How can the Gaming Industry ensure sustainability and longevity?

A highly involved QA team with accessibility as a priority should be the bedrock of the development of any gaming project. With the industry moving to cross-platform & game-as-a-service model, players are looking for less barriers to entry to determine where they spend their time. Many times, QA is considered “after the fact” and as a result is often overlooked, understaffed & overworked. A glitch/bug is just another barrier to entry for your game/players - QA should be priority #1!

As someone who cherished the pixelated adventures on the ATARI console in the 80s, particularly the sheer joy of engaging in epic battles through the original "Combat" game, and now as a parent witnessing my own children immersed in the world of Fortnite, it's fascinating to see how the industry has evolved while maintaining its ability to capture hearts across generations. In pondering the question of sustainability in the gaming industry, it's clear that the key lies in adaptation and innovation. Just as ATARI marked the dawn of home gaming, today's industry must wholeheartedly embrace emerging technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to create immersive and groundbreaking experiences.

Sustainability is tied to "Not reinventing the wheel". This is why IPs tend to be used for years such as Call of Duty. It is a system that works and is sustainable for the developers. Innovation helps keep the company profile diverse but it isn't always sustainable because it requires testing the market and its not always something that the market needs at the time. Example is: Custom Robo by NOISE. Custom Robo was made during a time where the concept wasn't widely popular. It was due to this innovation that it became unsustainable and NOISE had to cancel future Custom Robo projects. I strongly encourage new IPs but there has to be a lot of research behind it or it will often times bankrupt a new company.

Creating immersive out-of-game experiences & products for your players is huge! Anything that brings the community together behind a common theme/goal is sure to help the game grow & evolve. People love bringing friends & family along for the fun. It makes the game feel ‘real’ and fosters new connections outside the dimensions of the game itself.

Companies that allow the community to interact with the games outside the confines of its initial use will increase the longevity of the company and IP. This is clear for games such as Skyrim where its modding community is huge. Warframe has a user generated store where people can buy skins and other type of custom designs to make their experience unique. Encouraging this behavior will benefit everyone in the longterm.

Collaboration is huge in the industry right now with so many popular games getting crossover events and other enjoyable content. Examples: Fortnite, Assassin's Creed, Fall Guys, etc. Collaborating helps bring over players that may not have been interested at the beginning in the intent to increase playerbases.

Working in the research industry, specifically in gaming - I've noticed a shift from focusing on 'our players' to the wider potential audience. As gaming becomes more ubiquitous and both the audience, and the way they play games, is diversifying; the opportunities for consumers to shift loyalty is a much bigger risk to publishers. With that in mind, working to understand both the existing and potential player base in everything from game development, to marketing voice, down to community engagement - it's the only way to stay adaptive, relevant and ensure longevity.

Right now, the people that make games benefit the least from their success. We have less rights and protections than any other entertainment industry, even though Games dwarves both film and music combined. And we made Taylor Swift a billionaire this year. Executive leadership is more apathetic and distant from the actual process of making games than ever before. While 2023 was widely heralded as “the best year in games” rampant executive greed and lack of unions or protections for game workers have caused an unsustainable cycle that needs to be broken. 2024 is set to be the indie renaissance again, hopefully the studios that spin these teams and games up will engage in a focus on its people so that they can give back to the community.