Gaming

It’s not immediately obvious, but video games have roots that can be traced back to the 1950s, with the first consumer hardware being released in 1972. From there, an entire world of technology blossomed as countless tech titans recognized the potential of gaming early on and started innovating.

By the 1990s, the world of gaming was flourishing. We had access to 3D polygonal rendering that changed the face of the industry, as well as micro-technology that allowed manufacturers – like Nintendo – to build handheld gaming devices and increasingly smaller home consoles. Sony entered the industry with the PlayStation 1 and have progressed up to the PS5 Slim.

Moving into the 2000s, gamers enjoyed one of the best generations of play of all time as the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox were released, and PC gaming became more mainstream and accessible. When the 2010s kicked off, new hardware surfaced and a fresh revolution started to take place, seeing the almighty rise of competitive gaming and esports. That would come to change how people played games, but for the industry, it meant that new operating models were unfolding.

By today, the gaming industry is worth some $200 billion so there is no question of the games industry dying any time soon. It’s becoming more popular than movies, television, and music as a business, and the top-tier titles are household names alongside some of the biggest brands in technology.

There are tens of thousands of games spread across a global market, and more are emerging with each passing day. From the smallest indie games to the titles that boast an eye-watering budget, every game released bolsters the industry further and brings something new and enjoyable to an audience that never stops soaking up what’s on offer.

With that being said, there are a few franchises that tend to top the charts when it comes to determining what the best games are. For the most part, it’s a subjective debate, and saying that one game is the best will alienate every other gamer who doesn’t appreciate that particular series. So, with that in mind, we’ll list some of the most valuable and populated franchises in the history of gaming:

• Call of Duty
• Fortnite
• Grand Theft Auto
• Assassin’s Creed
• Mario
• Pokémon
• Minecraft
• The Sims
• Resident Evil
• The Legend of Zelda
• Need for Speed
• Tomb Raider
• Red Dead
• Battlefield

That’s a list that can go on for miles. Those are some of the best-selling franchises in the world of gaming, but it’s also a list that only just manages to scratch the surface in terms of what’s on offer. There are racing games, shooters, puzzle games, platformers, simulation titles, rhythm games, and role-playing games, and that’s just a small selection of the genres available to the three billion gamers around the world. Whether you’re interested in the best Battle Royale games or the best fighting games, the choice is overwhelming.

If you’re a gamer, you play games – it’s that simple. It doesn’t matter if you play a mobile title for three hours a week or if you pour weeks of your life into a complex multiplayer shooter, you’re a part of the ecosystem if you play anything, anywhere. These days, gaming is becoming increasingly accessible and diverse, and we can now play the best mobile games any time we want. Games are available through cloud gaming services, on VR headsets, and while sitting at a table in front of a stack of tokens and mini figures.

It’s not necessary to be a die-hard fan of a single franchise or to spend thousands of dollars on collectibles to be classed as a gamer. It’s a fact that doesn’t always sit well with the more hardcore members of the community, but every avenue of gaming is valid. If someone picks up some of the best casual games like Candy Crush and completes a few levels, they’re by definition a gamer. Fun fact: Candy Crush is one of the highest-grossing games in history, so it’s doing something right.

On Esports.net, you’ll find plenty of gaming news about mobile games – which are completely valid. In fact, there are more mobile gamers than console or PC gamers in the world, and the mobile gaming sector makes up the most valuable portion of the gaming industry. Some of the highest-grossing mobile games outpace the topmost console games ten times over.

In terms of competitive gaming, there’s a thriving esports scene that’s focused on mobile games. In 2023, tech titans like Apple took leaps and bounds into making mobile gaming more advanced than ever before, introducing technology that allowed players to load up and enjoy AAA games on an iPhone.

There’s nothing ‘fake’ or ‘weak’ about mobile gaming. It’s a powerhouse of a vertical that boasts billions of players, and even if you only boot up your phone and play PUBG Mobile tournaments or Call of Duty Mobile once a week, you can class yourself as a mobile gamer. It’s important to stress that mobile gaming isn’t the same as handheld gaming, though. The latter term is used to categorize devices like the Nintendo Switch, Valve’s Steam Deck, and the ASUS ROG Ally.

With such a versatile industry, there are a lot of different ways to play games. Whether you’re a PC, console or even mobile gamer, there’s a good chance you’ll still be able to play with your friends. This is because more and more game releases are offering crossplay features.

It’s always worth checking out the best crossplay games regardless of platform before you buy them. Not every multiplayer game will let you play with allies or against enemies who are on another console. This is a relatively new feature but one that we’re seeing more and more of. It doesn’t make a lot of sense for multiplayer game developers to exclude potential players because they can’t play with their friends.

The gaming news scene unfolds at a hyperactive rate with each passing hour. It’s often impossible to predict what the next story will be or where it’ll come from, as there are hundreds of thousands of people contributing to the industry, and their next game might be revealed out of nowhere, sending the internet into a frenzy.

With that in mind, it’s advised to stick to a reputable gaming news source like Esports.net. We cover everything from the hottest competitive titles to the latest trailers, and from the intricacies of the gaming industry to the most scandalous news about content creators and streamers.

Regardless of how you’re consuming games or what you’re a fan of, stay tuned to Esports.net for the latest and greatest gaming and esports news.