Throughout the rather disastrous 2024 of the games industry, the idea that seemed to strengthen everyone was that it was going to return to growth the following year. Games backup provider Metaplay today a new report appeared, which shows just how optimistic the industry is – at least on a macro level – that this is going to happen. In fact, according to a Metaplay report, 77% of developers surveyed are optimistic that 2025 will bring a Renaissance for gaming.
The Metaplay report covers results from 150 technical and C-suite leads at studios making games with Unity. In addition to the aforementioned 77%, the report shows that 90% of these devs say they plan to launch a game in 2025. 71% believe there will be fewer layoffs and studio closures in 2025 (although given the high number of layoffs in 2024). yes, getting less is not a difficult task), and 76% expect more opportunities for publishing deals.
One of the main topics of the report is the outlook for the year. A majority of developers surveyed believed that 2025 will see wider game distribution (71%), more revenue from live service titles (75%) and lower development costs (63%) . 75% also believe that they will have better access to high-end devices, which would also cut down on development costs.
We survived “to 25” – now what?
Just as he was with the games industry's desire to get back to growth, he also lived with the motto, “Survive' to 2025” with the idea that this year would be better for the industry than the last. . As mentioned above, most developers said they planned to launch a new game this year, while 53% of those who didn't said they wanted to focus on the existing titles.
Teemu Haila, Metaplay CTO and co-founder, said in a statement, “Our findings have shown that LiveOps, cross-platform development, and outsourcing technology are at the heart of the Game Development Renaissance. The Revival is much more than a catchy title. It's a shift, a shift in the way game development is done. It represents an era where studios no longer need to rely on raw headcount to achieve growth. Instead, growth is achieved through smarter tools, leaner teams and sharper strategy.”
John Wright, Kwalee's vice president of mobile games told the report, “The biggest successes in 2024 didn't come from new games – they came from LiveOps. If you look at the top 100 games today, most of them are over four years old. We used to call them 'evergreen' games, but now, they are becoming 'forever games' that can stay relevant for seven to ten years. That's a big move. LiveOps is at the heart of that transformation, and just one sign of the changing mindsets that are fueling the Renaissance in the mobile gaming industry.”
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