Video game development is an ever-changing industry. Yearly and even monthly, new technologies and trends emerge that have the potential to change the landscape of gaming forever. Here are five of the most promising game development trends that we think will shape the industry in the future!
1. A Complete Switch to Mobile
Even though gaming giants like Hunter Slot always have PC versions of the offered games, a mobile gaming option is obligatory for companies. The thing is that most people now use smartphones as their primary devices. Of course, some people prefer tablets, but iPhones and Android phones are the #1 choices for buyers.
While good online casinos optimize their projects for mobiles from the start, many other game business players cannot achieve that. Some PC games will function on a mobile phone well. For instance, PUBG, Roblox, Genshin, Heartstone, and some other popular games might work on your phone (if it is new enough to run the program). Yet, people with older phones cannot enjoy many products of the gaming industry.
The business cannot afford to lose that many potential players. That is why game development companies will have to focus on launching mobile-first projects or, at least, making sure that their products are available on smartphones. They might have to compromise graphics content detail. Still, we will see more complex, wisely designed, and gripping games pop up in application stores.
2. The Rise of Indie Games
The last decade was incredible for developing independent (indie) games. For instance, in 2019, only two AAA games, Borderlands 3 and Mortal Kombat 11, made it into the list of the year’s best-selling games. The rest of the top included Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Rainbow Six Siege, Minecraft, and Apex Legends.
More importantly, 8 out of 10 games in that list were not developed by one of the big three companies in the industry (Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, or Ubisoft). That indicates that the market is shifting, and game developers might alter strategies if they want to stay afloat.
Of course, it is impossible to say those big companies will disappear in the nearest future. They have enough resources to keep pumping out new titles and attracting an audience. Still, we think the market will see more successful indie projects in the future.
3. The New Wave of Free-to-Play Games
The free-to-play model has been around for a while, but it has only recently become the dominant force in the gaming industry. According to SuperData, a market research company owned by Nielsen, 86% of the money spent on games in 2021 went to free-to-play titles. That is an incredible number, and it just goes to show how popular this model has become.
Of course, the free-to-play model is not without its detractors. Many people feel that it is a predatory model designed to exploit players. Yet, we will see how this evolves.
4. Simpler Storytelling
Even though games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Red Dead Redemption 2 feature incredibly detailed and complex stories, we think the industry will start moving towards simpler narratives in the future.
The thing is that most people want to play a game for a few hours and then move on. They do not want to invest dozens of hours into a game to see the ending. As such, we think more and more developers will start making shorter and simpler games.
5. More Games as a Service
That is a model where a game is released and continuously updated with new content. Games like Destiny 2, Rainbow Six Siege, and The Division 2 have all adopted this model.
The thing is that this model is incredibly lucrative for developers. It allows them to keep making money off a single game for years. We think more and more developers will start adopting this model in the future.
Final Words
These are just some of the most relevant trends we think will shape the gaming industry in the years to come. Of course, only practical tests will tell how accurate our predictions are. Either way, it is going to be an exciting time for gamers all around the world.