The gaming industry is constantly evolving, expanding and every day new ideas change how gamers interact and play. This year, there are some exciting new advances around every corner. In March, Nintendo will release the already sold out Switch on to the market. Meanwhile, Xbox is preparing to reveal Scorpio in the fourth quarter. As well as this, we’ll see an increased focus on VR as more game developers and producers try to expand their titles to cover more than one platform. As such, it’s interesting to examine what gaming will look like in the future for developers and players.
Indie Games Are Increasingly Important
Anyone who remembered the 2016 E3 conference will know that there was a focus on indie developer games by all the major gaming platforms. There’s good reason for this. Firstly, indie games are cheap to produce and sell like hot cakes. They represent a massive ROI for investors with a limited risk. Second, video game creation software is even more readily available now. This means that there is more potential for someone to come out of nowhere and create a fantastic game that everyone wants to buy. Gamers are also growing tired of waiting for expensive games that are continuously delayed from major studios. There is also the pressure of the mobile gaming market that is slowly but surely taking over the interest in consoles.
Nintendo Switch Could Fail
Although hopes were high for the new Nintendo console, it now appears to be at least one generation behind Sony and Microsoft. Unfortunately, the graphic capabilities aren’t there and while a fully realise mobile next gen console was an interesting idea, it doesn’t live up to the potential of the concept. Nintendo has also faced backlash due to the amount of accessories needed that are not included with the device package. That and a poor launch title line up could lead to struggling sales straight out of the gate. All this said, Nintendo fans are loyal, and they will probably sustain the console for at least a few years.
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Scorpio Will Bring The Next Big Advancement
Project Scorpio, Microsoft’s secret project will be unveiled later this year. Since the PS4 Pro failed to impressed and the Switch is limited, it’s the last hope for a big gaming advancement in the near future. Very little is known about the console although the graphics capabilities are said to rival the latest generation computers. As well as this, it’s expected to support both 4K and 8K, with a connection to the Oculus Rift. All that in mind, it could put Microsoft dramatically ahead of the curve in the next console war.
VR Could Be The Gimmick People Expected
Lastly, we have to turn our attention to VR. This year will be when VR is slowly forgotten like 3D or rises like the superhero craze. It’s the time when we find out if the potential and capability is actually there for this hardware. Or, did people jump on the bandwagon far too quickly? To survive, VR needs fully realised titles that rival the graphics, story and scope of the best console titles. If that doesn’t happen, by 2018 VR will all be forgotten.
Needless to say, it’s going to be an interesting year for gamers and developers alike.