14 DAY TRIAL // 2012 is nearly upon us and this means that across the video game world analysts and companies both are trying to look into their crystal bowls in order to see what might happen during the next year and how video games might evolve.
One trend that will likely continue to gain Steam will be the move towards social and mobile gaming, with new devices like smartphones and pads allowing gamers to get better experiences on the go.
Speaking to IndustryGamers Jesse Divnich, who is analyzing the industry for market research firm EEDAR, has stated, “I believe there will always exist a market for the pay-to-play model and I would go as far to say that prices for paid apps are likely to increase slightly in 2012. As the budgets for mobile and tablet games continue to increase, developers will be forced to command a higher price to ensure profitability. Of course, if the average pay-to-play app goes from $.99 cents to $1.20 (again averaged out), I don't see anyone complaining too much. “
The analyst believes that brands like Angry Birds and Infinity Blade show how mobile gaming can create quality and that prices might go up slightly in 2012.
Divnich also addressed the issue of emerging markets, saying, “I predict that we'll begin to see an abnormal amount of layoffs and studio closures in these emerging markets in 2012. This is not a prediction that these markets are unhealthy, but rather that it will be the year that market forces thin the herd and investment begins to shift to studios who have proven themselves.”
This move is linked to the problems that the worldwide economy has been having, with banks and other investors no longer ready to deliver money to those companies that are unable to produce revenue on their own.
Gamers have already been mourning the fact that STALKER 2 might never appear because of financial issues and more such tragedies might happen in 2012.