We’re past the halfway point in the year and the holiday season is fast approaching. 2022 has already been a big year for gaming with some shock revelations in the news and some blockbuster releases already.
Demand for gaming content has also continued to grow, just as it has done for much of the last decade.
But that’s all in the past now. What can we expect to see in the world of gaming over the remaining months of the year?
Lots of Big Releases
While publishers release big games throughout the year, many of the largest and most anticipated drop in the final few months of the calendar. There are a few reasons for this, the first is that it allows the publishers to maximise their revenue from these sales as they can be purchased for holiday gifts or by people that want some new entertainment for the colder months.
The other reason is that the fall is when the majority of the biggest sports leagues are either restarting or coming to an end, making the final few months of the year the perfect time for an officially-licensed video game to drop.
2022 will be no different to what we have seen in the past. Some notable releases scheduled for the second half of this year include:
- Saints Row – August 23
- Warhammer 40,000: Darktide – September 13
- Valkyrie Elysium – September 29
- Overwatch 2 – October 4
- Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope – October 20
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – October 28
- God of War: Ragnarok – November 9
- Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary – November 2022
Casino Gaming
The iGaming industry continues to go from strength to strength thanks to more people taking up the hobby and new markets opening up both here in North America and in other parts of the world.
One of the driving forces behind the growing demand in existing markets is innovation. Brands like Betway are continually creating new and exclusive casino games like Final Furlong, Fishing Fever, and Power Play Gold.
The diversity of these titles means that online casinos can appeal to as broad of a market as possible, increasing their opportunities to sign up new players.
For the rest of 2022, this is likely to continue as iGaming companies are unlikely to deviate from this winning formula.
GPU Prices Are Dropping
For the last few years, PC gamers have had a torrid time trying to get hold of powerful computer components like graphics cards. This has been brought on by several different factors, most notably a global supply shortage in the semiconductor market and a huge spike in demand for GPUs among cryptocurrency miners.
Now the price of cryptocurrencies has dropped and the price of energy has increased, it is no longer profitable for most miners to operate, so demand for graphics cards has fallen while supply has increased.
This means that anyone looking to get their hands on a beefy GPU for their gaming machine is going to find lower prices and have a much easier time in actually getting their hands on one.
The trend started a couple of months ago but it looks set to continue for the foreseeable future as energy prices remain elevated and crypto prices depressed.
A Possible Release of a New Switch
Nintendo releases its consoles out of sync with Microsoft and Sony, mainly because it’s not competing directly with them. The Switch, which went on sale in 2017, is now five years old and some people are now questioning whether it is due for a replacement.
A “Lite” version of the Switch went on sale in 2019 and an OLED variant in 2021. Some rumours are now circulating that the company could be getting ready to release a 4K version of the console that gives gamers even better graphics.
It is unlikely to be a complete replacement to the original, more of a minor upgrade akin to the PlayStation 4 Pro.
It’s only rumours so far, but we could see the console hit shelves ahead of the holiday season.
