Loki

Gaming is a hugely popular hobby today, with estimates suggesting that between 30% and 60% of the world’s population enjoy playing games at least occasionally. With the advent of technology, it has evolved from being a niche activity to a mainstream form of entertainment. Today, people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy playing video games, whether on their computers, consoles, or mobile devices.

However, while the consumption of these games is near universal, North America and Japan are disproportionately involved in their creation. The USA is home to Microsoft, the creator of the Xbox consoles and the Windows operating system for PCs, as well as its associated ecosystem. It’s also where Valve, the company behind the popular Steam marketplace, is based.

Meanwhile, Japan also has more than its fair share of gaming companies. It’s given the world Nintendo, the creator of Mario and many iconic consoles like the Wii and the Game Boy, and Sony, the conglomerate that continues to set standards with its PlayStation consoles. The land of the rising sun is also where Sega, Capcom, and Namco are all headquartered, showing that the country also has strengths in game development.

But, had it not been for Europe, the gaming industry may not exist in the way that it does today. The continent has played a major role in influencing and shaping the types of games that we play today, both in recent history and in centuries gone by.

Casino Games

Casino games are ubiquitous today. While in the past, players had to physically travel to a casino to wager on table games and slots, it’s now possible to simply open an app or website and begin playing from practically anywhere.

Online casinos have thrived in recent years with the proliferation of smartphones and tablets and mobile internet access. But their success can also be attributed to the large number of promotions that they offer, especially no deposit bonuses for new players that grant freshly-registered users the chance to play games for free.

However, these casino games wouldn’t exist today were it not for Europe. It was on this continent that most modern favourites were created, including blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. All three of these table games originated in one or more European countries before being exported to the USA by people moving to the new world in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Even slots, which were invented in California, have links to the old world as it was German emigrants that first created them.

Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto is a cultural phenomenon, and has become one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. But GTA’s contribution to the gaming landscape is much more than just selling a series of gaming titles that offer players hours of fun.

Right from the first release, the franchise pushed the boundaries of what people expected from a video game. Its creators completely reimagined the concept of ‘open world’ games, allowing players to explore an entire city that felt like it was alive.

Most people see Grand Theft Auto as an American game but it was actually developed in Europe. The studio now known as Rockstar North has led the work on every major release in the series from its offices in Scotland.

GoldenEye 007

Video games based on movies are usually a flop as they’re more cash grab than quality piece of content, but this wasn’t the case for GoldenEye 007. The title, which was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997, helped to redefine what people expect from shooting games.

As is fitting for a video game recreation about Britain’s most famous spy, GoldenEye 007 was developed in the United Kingdom by Rare, a studio now owned by Microsoft.

It was praised for many features, including having impressive graphics for the era like lingering smoke and glass transparencies - revolutionary for the time. Additionally, the concept of being able to zoom using a sniper rifle was cutting edge and was described by Edge magazine as a ‘novel twist’.

Many modern shooting games have pulled a lot of inspiration from this British masterpiece, including moving away from simply shooting a gun but also focusing on stealth and strategy, as well as having multiple objectives in a level. Without the European contribution of GoldenEye 007, our modern first-person shooters could look very different today.