The Games Industry Changes as New Platforms Take Hold
The games industry is seeing some changes. Millions now play without a console, using web browsers, Facebook, PCs and mobile phones. Independent games creators are also having an influence.
Independent gaming is on the rise. The industry began with individuals creating games, whereas many of the best sellers now take hundreds of people, millions of dollars and many years to make. But the growth of social media, such as Facebook and the increasing range of platforms used for games, is seeing the return of the independent games programmer.
One example from the indie games scene is World of Goo, a deceptively simply puzzle game that has become a hit on PC, Mac, Linux and the Nintendo Wii. It was created by two ex-Electronic Arts staff for less than 10,000 US dollars. It sold thousands of copies and many more than that figure in pirated copies. And it was built using free, open source tools.
Facebook, now with more than 175 million users, is contributing to the industry change. Games are the most popular type of application on Facebook and the top 10 games on Facebook each have more than three million users. Students and individual programmers who can create games can put them on Facebook. If they are engaging, those games can get millions of players very quickly.
iPhones offer another platform and games can be built in days. In the top 100 apps today, 60 per cent are games. That creates opportunities for game makers, but obstacles too. With 165 applications entering the store every day, getting a new game noticed in the App Store can be tough going.
Another platform has entered the fray, with OnLive’s new gaming service. While some question marketing a service as opposed to a console, OnLive hope their model of high quality streaming into existing systems will take off. The system is designed to allow players to stream on-demand games at the highest quality, regardless of how powerful the computer.
It’s not just gaming either. Analyst Juniper Research has predicted that mobile gambling wagers will more than double in 2009 to USD 3.6 billion. They believe that “With the growing availability of betting services on-portal, the mobile is an increasingly convenient and user-friendly means of placing a bet.” They predict that mobile betting will account for 75 per cent of all mobile gambling this year, with casino games the second largest category.
They also predict that mobile games revenues (i.e. non-gambling games) will rise from USD 5.4 billion in 2008 to more than USD 10 billion in 2013.
The video games industry is experiencing some ups and downs in the current economic climate, but looks set to keep growing into the future, due to the influence of the independent sector and the variety of new platforms.
Tags: arts staff, creating games, demand games, facebook, free open source, game makers, games industry, gaming service, independent games, independent gaming, indie games, juniper research, mac linux, new gaming, nintendo wii, onlive, open source tools, puzzle game, top 10 games, wii
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