Why are Casino-Inspired Video Games No Longer as Popular?

Kay TurnerMar 1, 2020

The first-ever video game was invented back in 1958. It was a simple tennis game, but it marked an important milestone, not only concerning the birth of video gaming but also about the sort of content that would be produced in the years to come. Many of these very early titles were inspired by the real world around them – namely, by existing games and forms of entertainment. These varied from popular sports to board, arcade, and even casino games.

The latter in particular became extremely popular for a time, gaining a lot of traction in the 1980s and 90s. At one time, you couldn’t walk into a video game store without seeing numerous casino-themed titles, but today, these are much less prevalent.

Gaming Trends

On the one hand, this move away from casino-inspired content is largely down to gaming trends. These have existed since the very infancy of video games, with what’s popular at any given time tending to be cyclical. In this way, video gamers are no different from TV show audiences or book readers – we like something until we don’t. When a certain genre is in vogue, creators run with this until the market becomes oversaturated, at which point consumers often lose interest.

This is a common phenomenon within the video gaming sector, with high fantasy and anime being especially popular right now. This is likely to shift again at some point in the future so that the next genre to experience a renaissance may be sporting titles or casino-inspired content again.

This is comparable to trends in music – think of the songs that were popular in the 80s and 90s compared to the content we like now. These styles vary hugely, reflecting the human desire for novelty, newness, change, and innovation.

More complex storytelling

Also, the video games industry has developed apace in the last two decades, so that it’s now equipped to tell much more complex stories. While this doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of simpler games, it does mean developers are frequently testing their limits.

In 2021, one of the boundaries they’re pushing is their ability to create immersive and engaging worlds. Ideally, ones capable of telling in-depth stories. Games of chance do not fit in this mold, and so they lean instead toward creating feature-length tales that are not dissimilar to those you might find in a book or on your television screen. These newfound capabilities are exciting for gamers to explore alongside developers, and this creates a hunger to try out new and novel titles. As a result, more basic games are often cast aside in favor of their more innovative counterparts.

The advent of online casinos

Perhaps the biggest and most significant change is that individuals no longer need video games to enjoy the exciting world of the casino from their homes. Thanks to the advent of online providers, they can play these games from the comfort of their sofas and have the added excitement of real-money gambling.

Certainly, the online casino sector has grown hugely in recent years, so that it’s now a global market force. This means that no matter where in the world an individual is located, they can experience the excitement and adrenaline rush of online gaming for themselves.

For example, if one were looking for casinos for Arabic players, they could easily use an online directory site to source one. Not only do these list dozens of reputable providers, but they also share tips on how to play safely along with a plethora of bonuses. Even more, the industry has flourished with the sudden growth of smartphones, and this site details mobile casino details for those interested. There are even details about the most popular games too.

This comprehensive and highly authentic experience simply cannot be replicated in a video game, which explains why many players have swapped one for the other in recent years. This has likely led to a decline in purchasing such titles, making developers less inclined to produce them.

When it comes to understanding why there are now significantly fewer casino titles than there were previously, the explanation is simple: it’s a combination of changing desires on the part of the consumer and better alternatives now existing. It will be interesting to see whether this current trend turns on its head again in the years to come.