The year 2018 brought about significant developments in the online gaming industry. With changes in sports and edge computing, the industry is set to evolve at an unprecedented speed in the coming years.
There are a number of trends that can be predicted keeping in mind the developments in the past. Here are a few major ones that we will see in the coming years.
1. Introduction of Google’s “Project Stream”
At the end of last year, Google unveiled Project Stream with the help of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. With this, it is now easier to stream graphics-heavy games on simple PCs. This means that, soon, people will be able to play and enjoy games with high definition graphics regardless of what configuration their computer has. All this with the help of a browser and a high-speed internet connection.
Known as Google Stadia, it is hitting the market as soon as November 2019 in countries like USA, UK, and Canada. It will be a subscription-based service that will very well make Google the Netflix of the online gaming industry.
Several AAA titles will be made available. If it is deemed successful, it might challenge large corporations dealing with gaming hardware to jump into software development or reevaluate their business model altogether.
2. Roping In Celebrity-Influencers
It’s quite common to have a person from the entertainment industry endorsing products of other industries. Social influencers, regardless of whether they are famous in the gaming industry or not, will be roped in to back the marketing strategies of gaming giants.
It has been seen that sincere involvement of celebrities can help successfully market a number of products as seen in the case of Ryan Reynolds and Drake, who, on different occasions, were able to capitalize on their fame to attract hoards of people into joining their respective endorsed activities.
Though it might seem weird, non-gaming celebrity pairing will soon be a tool in the arsenal of marketers in the industry.
3. Saturation in Mobile Gaming
It comes as no surprise that the piece of tech we carry almost everywhere is now also smart enough to run memory-heavy games. The technology has reached the level that even some non-gaming phones surpass the capabilities of certain gaming consoles.
Not only that, many gaming companies and publishers have started focusing on the Smartphone app version of their products. While China is already leading the world in terms of mobile gaming, the world slowly catching up with the transition. However, saturation is one factor that is being seen in many markets including China.
4. Cross-Platform Gaming and Subscriptions
The 2018 success of ‘Fortnite’ opened new avenues in the gaming industry. While most of the competition remains walled within the constraints of its platform, upcoming years will see different platforms playing along better than before.
For example, Hearthstone dominates the card game category, as it can be integrated with Amazon’s Twitch and also works seamlessly on PC and mobile. Also, regional searches like duckdice casino are becoming popular on Google.
Inspired by Microsoft’s Game Pass, many companies will come to see the benefits of the subscription model. It will not only allow a steady flow of income but also help companies predict their revenues.
5. Market Slows Down
Recently hit by a wave of layoffs, EA has definitely slowed down this year. While this does not bring down one of the big three, it affects the overall morale of the market. Also, a number of predictions point to a reduction in consumer spending in the US.
The economics of the gaming industry has changed from “counter-cyclical” to become more congruent with consumer spending. This can be attributed to the fact that the industry has turned main stream.
Furthermore, trade aggression against game stocks is also a concern as it affects content innovation. With such competition, companies will try to take minimum risks possible, as seen in the case of Electronic Arts.
Conclusion!
With new technology being introduced faster than we can replace it, it is becoming more challenging for console makers to keep up with it. Also, with a plethora of games in the market, even the software side is taking a hit while keeping up with the trends that interest the users today. Thus, there are a number of changes that are expected in the online gaming industry in the upcoming years.
