobile games for free and gain profit from in-app transactions and advertisements.
The solitary male gamer stereotype is a thing of the past. Video gaming has become a popular activity for people of all ages and the gaming population is becoming more and more diverse. The average game player is 37 years old and more women are playing than ever before. Gamers have grown up to have gamer children leading to families gaming together. Gaming has become a social activity with 40% of gamers playing with friends, 17% playing with their spouse, 34% playing with other family members and 16% of children playing with parents.
We live in a world where social networking and interactive gameplay are now mainstream activities. Video gaming takes place between gamers all across the world with console-quality games being played through a web browser or a cloud-based gaming service. Some consider this gameplay experience to be comparable or even better than playing the game on a console or on a high-powered PC. These games can be played on any internet-enabled device, even tablets and smartphones.