The video game industry is a source of constant innovation, with the business world adopting different innovative technologies.
While augmented and virtual reality (VR/AR) applications are just beginning to be used in the industry, gamers have been using headsets to enter fully immersive worlds for years. The metaverse concept is not new to gamers either; persistent, avatar-driven digital environments and even digital currencies have long been accepted as part of gaming industry trends.
Of course, in addition to being technological showcases, games are one of the most popular forms of modern entertainment. They can be a great way to unwind when we can’t face another spreadsheet or Zoom meeting.
Here are some ways we can expect the $350 billion video game industry to evolve in 2024, bringing us greater immersion, more realistic experiences, and, most of all, fun!
Top Gaming Trends
1. Generative AI In Gaming
In 2024, we will start to see the impact of the latest generation of generative AI tools take off trends in gaming.
Examples of how it will be used include generating dynamic storylines, creating more natural, believable characters who can converse with players without simply reading from scripts, and assisting in building vast game worlds and environments.
2. Gaming On-Demand
Google’s Stadia streaming gaming service may not have existed in 2023, but it was a great idea backed by solid technology that didn’t catch on with consumers. However, other cloud services grew, including Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia’s GeForce Now.
Netflix and Amazon also entered the market, with Netflix taking a different approach by offering downloadable game content on users’ devices. While none of these services can claim to have gone mainstream yet, they have all shown that on-demand gaming can be a viable market in its own right. This trend in gaming will continue through 2024.
3. Pro-Gaming and E-Sports
Esports involves merging gaming industry trends with aspects of traditional sports, such as professional leagues, live audiences, and broadcast coverage.
Professional tournaments hosted by global sporting bodies, like FIA and FIFA, will continuously grow as the market rises towards a projected valuation of $6.7 billion by 2030.
This means that in 2024, youngsters with a passion for gaming will be tempted to consider professional gaming as a legitimate and potentially lucrative career.
4. VR Gaming Continues to Grow
It’s becoming increasingly common for many games to launch with a VR mode, and if one is omitted, resourceful fans will often add their own.
On the other hand, AR gaming arguably hasn’t had a big hit since Pokemon Go in 2016. Still, with a range of new headsets on their way, 2024 could see a resurgence in using reality-blending technology to create innovative games and experiences.
5. Acquisitions and Consolidation
On the business side, we’ve seen a wave of consolidations and acquisitions, some on a truly epic scale, such as Microsoft’s $70 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard.
These gaming industry trends are likely to continue in 2024, with some rumors suggesting that even the industry’s longest-established grandfathers, such as Nintendo, may not be big enough to satisfy the appetites of the industry’s titans.
6. Remakes and Retro Gaming
Gamers enjoy playing with the latest cutting-edge tech, but sometimes they want to blast away at some Space Invaders or chase ghosts around a maze munching dots.
Retro gaming has become a strong gaming industry trends in recent years, with many companies such as Atari taking the opportunity to repackage classic titles for a new audience, proving that classic gameplay can be just as enduring as beloved music and movies from days gone by.
Remakes of popular games with previous generations, such as the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, will also be a key trend.
7. Collaborative and Creative Gaming
Games that encourage players to work together to build and create—rather than just blasting at waves of enemies—have grown increasingly popular, at least since the arrival of Minecraft more than a decade ago.
Titles like Roblox have advanced the concept by allowing users to create their own games from scratch. Players have shown that they are keen to engage with this creative, collaborative form of play, and we can expect to see an ongoing revolution in this field.
8. Bigger, More Immersive Game Worlds
Advancements in hardware power mean that game developers consistently create bigger, more immersive, and more graphically impressive experiences with each passing year. Games are gradually becoming capable of producing photo-realistic levels of image fidelity in real-time, some of the most impressive being those built with the Unreal 5 engine.
So far, we’ve seen very impressive tech demos. Still, as developers grasp the possibilities (and budgets) needed to unleash the latest gaming industry trends, like real-time ray-tracing, games will become more realistic than ever.
9. A New Generation of Portable Gaming Devices
Recent years have seen the rise in popularity of handheld gaming PCs, first in the form of the Steam Deck and then, as is often the case with the PC market, in a rush from manufacturers to create derivatives and compatibles.
Rumors abound that 2024 will also see the launch of a new version of the Nintendo Switch, which would make sense as the original, still hugely popular, machine will celebrate its eighth birthday, practically making it a pensioner in gaming industry trends.
10. Blockchain And Web3 in Gaming Industry Trends
Okay, this is one that’s perhaps gone a little off the boil. Although previously predicted to impact gaming industry trends significantly, big names in game development, including Electronic Arts and Activision, have canceled or scaled back plans for features such as NFT collectibles and loot crates in games.
Additionally, disastrous “crashes” in cryptocurrency costs have led to a decline in the gaming industry trends for the sort of “play-to-earn” blockchain games like Axie Infinity that were once heralded as critical to the future of gaming.
Blockchain and Web3 enthusiasts point out that it’s still early days for the technology in general, and some of these use cases may have just been ahead of their time. However, if the cryptocurrency market emerges from its prolonged slump in 2024, we may see a resurgence of interest.
Conclusion
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What game is trending right now?
These are the top three trending video games
- TEKKEN 8
- Poppy Playtime
- Fortnite
Why is Hunger Games trending on Netflix?
The main reason why Hunger Games is trending is that it tells a story that reinforces its audience’s notions of good and evil.