The growth potential of the games industry is being reduced | Midia

The Midia research firm recently launched its global games forecast report by 2025 to 2031, in which it predicts certain trends in the game industry. And in this report, the forecast provides that the high growth day of the games industry could be behind it. Specifically, it predicts that it is not likely that two digit growth will continue and that editors must moderate their expectations if they do not want to face disappointment for their lack of profits, and that “survive until the ’25” is not enough.

The report predicts the $ 203.2 billion software income in 2025 and $ 237.0 billion in 2031, which will put the games online with the predicted inflation rate of the International Monetary Fund of 4% and essentially increase the growth for the anus. It also predicts that the launch of the Switch 2 will raise hardware income of 8.4% to $ 20.6 billion in 2025, after the strong decrease of 2024; And that, although the global number of players will grow, the average income per user that will decrease thanks to increasing numbers in emerging markets.

The essence of the report is a more sunny predictions of a return throughout the industry to the growth of the pandemic era: the era of two digit growth was “ended,” says Rodeos. While recognizing that the games will get some juice of the launch of GTA VI and the Switch 2, it indicates that this will not necessarily be something good for anyone in addition to the companies that create those products.

Rhys Elliott, Midia Game Analyst, said in a statement: “Do not be mistaken: GTA and Switch 2, and other premium versions, will help add more income for the market (+6.4% year -on -year growth for the console in 2025 ).

Live service games and other dead ends

The Midia report also indicates that growth vectors, such as live service games and subscription services, will not be the money creators that many believed, and that is already being reflected in the previous case. Multiple live service games have been closed or will be closed shortly due to the lack of interest of users and the income that returns to companies. Subscriptions for games, such as PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass, could also see a significant slowdown in growth, since user attention is so divided. The report states: “The gold fever of the live service already had its winners.”

Elliott said in a follow -up interview with Gamesbeat: “Many executives thought, and were taken to believe by some consulting firms and leading games analysis companies, that the two -digit growth would continue (after the pandemic), the projects and projects and projects and Green risk strategies. Many of the resulting movements finally did not work, or will not work. And some have been canceled after years of development, and a week after the launch in the case of Concord. The game market has reached its maturity phase, and it has been so for a while. “

In short, there is simply not enough player for all for all these projects, which means that games editors will have to find other ways to stay. Switch 2, which could admit any type of game from mobile devices to PC (if rumors about the new functionality similar to mouse are true), it is likely that they offer editors a way to extend the useful life of their rear catalogs. Developers can also point to unattended markets.

And if there is a benefit for players, it is that the games industry is likely to resign their obsession with the live service titles and re -create the premium titles of a single player that players will really buy and play, as It is demonstrated by games such as Black Myth Wukong and Baldur’s Gate 3. To quote Elliott: “My recommendation: less waste, less trend of trend, more innovation and more segmentation supported by data. The market cannot continue attending the players themselves and expect the cake to grow. ”