It was a huge year for video games, with hits like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3 captivating gamers. But 2023 will bring a series of seismic changes to the industry itself, potentially shaking up the world of gaming in both good and bad ways.
From mass layoffs to Microsoft swallowing Activision Blizzard whole to the encroaching reality of generative AI tools, 2023 will impact the space for years to come. Here are the biggest gaming stories of the year:
Microsoft adds Activision
A year and a half effort to acquire the Xbox giant. call of duty Publisher Activision Blizzard finally overcomes regulatory hurdles Completed this fallIt gives Microsoft another large set of studio and gaming IPs to add to its roster.
through $68.7 billion deal, Microsoft now owns Activision itself, Blizzard Entertainment, mobile studio King, and all the various teams. Along with Call of Duty, Xbox now controls huge franchises like Diablo, Candy Crush, Warcraft, and Overwatch. This is in addition to Microsoft’s recently acquired IP, including Minecraft and Elder Scrolls.
Microsoft has agreed to keep Call of Duty on competing consoles for the next decade, but the fate of its other franchises remains to be seen. Xbox users will benefit from a variety of Activision Blizzard games coming to Xbox Game Pass in the near future, but other console owners may see fewer releases over the next few years as Microsoft’s consolidation continues.
Xbox roadmap leaked
This is good news for Microsoft. The bad news is that confidential documents uploaded as part of the SEC’s failed attempt to stop the Activision deal were inadvertently released to the public. Ruining Microsoft’s Xbox Plans For the next few years.
It’s no surprise that Microsoft is thinking ahead to its next Xbox console, but now we have some details about what the tech giant is thinking about the hardware. The next generation Xbox Scheduled for release in 2028 It features a hybrid cloud model that uses local hardware capabilities and cloud computing to deliver a more powerful experience. And one slide in the leaked deck Potential cryptocurrency wallet for Xbox pointed outso thatThat’s an interesting twist.
The slide suggests that refreshed current-generation Xbox hardware will be released in 2024, including a discless Series X model and a more efficient Series S revision. Both will feature more storage, improved controllers, and faster Wi-Fi than the current model.
Layoffs devastated industry
Gaming is not going away as a phenomenon. Nonetheless, 2023 has been a difficult year for many people making games. More than 9,000 developers laid off This year in studios large and small. Almost every major publisher and studio has had layoffs this year. epic games From Riot Games to Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Activision Blizzard.
Some of that seemed to be a result of the industry’s ever-changing trends, while some was attributed to a “right-sized” team after overhiring following pandemic lockdown surges in gaming demand. Broader economic headwinds are also likely to have had an impact, and few tech sectors are safe from these changes. But an industry built around fun and entertainment has sadly proven disastrous for many creators in 2023.
AI is coming and gamers hate it.
Another factor leading to downsizing in 2023 could be the increase in generative AI tools, but it is unclear at this point how many jobs will be affected by this development. In one particular example, studio Mindark announced layoffs. Saying they will embrace AI tools Although efforts have been made to cut costs, there have not been many clear replacement cases yet.
Nonetheless, there is growing concern in the industry that AI tools will make current gaming operations unnecessary and replace trained professionals in favor of cheap generation programs. Major publishers like Ubisoft, Microsoft, and Blizzard We are adopting AI tools The idea is that humans will help make better games more efficiently, but concerns about cost savings still remain.
Many gamers complained loudly. About games created using AI toolsand backlash against companies (Like Microsoft) has announced such plans. What is unclear is whether much of this defensiveness is due to the potential impact on jobs and creators, or due to an aversion to technological change, as also seen with NFTs and cryptocurrency tokens. However, the current atmosphere surrounding AI dominates gaming.
GTA 6 has finally been officially released.
Grand Theft Auto 5 was released over 10 years ago and has become one of the best-selling games of all time across three console generations. of course There was supposed to be another game in the open world series, but Rockstar Games has yet to announce it. but, Some major leaks in 2022 A lot has already been revealed about what to expect.
Earlier this month, Rockstar finally announced First official Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer, another extravagant open-world crime game that takes its cue from TikTok and streaming culture, clearly ramping up the immersion and chaos. And once again, Rockstar was preempted by a leaker who shared the trailer a day early. There is a “Buy BTC” stamp on it..
We’ll see if Rockstar can keep the game private before it releases on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2025.
Apple Vision Pro unveiled
After years of speculation and leaks, Apple has finally made it official. The big tech company is actually making mixed reality headsets. that much apple vision pro It will debut in early 2024, combining virtual reality and augmented reality into one super premium headset. The ambitious price is $3,499.
Undoubtedly, Apple is targeting early adopters with this product before offering a cheaper, more streamlined successor aimed at a wider audience. Interestingly, Apple did not. I haven’t reached out yet When it comes to gaming on the Vision Pro, gaming has rarely been one of Apple’s main focuses. Nonetheless, we expect developers will be willing to embrace these high-end headsets to create new immersive experiences.
Immutable and Polygon Collaborate
Crypto gaming startup Immutable has announced a partnership with Daum in a move that could help streamline Web3 gaming in the future. Ethereum Scaling Network Constructor polygon To power the new Ethereum gaming network Called immutable zkEVM.
Instead of fighting for game developers and users, two prominent crypto startups are teaming up on a Polygon zkEM-based gaming network, joining a growing list of game creators committed to building the network. immutability It is quickly becoming one of the most popular names in blockchain gaming. passport wallet Designed to simplify onboarding and identity sharing across games. We will get a stronger sense of how important this movement will ultimately be for cryptocurrency and NFT gaming in 2024.
The recession in e-sports is getting bigger.
Like the wider gaming industry, the esports space has been coming into its own recently. The industry saw a surge in interest and viewership early in the pandemic as live sporting events were shut down, but the buzz eventually died down. Moreover, most of the cryptocurrency donations are pouring into the industry It disappeared after FTX collapsed in 2022. Now, companies are considering industry changes and looking for ways to cut costs and survive.
“Everyone in esports is at war right now,” said Team M80 co-founder and CEO Marco Mereau. said decryptionGG this fall. “And the battle is survival.”
Originally one of the most hyped esports launches and one that has earned teams franchises worth hundreds of millions of dollars, Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League is effectively dead As the publisher changes its strategy next year. Meanwhile, prominent gaming organization FaZe Clan was sold in a $725 million SPAC deal in 2022. Just $17 million this fall.After a terrible performance as a public company.
Will some of the biggest teams and leagues in esports be able to bounce back in 2024 after taking a huge hit this year? It has a passionate fan base and top-level professional players, but even after many years, the space is still looking for ways to make money and be sustainable.
Edited by Ryan Ozawa.
