Game engines, that is, pre-built systems to create games in, aren’t new yet they’re an increasingly essential part of development, simply because modern titles are so complex that it’s much easier to have the essentials already in place before the project starts. These sophisticated pieces of software include Epic’s Unreal Engine, Unity 3D, and in-house solutions such as Frostbite, but there are tens of smaller options out there too, such as RPG Maker, Lumberyard, GameMaker Studio, and GameSalad.
Reports show that this slice of the gaming industry will grow by 12.3% every year to 2026, representing an increase of US$4224.9m over the figures for 2021.
It’s part of a wider surge in the popularity of out-of-the-box solutions to content creation and management. While Unity might be the obvious example, in this case, the concept has expanded beyond conventional video gaming. The company Pronet Gaming provides online sportsbook software that aims to simplify some aspects of betting. This kind of service incorporates customer relationship management, marketing, and handling of day-to-day operations.
Of course, between them all, engines designed for video game development are usually based around creation rather than the full range of services necessary to run an entire company. Thinking about it, though, other than that people want their projects up and running faster, what does the growth of the engine market actually mean for gaming?
Consumer Needs and Corporate Wants
Development has become an increasingly accessible hobby over the past decade, with tools like Unity allowing even total amateurs to create something simple in a few hours. With a few YouTube tutorials, the potential of small groups of determined designers is nearly limitless. This all might be reminiscent of the days of bedroom development, but it may not be a good thing overall. There’s a feeling that video gaming is approaching some kind of crisis that won’t be helped with adding more low-budget titles to the market.
Major publishers evidently aren’t too concerned about maintaining a relationship with their customer base. Ignoring all the broken games we’ve been spoonfed over the past two years, NFTs or non-fungible tokens have revealed another gulf between fans and companies like Ubisoft. Ubisoft has no intention of backtracking to appease players – but, let’s be honest, the separation of consumer needs and corporate wants isn’t a new thing. However, the growth in amateur development creates something of a problem.
It’s perhaps an unlikely scenario today, but the video game crash of 1983 was caused by amateur developers flooding the market with low-quality experiences and large companies disregarding any signs that things weren’t going too well. The idea of smaller companies saving the world from mighty corporations might be a fun one, but it’s also unlikely. The whole industry is sustained by titles like Battlefield, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto, none of which have covered themselves in glory recently.
Just to reiterate, another crash is unlikely, but all the signs that something is wrong are present once again.
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