Gaming

1. 1. What’s this thing called the metaverse

   → Many believe that the future of gaming lies in the concept of the metaverse, where we can form bonds through communities, attend events and spend money much like in our real world but using virtual avatars.

   → To best take advantage of this trend, startups are increasingly developing games that emphasise interactive social elements and usergenerated content.

2. 2. Behind the scenes

   → Social-centric games open up new opportunities for gaming infrastructure and integrations, from audio to barring bullies and bots.

   → Rather than building everything in-house, gaming studios are increasingly looking to specialised startups as their software suppliers.

3. 3. The future of VR

   → VR has been touted as the next big thing for some time, but exponential growth has failed to materialise.

   → Startups are working to make VR devices more comfortable and more accessible, and to define their best use cases — from immersive education to virtual tours of historic sites.

4. 4. The gamification of everything

   → Games for learning and acquiring new skills have been around for some time but the pandemic has given them a new push.

   → Startups are now extending the logic of gamification to other applications, from physical therapy to mental health.

Who early stage startups are up against