The Player of the Future

Gaming is an ever-evolving concept. The way we make games, sell them, and interact with them changes as new technologies come and go. Gamers have grown from niche hobbyists in a basement to professional e-athletes, tech gurus, journalists, and entertainers watched by millions all over the globe. Players aren’t what they used to be 20 years ago, and in another 20, we’ll say the same about today.

As our idea of a “player” continues to change, so must our idea of what a stellar gaming experience looks like. This begs the question: What does the player of the future look like, and how must gaming companies pivot to accommodate them?

How Has Gaming Changed?

What was once a simple, solitary activity is now a global phenomenon boasting dozens of genres, hundreds of platforms, and billions of players. While these changes were driven by countless influences, a few main factors are responsible for the drastic shift we’ve seen in the games industry.

Technological Advancements

Modern computers are orders of magnitude stronger than their 1960s counterparts. As a result, developers can create faster-paced, more complex, and graphically intense games. We’ve seen not only enhanced immersion and storytelling but also a rise in swift gameplay that challenges players to develop lightning-fast reflexes and technical skills.

With Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), games can also offer immersive environments that blur the lines between virtual and reality.

Widespread Internet Access

The advent of home internet turned gaming on its head, introducing a social aspect to the world of video games that made it more approachable for a broader audience. Not only did this vastly extend the spectrum of user profiles developers have to take into consideration, but the widespread use of dial-up gave rise to gaming-oriented forums, social media, publications, and Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) gaming that would forge strong friendships and vibrant communities.

The internet also brought about increased attention to gaming hardware. From building powerful PCs to sourcing specialized peripherals, gamers and tech enthusiasts have a world of knowledge at their fingertips with which to experiment and push the boundaries of what games can offer.

Online Forums & Social Media

Online forums and social media gave gamers a place to belong — a place where they could share experiences, form friendships, and enjoy a sense of community. Within them, it’s not uncommon to see fan works or collaborative projects; forums and social media have birthed vibrant modding communities like that of Stardew Valley, open-source games such as Shattered Pixel Dungeon, and community-led games like osu!, where players create and rank maps themselves.

In addition to encouraging gamers to form deeper emotional connections with the medium, social media also made gaming more global. Communities have become increasingly diverse and multilingual. The ability to interact with players around the world and their unique perspectives continues to enrich the gaming experience, with a growing emphasis on cultural relevance and accessibility.

Streaming & Esports

Social media has also spurred a new genre of entertainment in the form of streaming and esports. These phenomena have turned gaming into a spectator sport and professional pursuit, taking community engagement to a new level. Esports athletes and streaming personalities are celebrities in their own right, complete with merchandise, brand deals, and loyal fans.

The popularity of these broadcasts has shot up in recent years, rivaling primetime television viewership. The 2023 League of Legends World Championship garnered a staggering 6.4 million live viewers, while Twitch streamers regularly amass a collective 1+ billion hours of watch time per month.

Mobile Gaming

Mobile games made their mark by reaching out to the “casual player.” With a large focus on accessibility, mobile games cater to those who may not be able to invest as much time or money as traditional console and PC players; many mobile games are designed to be played in short bursts, allowing those with demanding jobs or busy schedules to play without facing consequences for being interrupted. They also feature cloud services, which allow players to enjoy high-quality games without the need for expensive hardware.

Despite their reputation for being low-investment, newer mobile games have gone above and beyond, entertaining casual and hardcore players alike. Titles like Genshin Impact, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, and Call of Duty: Mobile boast AAA-quality graphics, gameplay, and storylines, available on mobile devices, all for the whopping cost of zero dollars.

In short, gaming has become more interactive, immersive, diverse, and globally connected. However, these changes don’t exist in a vacuum – they mold player habits and expectations, contributing to our ever-evolving definition of a player.

How Can the Games Industry Prepare to Accommodate Future Players?

“When we talk about players, we often do so in terms of player experience,” says Olga Madurska, Lionbridge Games’ Global Player Experience Program Manager. “What this experience looks like is driven by how gamers interact – and want to interact – with games.”

Players today are more diverse than ever, and their experiences and expectations vary widely. This makes it especially important for game developers to create experiences that are accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities, and that reflect a variety of cultural backgrounds. This means incorporating customizable controls, offering a range of difficulty levels, and ensuring that games are culturally sensitive and localized for different regions.

Accessibility also means working with what players have — and for many, their only console is their phone. The mobile gaming sector is vastly different than its console counterpart, and as it continues to grow, developers will need to consider how mobile gaming conventions will change the PC and console experience.

The increasing power of smartphones and the widespread adoption of 5G networks is driving significant growth in mobile gaming. High-quality gaming experiences are now accessible on-the-go and often run on a “freemium” model. According to Madurska, these developments in mobile gaming are also changing the way we think about monetization tactics.

“The industry has struggled with maintaining a balance between monetization and player satisfaction. The rise of microtransactions and in-game purchases has led to growing concerns about fairness and the potential for exploitative practices, but the newest mobile games have presented a unique perspective on building trust and retaining players.”

Free-to-play games thrive when focus is placed on VIP player management as opposed to exploiting or pressuring the general player base. In other words, it’s better to reward high-spending players than it is to punish lower-spending players by downgrading their experience. It will be imperative in the coming years for developers and publishers to adopt more transparent and ethical monetization strategies that prioritize player enjoyment over profit.

Not only are games becoming more diverse, but they’re also becoming more social. In recent years, we’ve seen a growing proportion of gamers who view gaming as their main social activity. They utilize gaming to connect with friends, making features like cross-platform play, in-game chat, social media integration, and community events.

Global players are also eager to interact with one another, placing increased importance on multilingual communication features and cross-server compatibility. It’s also becoming increasingly necessary to focus on moderation to make sure these social environments are healthy and safe.