2024 has given many important turning points to the video game industry. This year forced the industry to move in a new direction, where on one hand some great innovation and creativity was seen, on the other hand many problems and controversies also surrounded the industry.
During this year, many players and developers were confused about which direction the industry was going.
At this time video games are not just a means of entertainment, but now they have become part of a larger business model in which money and marketing have become important.
Talking about serious issues, the biggest problem was microtransactions and life service games. This year their popularity in many big games has become a matter of concern.
Publications like WIRED and STJV criticized the growing trend of these microtransactions and saw it as increasing corporate control over games. Through microtransactions, developers are trying to earn small amounts of money from players, which is also affecting the game experience.
This year many games saw loot boxes and other in-game purchase options, which reduced the fun of playing the game.
Another major issue that came up was the declining standards of games journalism. Platforms like Aftermath highlighted some of the worst moments of games journalism in 2024 where some reports and reviews were severely criticized.
Sometimes clickbait headlines and information provided without proper research spread misinformation about games and broke the trust of gamers.
This raises a big question whether games journalism is now just a means of making money or is it a way to provide correct information about the industry.
Another major issue that emerged in 2024 was the increasing dominance of big companies. GAMINGbible expressed its concern over how big game publishers have further strengthened their monopoly in the industry.
The space for indie games is constantly decreasing and small companies are now struggling to make a mark.
These new business models now see games as a service and there is very little room for players to get a true experience in return for their money.
But 2024 also saw some good things such as the emergence of new trends in game development.
According to reports from Game Developer, this year there has been a lot of innovation in the field of AI-driven game mechanics, cloud gaming, and virtual reality. With the help of AI, games have brought new challenges and interactivity, giving the player a different gaming experience.
Apart from this, the growing popularity of cloud gaming has made games playable anywhere and anytime, which is a great step.
Despite all this, this year proved to be a dividing point for the video game industry. Gamers and developers are finding it difficult to understand whether the way of playing games will change completely in the coming years.
Will these changes be beneficial for gamers or will they be steps taken only keeping in mind the benefits of the corporates?
The biggest thing that came to light in 2024 was that video games are no longer just a means of entertainment but it has become a big industry in which the importance of money and corporate control has increased.
On the other hand, new technology and trends have made it even more attractive. For gamers, this year was a year of struggle and change, where there were questions and expectations everywhere.
Now it remains to be seen in which direction this industry will go in the coming years, whether it will give priority to its creativity and happiness of the players or it will become another business-related world where there will be only a game of money.
2024 proved that the world of video games is no longer just a game, it is a business in which both risks and rewards are hidden at every step.
This year was a challenging and very important turning point for the video game industry and now everyone’s eyes are on 2025 to see where this industry takes its decisions.
