Today, the video game industry is a behemoth, bringing in billions (yes, billions) of dollars in revenue each year. In 2019 alone, the gaming and interactive media market roped in a staggering excess of $120 billion, of which mobile games alone generated more than half of this.

This doesn’t even take into factor that shortly after 2019, the entire civilized world was forced to sit indoors and occupy themselves, resulting in more consoles, more time online and, naturally, more gaming – about 35% of the world’s population (or 7 billion people) as of 2020. It’s little wonder, then, that industry titans such as Sony, Xbox, Nintendo, and Microsoft continue to pioneer advances and innovation within the gaming space. It’s a lucrative and rapidly growing avenue, one on only an upward trajectory in terms of popularity and, to any sane developer, an industry which deserves attention and respect.

But what can we expect in years to come? Well, here’s our two cents…

Today, we see technologies such as AR, virtual reality (VR), 3D graphics and trends such as streaming services and mobile gaming continue to transform the future of video games. Other drivers include innovative game consoles, mobile devices, and technologies such as facial and voice recognition, gesture control, high-definition displays, and wearable tech.

Needless to say, gaming as a whole has evolved from something you did in isolation or at an arcade into an all-encompassing, wholly immersive experience – and the introduction of online multiplayer functionality has served only to enhance this. In fact, many developers have found their entire business model revitalized by the mere introduction of an online platform (we’re looking at you, EA), while some have sprung seemingly out of nowhere and reached the pinnacle of Pop Culture status (this one’s for you, Fortnite). Gaming has come a long way, but it’s only headed in one direction – up.

So, let’s look at trends within the industry which are currently driving innovation:

From triple-A big budget titles to crowdfunded indie games, successful developers follow trends to learn what audiences are looking for and anticipate future video game development trends.

1. Cloud Gaming and Streaming

Increased smartphone use, faster Wi-Fi and internet service, more reliable mobile networks, and larger hardware storage capacities in mobile devices have been primary drivers of people’s consumption of more digital content. Typically, in 2021, users download games to their devices in their spare time, with concerted effort being made to sit down and start up their consoles.

With an internet connection, gamers can then interact with others anywhere in the world as they play, but the games are still running locally from their devices. The problem is that, over time, this can impact the performance of a player’s device. We foresee an increased emphasis on Cloud gaming and streaming, which allow users play games from their devices, whilst the games actually live somewhere else (such as in a data center).

2. Digital Distribution

Companies such as Netflix and Amazon have upended the home video market, and the video game industry is headed in the same direction. Whilst, in truth, game revenues are up, conventional brick-and-mortar video game stores are in decline – thanks to lower sales of physical games.

Digital distribution of games via services such as Steam complements the marketing strategies of publishers, allowing companies to deliver continuous messages to users, consistently introducing new features, updates, and games and, in doing so, usher in a new era in retailer to consumer interactions.

3. New Business Models

Business models making their mark on the industry include free to play and gaming as a service (GaaS). The free-to-play model allows players to play games for no initial charge. These games, typically available on mobile devices and gaming PCs, then introduce opportunities for monetization at a later stage (again, we’re looking at you, EA). For example, players can purchase credits to remove ads (we’ve all wanted to at some stage), interact with other gamers, or get unobstructed play.

GaaS is primarily a subscription-based, on-demand streaming service that enables users to play games on the hosting servers of a video game publisher. GaaS, combined with additional monetization opportunities, helps expand a game’s lifespan over the long term.

4. Increased Diversity

The idea that gamers are strictly young males is a very outdated, highly incorrect myth (just ask Tech Girl). According to Gamify, 17% of men and 10% of women ages 18-35 in the U.S. play video games. Among those 50 and older, 13% of both men and women play. Additionally, with the rise of cloud gaming and similar trends, the video game market continues to become more diverse. For example, users with lower income can participate without buying high-end gaming PCs or consoles, according to a Deloitte Insights report.

