Artificial intelligence (AI) is a divisive subject, but as the tech saturates numerous industries, one new Devcom speaker survey hopes to highlight experts’ sentiments.
Devcom, an annual video game developer conference, kicks off on August 17 in Cologne, Germany. The global event welcomes thousands from around the world each year; in 2024, Devcom welcomed more than 5,000 attendees, an event record and a 45% jump from 2023 numbers. Ahead of this year’s event, 100 Devcom speakers communicated their thoughts concerning industry trends, challenges, and the field as a whole.
When asked what they feel is the biggest challenge currently facing the games industry, 56% of respondents cited economic and political uncertainty, 53% said market saturation, and 44% named rising development costs.
Artificial Intelligence
For many workers in creative fields like game development, the looming threat of employee-replacing generative AI is a source of anxiety. According to the Devcom speaker survey, 33% of respondents want to use AI as little as possible. Still, some respondents feel that the technology does have potential uses. Around 32% of respondents say AI has a place in code and production, 11% want to see AI used in art and animation, while fewer than 10% want to see AI utilized in marketing and communication. Regarding narrative design, just 3% feel AI should be used.
Business Models
As physical media and game ownership are increasingly called into question by both casual fans and industry experts, the majority of speakers (59%) said they prefer to buy their games digitally. Just shy of one-quarter (22%) said they would buy physical games only for collector’s editions.
Hardware divided respondents — 45% think consoles and PCs will remain the most prevalent, but even more expect major platform holders to shift toward cloud and digital-first services. Nearly half of the respondents (46%) expect one or more major platform holders to shift their focus toward cloud and digital services in the next few years, a figure that comes as no surprise considering consumers’ interest in Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Twenty-seven percent still said they believe one-off physical and digital purchases will remain the most favored business model, while 20% say subscription-based offerings and 18% say free-to-play games will soon dominate the landscape.
Just 6% of survey respondents believe title exclusivity will remain a core strategy. Most expect limited (28%) or timed exclusives (34%) to normalize, while 32% predict exclusivity will eventually become a thing of the past.
Industry Events
Respondents even shared their feelings about large-scale industry events. While more than half (54%) say the visibility that comes from events makes them worth it, 21% felt associated costs outweigh the potential networking and marketing benefits. About 8% said conventions and other big meetups are simply too crowded for real impact.
Devcom returns to Cologne, Germany, on August 17 and will run through August 19. The event will host more than 350 speakers and over 200 sessions. For more info, check out the official Devcom event website.
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A lifelong gamer raised on classic titles like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Croc, Stephanie brings her expertise of gaming and pop culture to deliver unique, refreshing views on the world of video games, complete with references to absurd and obscure media.
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