The world of gaming was shaken a few months ago when Red Dead Online (RDO) launched as a free-to-play shooter set in the wild west. The game quickly achieved popularity and was praised for its gameplay and massive multiplayer matches. Many considered it to be the spiritual successor to the hugely popular Red Dead Redemption (RDR), which was released in 2010.
Since then, the game has only gotten more popular. According to some sources, as many as 500,000 people are currently playing RDO on a daily basis. It currently has over 15 million monthly active users, and although this figure is unofficially updated on a regular basis, it’s impossible to avoid the conclusion that this is an immensely popular game.
The Multi-Billion Dollar Industry
It’s not just the fan base that has grown exponentially over the past few years. The multi-billion dollar industry that surrounds online games is a testament to RDO’s popularity. According to some estimates, the global market for online games is worth over $15 billion annually, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
Games like RDO allow developers to monetize a large audience quickly and easily. They don’t require a significant budget, and they don’t necessarily need to focus on a broad audience. Instead, they can target more specific demographics with greater precision.
This targeted audience is exactly what attracted Take-Two Interactive to purchase a minority stake in an unannounced Red Dead Online project last year. The publisher and developer of RDR and RDO is working hard to ensure that their upcoming title becomes a game that stands out among their already incredible roster of games.
Red Dead Redemption 2
If you’ve been on the lookout for a game that will undoubtedly please fans of the series, then you’ll no doubt want to try out Red Dead Redemption 2. It’s been almost a year since the release of Red Dead Redemption (RDR) and the hype surrounding this game continues to this day. Based on the tremendous success of RDR, many assume that Red Dead Redemption 2 will be able to continue this trend and bring in even more revenue for the gaming industry.
However, this game isn’t quite the continuation of the Red Dead series as you might expect. While Red Dead Redemption focused heavily on the Western genre, Red Dead Redemption 2 will explore different time periods and settings. This time around, the game will put you in the shoes of a Native American warrior as you traverse across the country aiding various Native American tribes in their war against the British. The game is currently available to purchase on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
A Game That Will Never Go Out Of Fashion
Red Dead Online isn’t the only critically acclaimed game to emerge from the Red Dead Universe. It’s still possible to play as many of the games from the series from the comfort of your couch. This is especially beneficial if you happen to be playing on a console that doesn’t have an online connection, like the Xbox One or PlayStation 4.
In addition to being able to play your favorite games from the series on the go, you can also use Rockstar Games’ (the developer of the Red Dead series) incredible cinematic recreations of the games’ worlds as gaming wallpaper. Thanks to the games’ high quality graphics and attention to detail, it’s still possible to experience these worlds as clearly as the authors of the games did over 20 years ago.
The Future Of Gaming
Although the future of gaming seems pretty bright at this point, it’s still a bit of a gamble for game developers and publishers. The industry is still largely dominated by console manufacturers and gaming centers, which means that the bulk of your revenue comes from one place. If you want to make the most out of an indie game or develop a mobile game, then you’ll have to rely on advertising to generate revenue, which isn’t exactly a safe bet.
On the other hand, if you’re confident that an upcoming game will be a smash hit and decide to skip the adverts, then you stand a pretty good chance of making some serious money.
Given the right marketing strategy and the strength of the games, it’s still possible to make serious money in the gaming industry. However, as the industry becomes more competitive, the risks involved in developing a game are greater than ever before. Despite this, the future of gaming is still very bright.