5 Major Challenges the Gaming Industry Faces - Alternative Payments Blog (2024)

Gaming is one of the fastest-growing industries in today’s world. It all started with traditional games such as stones and checkers, but it quickly became one of the most profitable hobbies for many game enthusiasts worldwide. Video gaming as an industry has its roots at the New York World’s Fair of 1940 when Dr. Edward Uhler Condon created a game based on the ancient mathematical game of Nim. But it wasn’t until the 60s that this industry gained worldwide recognition thanks to companies such as Sega and Atari, the latter one retailing at $1.095 in 1973. Since then, we have been able to play some of the most iconic games such as Super Mario, Fenix the Hedgehog, and even some more gruesome and serious ones such as Resident Evil. However, it’s other games that are popular now; ranging from small browser and console games like Farmville, Candy Crush Saga, or Angry Birds to massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) such as Counter Strike, League of Legends, or World of Warcraft. But even though everything looks perfect from the outside, as all these games create an entirely new and imaginative environment for the player, this industry is also facing certain challenges.

It is challenging to talk from a legal standpoint about the gaming industry’s rules and regulations. Just like there are different types of games that are played throughout the world, specific rules and regulations follow each category of them. For example, it’s essential to understand the difference between gaming and gambling, as the line between these two is often blurred, especially when competitive games are in question. Texas Holdem Poker has different regulations than other browser games that are played, for instance. On the other hand, it’s essential to address the popularity of esports, which is basically a combination of sports and gaming. World tournaments in different games (such as the already mentioned League of Legends or Dota) are so popular that they are even broadcasted on national television. For these games and esports in general, the regulations are somewhat more complicated. These laws include gambling laws, sports laws, and even laws on prize promotions. However, all of this depends on how the games are structured. Companies that deal with these games also have to pay attention to the rules, regulations, and limitations on sponsorships.

Suffice it to say that gaming and online gambling have become quite popular industries and a massive appetite for them. What is even more important, the appetite is going to increase even more in the future. Why is this so? Because it’s relatively easy to build and launch an online casino website where you will sell your services – the most challenging part is the development level during which the games are created and then picked up by different operators. Moreover, new games are being created on a daily basis, which makes it rather challenging to pick up new users, while old games sometimes have more operators. One of the best ways to ensure that your users stay with you is to find a website with payment options that cater to everyone’s needs. Depending on the user’s country, there are people who do not like to link their bank account directly to the game website or casinos gaming application, so alternative payment methods come quite handy here. This is a great way to stay one step ahead of the competition by giving all users worldwide an equal chance to use your website and be a part of the experience.

All gamers know what loot boxes are, but you might need some clarification if you’re familiarizing themselves with this industry. Loot boxes are digital files that come in the form of rewards in a game. This is something that’s rather popular in practically all games, regardless of the genre, developer, or way it’s played. Users very often pay high prices for loot boxes and only then get the opportunity to open them and see what they got for their games. Even though in many cases users get something convenient for their character or game per se, there are times when the value of the loot box is smaller than the amount the user paid for the actual loot box. This could be classified as gambling, which means that different regulations come in place. Another problem here is the fact that plenty of minors buy loot boxes, without realizing what they actually are. The general opinion is that loot boxes will not disappear, but they might be redesigned in the future in order to eliminate this gambling aspect of them.

The pressure to retain players is very strong nowadays, and nothing should be left to chance. This is one of the reasons why gaming companies should always look to create rich, connected, and personalized experiences that users will love. This is also something that will increase the gamer’s lifetime value. What many fail to understand is that even the smallest bug or inconvenience can affect the player and their desire to continue playing that game or visiting the website in question. So, gaming companies must make sure that the graphic user interface is always running smoothly, that all interactions are prompt and that all data is correctly analyzed. Apart from that, gaming companies should also worry about churn rates. Since the competition is incredibly high, the acquisition and the retention of users will significantly vary. The most important churn happens in the first couple of minutes of a game. This can sometimes be an hour – depending on the genre of the game. For example, in NBA gaming the churn happens at least after one played match. So, thinking about what to do to make users stay on the game, application, or website is one of the most burning questions. In order to do this, but also enhance the end-user experience, specialists at gaming companies must determine what is it that keeps their users engaged and what pushes players to churn.

The gaming industry market is growing rapidly, which means that the pie is getting more extensive, and everyone wants a piece of it. But because of that, all companies must invest a lot in development, production, and marketing costs. These are often very high, and it’s definitely a challenge this industry has to face. But in order to create a budget for each of them, especially the first two, you have to succeed at the latter and make people come to your website or your gaming application. Targeted marketing is crucial here. It’s very important to make the gaming products reach precisely the people interested in what that gaming company in question has to offer. In-game advertising is one way to do this. Thanks to data proliferation, marketers worldwide find it easier to target the right audience based on their interest levels and demographic profiles. We all have to understand that the more we target an ad, the more valuable the impression will be.

