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The past year was one of contrasts for the gaming industry. It was both one of the most significant years for gamers, given an unusually large number of well-received titles, and one of the most challenging for game creators due to a swath of restructurings aligned with cutbacks in the broader technology industry.
In both cases, a series of disruptions stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic have finally settled, giving us our first clear view of the future of the video game industry.
That said, a potential return to normal doesn’t necessarily mean boring—we’ll see a number of key shifts in 2024 that paint a promising future for video games as both an increasingly popular media platform and opportunity for marketers.
Hollywood will ditch comics for video games
One of the most fruitful years for gaming was amid one of the most challenging for the broader entertainment industry, due in part to the actors and writers strikes.
These strikes had a negligible effect on the gaming industry due to historical divisions from Hollywood, though the space between these industries has been closing quickly in recent years—the biggest TV and theatrical hits this past year were based on popular video game IP, such as Super Mario Bros. and The Last of Us.
This year will be no different: 2024 will see a television adaptation of the popular Fallout series (April) and continue with theatrical adaptations of the Borderlands (August) and Sonic the Hedgehog (December) series. As consumers have shown signs of fatigue with comic book-based projects that have dominated the box office over the past decade and a half, studios are looking to other forms of media with established fan bases.
However, the prevalence of gaming IP in TV and movie adaptations is not merely a reflection of other wells of popular culture IP drying up, so much as a sign of rising cultural acceptance and relevance of video gaming more generally.
Gaming will be on the go
While many look to the highly anticipated Apple Vision Pro in early 2024 as setting the benchmark for immersive entertainment, in reality we may find that portable gaming devices will take center stage.
