- 2025 will convey main shifts within the video games {industry} by key “progress engines.”
- These engines will drive momentum for {industry} development.
- Pocket Gamer Connects San Francisco 2025 will deal with these key matters.
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The video games {industry} has confronted vital headwinds since 2023, however 2025 may convey much-needed modifications.
Some key elements may assist the {industry} return to progress. Business analyst Matthew Ball has recognized important ‘progress engines’ that would present the mandatory momentum to drive the {industry} ahead. Presently, the video games {industry} is at a important juncture because it addresses its challenges. Ball believes these progress areas may assist the video games {industry} attain its potential.
Ball’s conclusions won’t shock those that have attended our Pocket Gamer Connects (PGC) convention sequence, the place such progress alternatives are repeatedly mentioned.
Nonetheless, this {industry} is continually evolving, and at PGC San Francisco 2025, these progress engines – together with all the most popular {industry} developments – will once more take centre stage as {industry} leaders supply the newest insights into the important thing matters shaping the sector.
However what are these progress engines, and the way will they alter the {industry}?
Rising Non-Core Markets
Lately, areas just like the Center East, North Africa (MENA), and Asia have turn out to be key sport {industry} locations. Supported by authorities assist, beneficial nationwide insurance policies, and decrease value of creating video games. Companies in these areas are discovering new methods to develop and appeal to extra client spending. They’re gaining a bigger share of the cash spent on video games and creating titles that appeal to various gamers. They bring about recent cultural concepts and revolutionary methods to play and are beginning to compete with well-known sport makers. As these areas develop, the following huge sport may come from studios that use these strengths, marking a major change within the world video games market.
Pocket Gamer Connects empowers rising markets by organising region-specific occasions that deal with {industry} wants. Within the MENA area, the Dubai GameExpo Summit and Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan are important platforms for native and worldwide professionals to attach and discover new enterprise alternatives. These occasions strengthen the regional ecosystem and pave the best way for additional growth into different dynamic markets. Plans are underway to increase the Pocket Gamer Connects footprint into Shanghai and past, opening up extra enterprise alternatives to function in these rising markets.
Person-Generated Content material
Platforms like Roblox, recognized for emphasising user-generated content material (UGC), are efficiently navigating industry-wide declines in participant engagement. They boast tens of millions of month-to-month energetic customers and a various demographic, showcasing the robust demand for creation-driven experiences.
Fortnite’s partaking emotes and putting skins have captured the hearts of followers worldwide. Nonetheless, its most revolutionary contribution to user-generated content material started with the introduction of “Artistic Mode,” which empowers gamers to create uniquely personalised experiences. In 2023, Epic Video games launched the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) following the record-breaking adoption of those user-generated content material options. UEFN permits creators to evolve into skilled builders and is broadly thought to be a transformative device within the {industry}. Regardless of encountering technical challenges, many creators genuinely recognize Epic’s vital alternatives and investments on this space.
Equally, UGC modding is flourishing, with numerous platforms reporting billions of annual mod downloads. This surge is pushed primarily by common video games – like Minecraft and The Sims 4 – which set up grounds for inventive expression amongst gamers. The communities surrounding these video games underscore a deep-seated enthusiasm for user-created content material, reflecting gamers’ need to personalise their experiences. As modding turns into more and more accessible, it enhances gameplay and fosters collaboration and innovation, permitting individuals to share their distinctive creations with a world viewers.
Social Options
The social facet of video games performs a key position in conserving gamers engaged. Multiplayer video games now emphasise collaboration over competitors, fostering shared experiences and serving to gamers construct their social identities. Video games that successfully incorporate social mechanics by voice chat, cooperative missions, or in-game occasions dominate participant engagement and may see vital success.
Handheld Video games
The resurgence of moveable video games is attributed primarily to revolutionary units such because the Nintendo Swap and Steam Deck. These platforms allow gamers to immerse themselves of their favorite video games from just about wherever, distinguishing them as interesting alternate options to conventional residence consoles and computer systems that depend on stationary setups. Moreover, speedy developments in cell GPU expertise have performed a pivotal position on this revival. By providing highly effective graphical efficiency akin to high-end consoles or computer systems, these enhancements permit for creating subtle, immersive video games that ship wealthy visible experiences whereas on the transfer. The attraction of premium gaming experiences has grown, attracting a broader viewers that values each comfort and high quality of their video games actions. This demand has additionally elevated the necessity for cross-platform compatibility, enabling a greater variety of titles to be launched.
Cellular Video games
Cellular video games are increasing their boundaries, contributing to the expansion of handheld gaming units and cross-platform releases. Whereas the sector has confronted challenges, cell nonetheless generates slightly below half of all sport gross sales and much exceeds the income of different media and leisure.
Market analysts Newzoo reported that of the $187 billion generated in 2024 by every kind of video games, the cell video games market share is 49% or $92 billion. With tens of millions of cell units now able to operating video games with specs akin to mid-tier consoles, the market is prepared for a brand new wave of high-quality titles.
Pocket Gamer Connects has been a frontrunner in supporting the cell video games sector for greater than a decade. With a robust perception within the {industry}’s potential, we now have constantly supplied the newest insights, developments, and alternatives. We’ve got turn out to be the first useful resource for anybody seeking to perceive the dynamic modifications in cell video games, driving the {industry} ahead with ardour and experience.
App Retailer Regulation
Regardless of stagnant spending in cell video games, earnings from app shops stay excessive. Nonetheless, regulatory modifications can disrupt the present scenario, opening up alternatives for various distribution fashions exterior the extra mainstream app shops comparable to Google Play. With a greater variety of app shops and distribution strategies out there, firms may increase their attain and generate a bigger income share, doubtlessly reworking the economics of cell video games.
Promoting
Video games characterize a good portion of digital media consumption, but advertisers allocate solely a tiny fraction of their digital advert spending to this medium. Traditionally, challenges like advert placement and scalability have constrained income progress on this space. Nonetheless, with rising improvement prices and stagnant costs, promoting is changing into more and more vital. Advert supported fashions, much like these utilized by streaming platforms, supply a option to generate new income streams whereas sustaining affordability for customers. Whereas hybrid monetisation – combining in-app purchases and advertisements – has lengthy been a staple in cell video games, the real hurdle is attracting model advertisers exterior the video games {industry} to commit funding in direction of in-game advertisements at scale. Overcoming this barrier may revolutionise video games economic system, making a win-win situation for builders, advertisers and gamers alike.
What does this imply for 2025?
As 2025 begins, the video games {industry} finds itself at a pivotal second. It has confronted vital challenges, together with job losses and the closure of a number of sport studios. Nonetheless, new alternatives are rising to revitalise the sector and promote progress. At Pocket Gamer Connects San Francisco 2025, {industry} professionals will collect to discover these transformative forces, sharing insights and methods to assist companies thrive within the coming 12 months. A standout panel titled “Supercharging Video games: What Development Engines Will Energy the Business’s Progress in 2025?” will deal with this subject instantly. Safe your ticket to attend and take part within the dialogue with us.