5. Mobile Gaming

Mobile is becoming the go-to platform for consumers looking for new ways to stay entertained – especially on-the-go. With more than 2 billion people worldwide playing mobile games, according to Deloitte, mobile is the largest driver of growth in the video game industry. Amid COVID-19 lockdowns, mobile gaming surged because it offered users increased accessibility to video games. The mobile game user population in the U.S. and Canada has increased by 12% since 2019, according to a Deconstructing Mobile & Tablet Gaming report.

6. Next-Generation Consoles

Gaming has reached a lot of new audiences, thanks to trends such as mobile game users, distribution digital models, and cloud gaming. In response, the primary game console manufacturers have embraced that change by introducing next-generation consoles that enable players to use physical and digital games. For example, Xbox Series X provides subscribers with access to a constantly updated library of hundreds of games. With state-of-the-art graphics, lightning-fast load times, and easy access to new games, next-generation consoles will continue to push the envelope in the video game industry.

So let’s sum it up, because this is getting pretty long. The gaming industry as a whole has progressed at a previously unforeseen pace within the last two decades alone. Thanks to technological advancements such as 3D Graphics, VR and improved AI, the user experience is continuously evolving and ever expanding. We predict that as developers continue to innovate, players will in turn discover more realistic and, in time, wholly immersive simulations along with better connection between worldwide audiences. Keep an eye on AI and VR in particular but, ultimately, our takeaway is that the future of gaming will essentially be shaped by societies desire to create awe-inspiring experiences, ones which increase our opportunities to escape, relax, unwind and engage.

It may sound like a barcode or a Wi-Fi password gone wrong, but SD-WAN is a lot more complex, intricate and most of all useful than many people realise.

We’ll be honest, when we started at Vox, we hadn’t heard of SD-WAN before (and we ignored all blog topics around it for a good few months). It sounded complicated, technical and cryptic – not a good combination for blog writing (which we painstakingly tried explaining to our manager). A few months in, however, and our perception couldn’t be more different. Not only is SD-WAN such a simple yet effective solution, we wish we could give it to the Licensing Department, but we’ve come to learn that it’s a sure-fire way to accelerate business growth (and make you sound smart while explaining it to your colleagues).

So, without further ado, let’s break down the Dummies Guide to Understanding SD-WAN.

Well, SD-WAN is basically redefining the concept of efficient connectivity. Let’s face it – things are going hybrid (and we don’t mean the skoro-skoro cars who take up the fast lane). The workplace is modernising, and new technology is being adopted faster than Angelina Jolie, and businesses across the board are moving from legacy solutions to more modern alternatives – normally within The Cloud (everyone, it seems, except any Government department).

These transitions naturally place a high demand on your network and applications. Whereas before, the Internet was used for browsing (or sitting on Facebook when you heard your boss’s office door closed), it’s now a fundamental aspect of communication. Storage, video calling, accessing your systems – it’s enough to put pressure on any network, and when this happens, speed, productivity and reliability all drop. Which isn’t a good look unless you work in Licensing.

The modern (and modernised) business needs a solution which can handle these demands without giving their accounting department an aneurism. Said solutions need to be flexible, secure and capable of handling an advanced workload without compromising network quality. Sounds like an impossible wish-list? Nope, it’s just SD-WAN.

It stands for “Software Defined, Wide Area Network”, and is a solution which allows your business to leverage any combination of last-mile services to – wait, this is getting technical. SD-WAN takes away the need for expensive routing and provides you with flexible, Multi-Cloud Solutions. In its simplest form, it establishes the best route required for you to get optimal Internet connectivity. Network overloaded? No worries – SD-WAN will analyse, assess and determine a less fragmented path between your organisation and the fastest, most reliable connection.

You can define priority traffic to improve your performance and speed – there’s even backup connections which can drastically improve your bandwidth.

So, it makes my Internet faster – that’s it?

Not quite. Nobody likes loading time and delays (or staff mucking around while on the clock). SD-WAN steers high-bandwidth applications to allow your employees to access their Data and files quicker and with less loading time. The downside of things being stored in the Cloud is that they present a built-in excuse come time to retrieve them – SD-WAN offers faster performing applications which, of course, mean your team can move more efficiently.

It also offers more security (because, believe us, your business is always at risk) without dropping your performance.