But 2020 has been a completely different and unusual year. Although a significant portion of people purchased plenty from this industry while staying quarantined, there is a big question mark over when the future generation of consoles will be released. On the other hand, we all fail to understand that this industry was also affected by remote work and the fact that a large part of this workforce is also being sent to work from home, which, in many cases, can lead to unproductivity. Bottom line – the gaming industry is also one that will suffer from COVID-19 consequences, but we have yet to see and determine what new challenges will arise from that.

To sum up, the gaming industry, fascinating and exciting as it is, has its own challenges that are sometimes difficult to overcome. That is why everyone from this type of business should keep up with all the latest trends and make sure that every user in the world gets the experience they deserve.

5 Major Challenges the Gaming Industry Faces - Alternative Payments Blog (2024)

FAQs

What are the challenges of gaming industry? ›

We observe that (1) the game industry suffers from management and production problems in the same proportion; (2) management problems decreased over the years, giving space to business problems, while production problems remained constant; (3a) technical and game design problems are decreasing over the years, the ...

What are the challenges of online gaming? ›

Three critical challenges for online gaming – compliance, regulation and age verification.

Is the gaming industry failing? ›

After a period of massive growth, it's predicted that the video game industry will experience its own recession in 2022. According to a new study, the video game industry is predicted to experience a year-on-year decline after experiencing record growth in 2021.

What are the key success factors in the gaming industry? ›

The success of a game depends on many factors – like the authority of the developers and the publisher, the success of other studio projects, marketing, the season, competition with other games of the same genre.

How video games affect the economy? ›

The gaming industry supports a total economic impact including: $261.4 billion of output (business sales) 1.8 million jobs with $74.0 billion of labor income (wages, salaries, tips, benefits and other labor income) $40.8 billion of federal, state and local taxes, including $10.7 billion of gaming taxes.

What are some particular challenges in game design and development? ›

7 Major Challenges Faced in Mobile Game Development
  • Feature Creep Problem. It is often seen that developers start off with an idea in mind that is the crux of the actual game. ...
  • Not Targeting Right Audience. ...
  • Getting the Game Noticed. ...
  • Operating System Fragmentation. ...
  • Dealing with Security Concerns.
Sep 5, 2019

What are the negative effects of online gaming? ›

Various studies show that playing too much computer games causes physical damages and increases anxiety and depression in players. Many studies show that most adolescents who are addicted to computer games have high heart beat and blood pressure due to too much excitement and stress.

What are the effects of online game addiction? ›

It has been demonstrated that video game addicts suffered poorer mental health and cognitive functioning, and increased emotional difficulties, such as enhanced depression and anxiety, as well as more social isolation (4).

Is gaming becoming less popular? ›

Although we have seen a slight reduction in the percentage of Americans that play video games, we are still well ahead of the 73% we saw in 2019,” said Mat Piscatella, U.S. video games industry analyst for The NPD Group.

Is gaming losing popularity? ›

After the 2020 pandemic bump, we expect monthly digital gaming usage will see minimal growth through the end of our forecast (1.1% in 2022 and 0.9% in 2023). We expect the number of US digital gamers to reach 179.6 million by 2022.

Is online gaming industry shrinking? ›

Video game sales set to fall for first time in years as industry braces for recession. Global video game sales are forecast to contract 1.2% to $188 billion in 2022, according to research from Ampere Analysis.

How do you become a successful game developer? ›

Guidelines for Developing Successful Games
  1. Introduction. ...
  2. Reach for a Broad Audience. ...
  3. Differentiate and Innovate, Don't Imitate. ...
  4. Prototype Early. ...
  5. Design by Playing. ...
  6. Interesting Decisions = Fun. ...
  7. Provide a Great First 15 Minutes of Easily Accessible Play. ...
  8. The Player Should Have the Fun, Not the Designer, Programmer, or Computer.

What games are in demand? ›

  • Mirror's Edge™ $14.99. 4.25 out of 5 stars from 52000 reviews.
  • Call of Duty®: WaW. $19.99. 4.25 out of 5 stars from 352289 reviews.
  • GTA V. $19.99. 5 out of 5 stars from 580441 reviews.
  • COD: Advanced Warfare. $49.99. ...
  • COD: Black Ops II. $49.99. ...
  • Call of Duty®: Ghosts. $39.99. ...
  • Modern Warfare® 3. $29.99. ...
  • Call of Duty®: Black Ops. $29.99.

