The latest report on the video game industry provides us with a range of interesting information about the state of development teams. The main conclusion?
Games as a service still rule, although their creation is increasingly burdened with higher costs and risks. The “2023 Game Development Report” reveals that as many as 95% of the surveyed development teams are in the process of creating a game as a service, already have one “under their maintenance,” or intend to produce one.
Moreover, 66% of the studios believe that only the service-based business model for games can ensure long-term success. The study was based on over 60 interviews with industry experts, aimed at formulating hypotheses and verifying survey questions.
The survey itself involved 537 studios from around the world that underwent “thorough verification.” However, in recent years, the competition in this field has been enormous, as each of the “big players” in the industry – such as – forms of them are even monopolists in their subgenres.
Thus, securing a piece of the “service cake” seems to be an extremely challenging matter, but not impossible. Other factors include the need to create more technologically complex games, including designing better character animations, and the increasing salaries for specialists.
Furthermore, 68% of the studios believe that their companies are currently not adequately equipped to quickly release updates and content. Changing this would require significant financial investment and a new strategy, indicating that the trend towards games as a service may decrease.