All SD-WAN solutions come with built-in, next generation Firewalls to ensure that those hackers won’t stand a chance.

What about a struggle we South African’s know too well – downtime? Well, with SD-WAN, it doesn’t exist (insert Mean Girls reference). Should a link fail, SD-WAN will find the next available alternative, meaning no lost revenue or turning customers away.

You can migrate to the Cloud (if you haven’t already) quite seamlessly and easily deploy new branches or implement changes. Manage your network centrally and, best of all, reduce your monthly spend so you can order the large chips at Nando’s instead.

Those are the benefits – but what’s the hook?

Well, if you’re still reading, we’re still pitching. Let’s look at what SD-WAN does in a nutshell (and why it can prevent your business from mimicking Home Affairs).

• Reduced costs? Check.
• Better speed? Check.
• Improved performance? Check.
• Safer, more reliable, no downtime? Triple check.

When we say checkmate, we aren’t referencing Queen’s Gambit – SD-WAN is really a gateway to smarter, better business operations and an affordable way to circumnavigate the challenges of being a South African business. Now that you know what it does, what it’s about and why your business can’t afford not to look into it, the only question left is why you’re still on the Content Hub and not looking at purchasing it (spoiler alert – click here).

So, no-one told you Internet was gonna be this way? Eskom’s a joke, you’re broke, your Fibre’s DOA.

It’s like your ISP’s stuck in second gear.

But if your connectivity won’t work, won’t start, don’t stress, LTE is here…

See, LTE will be there for you when your Fibre starts to fall. We mean it.

Cool songs and ‘Friends’ references aside, any South African worth his salt knows the importance of having a backup plan. We’ve redefined generators (watch this space!), made beer out of pineapples and even taken plonking a keyboard to new heights while calling it “Amapiano”. If there’s one thing we know how to do, it’s make lemonade out of life’s lemons (or alcohol out of local fruit) – which is why a Failover solution should have everyone’s ears prickling and heads turning in anticipation.

So, let’s talk LTE, which you should know by now is one of the fastest, most reliable, affordable and convenient solutions out there.

For many Internet users (particularly those at home), Fibre can seem as attainable as a Gucci sneaker (the real one, not the China Mall spec) or, if you’re in an area where there’s no availability, as realistic as speedy service while renewing your Passport. Many users give up on the concept of home Wi-Fi altogether as a result of this, instead choosing a constant back and forth with the strict sounding “no airtime” lady from MTN over a viable solution. Fact is, when it comes to speed, when it comes to connectivity, when it comes to a Fibre-like experience with no compromise on quality, LTE is as proficient as a South African scientist who just discovered a new strain of Covid.

Your service provider could be the best in the world and, 99 days out of 100, provide flawless Connectivity which never drops. But, as Murphy’s Law would have it, there’s always that one day (or week, or month, or even a year!) where your connectivity drops without warning; and no amount of switching the router on and off again seems to do the trick. This is usually just before an all-important work call, 10 minutes before an assignment deadline or just as the money shot is about to hit (we’re talking about Gaming here – mind out the gutter!). As you watch that little grey Dinosaur in sheer frustration or try to frantically Hotspot off your phone while waving goodbye to your Mobile Data, all of us have been in a position where we wished we had a Plan B.

Drumroll…

Your LTE Router (although a perfect leading man) can also double as a Failover Solution during the times you need it most.

Yup, if life was a movie, LTE would take home the Oscar for best supporting cast faster than Heath Ledger’s Joker. But, as always, there’s a tech side to things – so let’s talk the reasons you (or your business) need a Failover.

Think paying for a Plan B is costly? Network outages cost even more. Ask anyone running a business from home or trying to be a diligent employee – time spent offline is money down the drain. You can’t complete projects, use your software appropriately, connect with your network or effectively communicate. In fact, we asked a few programmers and developers what Internet downtime was like, and they rated it “a kick in the crown jewels by Leonidas” on the pain scale.

As an organisation, why would you leave your business in the hands of idle employees? The cost of potential sales, lack of work being done, and reputational damage far outweighs the small monthly outlay required to have something up your sleeve, making it far less expensive to keep yourself connected than to afford the alternative.

