Beginning of a year is the perfect time to do some prediction making. When it comes to technology, one does not need a crystal bowl to perceive future events by some tech-oriented clairvoyance.
With various lists coming in floods of predictions, those relating to game development are gaining plenty of attention mostly due to the fact we are currently living in an age of a complete digital transformation – some would dare say (r)evolution.
2018 has taken us on a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings when it comes to gaming with new games coming and going, exploding in popularity and bringing new ways to play games. And if we’re to take a look at that imaginary crystal bowl, several trends expected to hit the market big time in 2019 are sitting in plain sight.
We’ll get them out of the way right on: Augmented Reality (AR) + Virtual Reality (VR).
Arguably the two most thrown around terms of 2018, AR and VR soared to prominence thanks to apps and games (Pokemon Go anyone?) and resurgence of headsets. As technology continues to develop, one might even argue that these two haven’t exactly achieved the level previously predicted for 2018. One reason for a slightly underwhelming effect could be found in the fact AR and VR are slowly starting to bleed over into each other.
The essential difference between the two concepts still remains unchanged – whereas one adds elements to your own reality, the other completely replaces it with a new one. Following the initial blast, it could be some more time before we’ve seen the full effect of AR and VR in gaming but there is one segment of gaming currently enjoying constant and steady rise with no signs of stopping – mobile gaming.
With online gaming becoming the extremely dominant form, game developers of all types and forms are streaming into this highly exciting niche. It’s more of a complete landscape of unbound possibility than a niche, however.
The global gaming phenomenon Fortnite has already joined the mobile spectrum and with Nintendo announcing plans to dive deeper in the mobile platforms this could be the biggest news of 2019. Mobile gaming has already shaped into a nicely trimmed landscape where the likes of online casinos are also making sure their voice is being heard. Casino slots imitating video games can be easily found here on sites like Best Casinos and with most of them playable on handheld devices it becomes clear that even this particular segment of gaming is slowly focusing primarily on mobile
Topping it up from a slightly different angle in terms of game development, here is a suggestion of a trend not entirely related to technology. Global social trends will and should push game developers to deploy all of their technological and creative resources into creating products that will respect – diversity and inclusivity – knowing that such orientation is bound to do what most of creators crave these days – increase game lifespan.
In line with increased mobile intake, despite the fact phones have a power processing power than other devices, developers are expected to improve game streaming and cross-play potential which, in the end, points towards one common goal all developers have in mind. Gaming arena is a rather competitive one and companies are now trying to extend the lifespan of their products by pushing their expiry date to months or even years with constant new content upload, rewards programs etc.
And knowing that last year brought plenty of spillover in terms of tender social groups being neglected and pushed out of the limelight, gaming industry – as any other from the entertainment sector – is bound to be more attentive towards diversity and inclusivity. Youngsters – and adults for that matter – or everyone who likes gaming will appreciate games’ ability to be different without judgment.
This leaves plenty of room for developers to get creative and use diversity to reach a tangibly bigger and richer audience.
