Not so long ago, some of the technology that we use today would have been the stuff of fiction. Now the mobile gaming sector is an industry that moves so fast, we can barely keep up with it. We’re looking into the future to see if we can make some accurate predictions on what to expect next.
Our first prediction is that the companies that are already established in the gaming sector will make plays into new areas. Companies like Nintendo are expected to get into the mobile gaming market, with some of their partners already making these moves. Other developers may licence their images out for different online gaming types, such as no deposit casinos and mini games. This would be off the table for kid friendly Nintendo but wouldn’t be out of the realms of CD Projekt Red.
Virtual reality is slowly trundling towards ubiquity, with headsets being made from phones and cardboard. The Oculus Rift might not be in every home just yet but this year could be the make or break time for the VR helmet. The price will go down throughout the year and the choice in games will go up, a formula for sure success.
Streaming services have come on in a huge way in 2016 and we expect that to continue through next year. Those that make their living as gamers will have more ways to play and more fans than ever in 2017. The issue for those looking to break into the market will be the oversaturation of players streaming. As these people become celebrities, more and more will be hoping to do the same but most of them are bound to fail.
The use of brand recognition in the marketplace will become much more prevalent in 2017 but there will still be room for indie devs. Big brands like Disney and Bandai will still be the giants of the industry but with more Steam greenlights we’ll see more indie games too. Fantasy sports games are becoming vastly more popular too, so we can expect more developers basing their creations on these games.
As we continue to see leaps and bounds with technology, it can be all too tempting to try to pick which ones will be successful. This can be perilous, as consumers can behave in a radically different way to what we predict. Take the iWatch for example, this time last year experts were raving about the games that we would be able to play on these devices. This hasn’t turned out to be the most practical application for the device and it’s rarely used for this purpose. Instead, people use these devices for everything from reading the news to sending messages, but not much in the way of mobile gaming.
Free games are everywhere but most consumers will tell you that they’re no longer interested in the idea of download for free, pay for extras. In fact, many more consumers would prefer to pay more for the game initially to unlock all of the aspects. While we can’t deny that free games hit a fever pitch this year, that’s expected to die down as users become more sceptical. As a nation, we’re no longer as enticed by the idea of a free game, as we’re more aware that there are usually strings attached.
Finally, as always – the expectation of the market is that it’s going to become ever more competitive. The more developers, technology and players that are out there the more each must vie for their space in the crowd. While this can lead to innovation, it can also lead to too much of the same thing.
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AFP