Think we’re being more dramatic than Somizi on a bad hair day? Here are all the 2022 office solutions which require connectivity to fully operate:

• Emails
• Printers
• Cloud Computing Solutions (and Apps)
• VPNS
• Firewalls
• Inventory Management Systems
• All Communication Solutions (think Teams)
• File-Sharing/Project Management Software
• Your Sanity

With an LTE failover, your backup router links your devices to the functioning network without a noticeable service disruption. In simple English? You switch from Wi-Fi to LTE automatically, meaning instead of watching dinosaurs jump over a cactus, you can keep moving without losing signal. Better yet, major outages are usually caused by damaged lines (or, in SA, someone on a copper hunt or an overly zealous man with a jackhammer), meaning wireless failover won’t be affected by similar external issues.

Like Batman needs Robin, or Captain America needs looser pants, your business needs a Failover Solution to keep it in the game when worst comes to worst. You may not always use it, you may not even know it’s there, but for all intents and purposes, an LTE Failover is both the hero you want AND the hero you deserve.

For those who work from home, remotely, or even in the office, their work laptop probably ranks between “first-born child” and “favourite dog” on the importance scale. Anyone who’s ever spun around in a frenzy and turned every surface upside down before dashing to their car can testify that when it comes to your laptop, you can’t take chances – just ask that sinking feeling in your stomach when you think you’ve lost it.

Fact is, that the laptop has become as fundamental to the modern employee as a pen and notebook. It’s effectively replaced and digitised all components of today’s workspace – from taking notes to communicating, running systems and software and, of course, slacking off. Whereas previously, employees would diligently work at their desks or on their feet, we’ve come to embrace the mobile PC like a long-lost lover and, for better or worse, they’ve essentially redefined the way we work, communicate and collaborate.

Despite costing an arm and leg, the reality is that any half decent machine is worth its weight in gold. The financial cost of replacing one may be tangible, but the damage, headache and admin (plus having to fork out another lump sum) is immeasurable. It’s little wonder then that an increased amount of people are choosing to rent rather than purchase – and we’re about to explore why.

1. It’s more affordable. Duh.

Obvious statements are obvious, but you can’t pick up anything above an entry level machine without forking out a small fortune. Even if you do go for something more cost-effective, you can expect to have to replace it within 3 – 5 years, and ultimately end up paying double within a short space of time. And let’s just say you do go all-in with your machine, once the technology upgrades and newer features arrive, your pride and joy will ultimately end up obsolete a lot sooner than you’d hope.

Much like with renting a house (NOT like with a car, where the only options available are Tata Indicas and i10s), leasing a PC allows you to circumvent the costly overheads and proceed straight to enjoying everything you need for a more affordable monthly fee.

2. You can upgrade without trashing your old one.

Instead of hoping that Cash Crusaders give you more than R150 to go towards a new one, rental models allow for option to upgrade at the end of your contract. It makes perfect sense, as since your previous machine has served its purpose, why continue with obsolete technology and have your money go to waste (a philosophy we don’t encourage when it comes to spouses)?

This is especially useful if you’re somebody who likes to keep up with the latest tech – you can easily jump to the next big thing without any hassles and staying in the loop won’t cost you an arm, leg and old PC.

3. It just simplifies life.

Think about how much admin goes into buying something with such a short shelf life – we’d be better served investing in Bitcoin and hoping for the best. There’s driving to multiple shops (sometimes with long lines and technicians who can’t even spell PC), putting in hours online, ordering, waiting, saving, spending and then hoping that nothing happens to it. Drop it on the way out? Hard luck, bro. Hit a pothole and your laptop bag goes flying? Sucks to be you.

With laptop rentals you don’t have to stress about paying for repairs, upgrades or any of the nitty gritty involved in finding your perfect machine. As far as you’re concerned, it’s just identify what’s right for you, get the process rolling, use it as you need and, when you’re done, on to the next one – a process we also don’t encourage when it comes to spouses.

…So, does renting a laptop make any sense? In short – YES, a million times over. And we’re not just saying this because you can do it with Vox.