I have enjoyed playing video games since I was a kid and I've seen the evolution that games and consoles have gone through for the last two decades. And to think that they're still going, it takes a lot of persistence and creative mettle to pump out games every year.
However, the dents in the video game industry have already begun to show for some time now. And though we are expecting new releases, new consoles, and new ideas that might further improve our gaming experience, the cost of developing and producing these games is taking its toll in the industry as a whole.
All these new things will come, and we’ll close the book on a generation that saw the industry that makes games come under greater scrutiny than ever before, as studios shuttered, developers burned out, and toxic work culture fostered environments hostile to marginalized people.
We have seen a decreasing trend of new games being released by industry leaders like Electronic Arts, Activision, and Ubisoft. Meanwhile independent developers find it difficult to squeeze themselves into the tight cracks of the market which will only offer them a tiny portion. Not to mention the costs of producing video games continues to rise while prices remain constant.
That’s the present of video games. Let’s talk about the future. The intersecting trends of games-as-a-service and the increased emphasis on streaming mean an increased reliance on off-site computing with data centers and server farms distributed across the globe.
The fact of the matter is video games will continue to exist. What form it will take will depend on whether the video game industry will shift its practices into more sustainable forms because if it continues on with what they are doing now, it might lead to an implosion of the industry in the future.
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