Top Articles: The Gaming Industry Is Ready For Disruption
Week 37, 2017
The gaming industry is ripe for disruption. Currently, gamers are mostly dependent on hardware to play games, which means that there are few options beyond the console experience. Mobile gaming exists, but it does not organically move from one platform to another, which also ties you to a single device. Cloud-based “gaming on demand” services are slowly entering the market, but the majority of games are either downloaded or use discs/cartridges and do not include streaming options. In this aspect, gaming is actually far behind other entertainment industries and in great need of change. Luckily, change is on the horizon and gaming revenues are expected to continue increasing YoY beyond 2020. AR, facial recognition, and streaming capabilities are just a few of the innovations that will drive this trend.
Here are the top articles to read this week:
1. Apple TV Gets ‘Sky,’ An Important New Timed Exclusive Game
By Dave Thier from Forbes
Apple has toyed with the idea of making its TV a budget alternative to the $400+ gaming consoles. In this aspect, Apple lags behind its competitors (Amazon Fire TV, Roku, etc.) mostly due to the fact that they have a limited library of content and an awkward interface. However, Apple unveiled its new Apple TV at its Special Event this week, and they’re clearly building out their gaming platform. First, they (finally) upgraded to 4K resolution so that their games will look modern, and second, they now have iOS-exclusive content, which will help them develop their ecosystem. These changes essentially open the door to infinitely better gaming on demand.
2. “The Machines” On iPhone 8 Shows Us Why AR Gaming Is The Next Big Thing
By Tristan Greene from The Next Web
Apple has been teasing the possibilities of AR for a few months now, but it wasn’t until their Special Event that the company revealed the true potential of AR. Through AR, the iPhone is pushing gaming disruption by creating a new substitute for the console experience. AR gaming opens up the entire physical world to gamers, and with “The Machines,” players can compete against each other like in traditional MMOs. Furthermore, AR creates an immersive environment that allows players not only to control the game, but be literally inside the game.
3. Nintendo Is Having An Amazing Year
By Andrew Webster from The Verge
Nintendo had one of the most successful years in their history and forever changed the future of gaming in the process. For one thing, they fashioned a console that can be broken down into smaller, mobile parts. Saved games can now be played in multiple locations on multiple devices. Furthermore, Nintendo changed game mechanics by opening up the open-world RPG (role-playing game) concept so much there is no longer a narrative structure to follow. Instead of progressing to new levels and getting missions to complete, the player essentially has no mission and is free to play any way she decides. In other words, content is organic and gameplay is on demand.
4. Game Revenues Of Top 25 Public Companies Jump 20% to $41.4 Billion in H1 2017
By Tom Wijman from Newzoo
While many other segments of the entertainment industries are losing money, gaming has consistently increased its YoY revenues and mobile gaming accounted for nearly half of this for the past few years. According to an earlier report from PwC, “the global video game industry is expected to grow “at a CAGR of 4.8 percent from $71.3 billion in 2015 to $90.1 billion in 2020.” One of the reasons that gaming is thriving is that it has many different facets, and therefore plenty of opportunity for disruption.
5. Super-cool Game Tech Will Copy Your Facial Expressions In Real Time
By Adam Rosenberg from Mashable
Community is very important in gaming, and one company has found a way to take player-to-player interactions to the next level. Cloud Imperium Games has created a game that tracks the real life facial movements of players and maps them to their avatars in real time. This means that video game characters will now have the same expression as the humans who are controlling them and others playing the game will be able to see, as well. Talk about immersive environment.
Curated by Hadley Stork
