Did you know the global gaming industry outperforms the revenue of both the movie and music industries combined?¹ It shouldn’t come as a surprise as the gaming industry has long been a leader in the tech space. The industry has evolved from a pastime for young kids into a mainstream multibillion dollar industry that develops cutting edge technology.

Applications such as virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D modeling, and motion capture have their roots in gaming. And many industries outside of gaming have adopted these innovations to boost productivity, improve the client experience, increase engagement, and boost sales. Let’s look at three areas where we could see exponential growth.

One of the reasons generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini are having their moment can be traced to the gaming industry. Gamers demand realistic graphics, which requires even more powerful graphics processing chips. For most of its three decades, Nvidia was known for its powerful graphics processing units (GPUs) and graphics cards, which enable the output of high-quality 3D visuals.

Traditional CPUs are good at solving highly complex calculations, while GPUs are good at doing many slightly less complex calculations in parallel at a very high speed. That was originally meant to help with fast, high-quality gaming graphics, but it also turned out to be the perfect fit for the types of calculations that AI models need.

Nvidia leveraged its expertise in gaming to develop chips for more general computing processes, including calculation-heavy processes such as machine learning. Today, Nvidia’s AI chips are the go-to option for OpenAI (the developer of ChatGPT) and AI data centers worldwide. The company went from being a highly successful but niche chipmaker for the gaming industry to the most valuable company in the world, recently topping Apple with a $3.43 trillion valuation.²

The connection between gaming and AI cuts both ways, as AI is becoming more integral to the video game experience. Some common uses of AI within gaming include altering in-game landscapes or changing the behavior of non-player characters (NPCs) based on human player decisions. This ability to change video and audio in real time results in a very personalized gaming experience, which could lead to a similarly customized approach to online shopping experiences. Think of an online store, on a website or in the metaverse, that automatically adapts its setup and presentation based on your preferences and behavior.

Virtual reality (VR) allows gamers to be immersed in a simulated 3D environment where they can interact and explore virtual surroundings that approximate reality. Although the adoption of VR by industries such as healthcare, retail, and tourism is on the rise, the use in gaming has been slow due to high costs, uncomfortable equipment, and a limited library. These barriers are forcing innovation from video game developers for new hardware that is more comfortable, enhance the gaming experience, and lower cost. Companies like Full Scale, a leader in software development, see tremendous opportunity in VR to create engaging and interactive user experiences across different industries. As a result, gaming has been at the forefront of VR-related hardware innovation such as controls, screens, headsets, speakers, and consoles to create an enhanced consumer experience. The previously mentioned industries are ultimately also going to benefit from this improved hardware and user experience, likely increasing adoption by their employees.

The metaverse is a virtual world where people can interact with each other in a digital environment. Experts believe gaming will be the gateway into the adoption and understanding of the metaverse. As a report by Ernst & Young pointed out, popular games like Minecraft, Fortnite, and Roblox have incorporated several aspects of the metaverse, including virtual works where players meet to play games and use features like in-game chats and in-game payments.³ These games are doubling as social spaces where gamers are building an active online community. At some point this could expand to virtual office communities, allowing workers in remote or home office locations to feel much more connected to their teams.

Gaming techniques and experiences are crossing over into the corporate world. More and more companies are realizing the potential power of integrating game-like elements, such as rewards and challenges, into their processes. The global gamification market reached a value of $14.5 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to nearly $48 billion by the end of the decade.⁴

Companies mostly use gamification to boost employee productivity and engagement, as well as to foster customer loyalty. It’s used across a variety of industries, including retail, financial services, healthcare, and marketing. Some examples include:

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  Challenges in employee onboarding or training programs to reinforce company policies and values

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  Rewards and points that can lead to prizes to boost employee motivation, particularly for accomplishing mundane administrative tasks

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  Loyalty points/rewards to drive customer purchase behavior and loyalty

We can expect more advanced gaming features, such as the metaverse, to infiltrate nongaming business activities. Think of virtual real estate tours, virtual concerts, remote meetings, and immersive training programs.

Not everything that’s being hyped today will become essential in the future. But wherever you are in the tech landscape, if you want to see where you can get a head start on innovation, look to the gaming industry.

This article originally appeared on Forbes Technology Council.

¹ _{https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2023/11/17/406bn-gaming-industry-and-the-melee-advertisers-next-frontier#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20the%20video%20game,TV%20revenues%20($690bn)}

² _{https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/05/nvidia-passes-apple-as-worlds-most-valuable-company-.html}

³ _{https://www.ey.com/en_us/insights/media-entertainment/what-s-possible-for-the-gaming-industry-in-the-next-dimension/chapter-3-insights-on-the-metaverse-and-the-future-of-gaming}

⁴ _{https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/09/18/2948105/28124/en/Gamification-Market-Industry-Size-Trends-Opportunity-and-Forecasts-to-2029-Rise-of-Gamification-in-Remote-Work-and-Learning-21-CAGR-Forecast-Through-2029.html#:~:text=The%20Gamification%20Market%20was%20valued,gamification%20strategies%20across%20various%20industries}