5 key trends of the gaming industry in 2021 according to Newzoo

This year has been particularly successful for the gaming industry. Analysts from Newzoo are already looking to the future and publishing a list of the main trends of 2021. Among them are the growth of cloud gaming, new challenges for mobile developers and virtual events.1. Engagement and revenue will continue to grow

Mobile developers have benefited the most from the pandemic.

The audience of their games is growing rapidly, but its retention will be one of the main difficulties next year.

According to Newzoo forecasts, in 2021, the number of gamers on all platforms will reach 2.8 billion people, and the market turnover will be $189.3 billion. Emerging markets in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North Africa will also contribute to growth.

2. Problems with the supply of next-generation consolesAccording to Newzoo, there will be a shortage of new devices on the market.

Also, the releases of some AAA titles will be postponed.

This will lead to the fact that in the console market, the main drivers of growth and revenue will be games for PS4 and Xbox One, the transition of some projects to a free-duplex model and large sales of Switch.

3. Increased interest in cloud gaming and the growth of its audienceIn 2021, the services of almost all major players will be present on the market — from Microsoft to Google.

Their presence on iOS will also contribute to growth thanks to releases in the form of web applications.

According to Newzoo forecasts, next year the turnover of this market will exceed $1 billion for the first time.

4. Brands will continue to use games to create virtual eventsThis will be influenced by the success of collaborations of various brands and celebrities with popular games, such as Travis Scott’s concert in Fortnite.

This will benefit both brands that get new ways to promote their product, and developers who will be able to attract a new audience to their games.

5. Gaming will become even more accessible and inclusiveMajor developers will follow the example of The Last of Us Part II, Apex Legends and other games that provide a large number of accessibility settings for people with disabilities.

Also, companies will continue to fight the toxicity of the community by applying measures to protect various groups of players from virtual attacks.