What are the keys of success for a mobile social game? ›

The three requirements for profitability include: Achieve a high number of installs. Users remain playing the game for a long period of time. A very small percentage of the user-base is willing to pay for higher status, upgrades or speedups.

How video games affect society? ›

Comment: Playing video games, including violent shooter games, may boost children's learning, health and social skills, according to a review of research in American Psychologist. The study comes out as debate continues among psychologists and other health professionals regarding the effects of violent media on youth.

How does the video game industry make money? ›

Today, most of the gaming industry's revenue comes from the high demand for in-game items, which can be purchased with real money. The most common in-game items include cars, weapons, or character outfits and other skins.

Why do so many games have microtransactions? ›

Microtransactions basically make the game easier. They violate those rules and norms that are part of the game. Microtransactions aren't just about the cosmetic upgrades; often, they're important to the actual gameplay.

What are the disadvantages of being a game designer? ›

Disadvantages of game design include high levels of competition for entry level positions, frequent layoffs at larger companies, and long hours at the end of projects. Game Designers are required to have knowledge in many disciplines to be considered for entry level positions.

Can you make money building games? ›

You can work with game design companies to create a new game and become part of the video game industry as you earn money. Game developers work with a video game company to earn money, with the average salary being anywhere between $60,000-70,000 a year.

What problems does computer science solve in games? ›

As computer science has progressed, the video game industry has implemented various computing technology concepts. Computer science has improved graphics, enhanced multiplayer games, enabled cloud-based and on-demand gaming, and availability of virtual and augmented reality.

What are the pros and cons of video games? ›

Video games can be used to help improve test scores, teach life and job skills, improve brain function, and encourage physical exercise. Because video game addiction can negatively impact social and physical health, parents should be aware of the symptoms. Kids have been wild about video games for decades.

How do video games affect social skills? ›

As the study results showed, addiction to computer games may affectthe quality and quantity of social skills. In other words, the higher theaddiction to computer games, the less the social skills. The individualsaddicted to computer games have less social skills.).

What are the positive and negative effects of video games? ›

Improved graphics allow for a virtual experience, and this more real experience has a powerful influence on the lives of young people. The downside of video games is that the more time children and teens spend playing violent video games the more likely they are to display aggressive behavior.

How does gaming affect mental health? ›

Gaming has also been associated with sleep deprivation, insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders, depression, aggression, and anxiety, though more studies are needed to establish the validity and the strength of these connections.

How do video games affect human behavior? ›

Increased aggression, which could indicate kids learning violence from gaming. Change in behavior, such as increased social isolation or a decline in grades at school. Irritability. Difficulty sleeping.

What are the positive and negative effects of online games to students? ›

Enhances the Cognitive Functions – The online gamers can improve their cognitive functions by playing online games. The combination of focus and the surges of neurotransmitters will strengthen the neural circuits that make the brain. Decision-Making and Accuracy – The online gamers can able to make the quick decision.

What causes game addiction? ›

What Causes Gaming Addiction? Video games are designed to be addictive using state-of-the-art behavioral psychology to keep you hooked. Games are immersive experiences that provide you with a high amount of dopamine, and overexposure to this level of stimulation can cause structural changes to your brain 1.

How does online gaming affect students? ›

College students spending too much time on online games every week tend to suffer from worsened learning ability, concentration problems, poor academic performance, and decreased interactions with other people.

Is gaming addiction a growing problem? ›

Game addiction is a growing problem. More and more young people with this addiction are treated in clinics. Studies estimate that 10 percent to 15 percent of gamers exhibit signs that meet the World Health Organization's criteria for addiction.

What age should you stop gaming? ›

Video game blogsare up in arms after a guest on the TODAY Show suggested that men shouldn't play video games after the age of 30.

Why has gaming become so boring? ›

One of the leading causes of boredom may be a strong familiarity with the game. You've played video games, so you're familiar with all the stages, the pacing, and the scenery, and you're probably just winging it now. You may get bored with video games if you've mastered them to an incredible level.

What is the future of video games? ›

By 2024, Newzoo's Global Games Market Report 2021 predicts that the games industry will hit $218.7 billion with a sustained growth of 8.7% per year. The number of gamers also continues to increase. According to Newzoo, the number of gamers worldwide in 2021 was up 5.3% year on year, with around 3 billion gamers.

How Big Data is disrupting the gaming industry? ›

More than 2 billion gamers = 50 Tb of data / day. AAA multiplayer titles = about 1Tb of data / day from in-game telemetry. Social games = 150Gb of data / day. In a typical month, EA hosts about 2.5 billion game sessions, representing about 50 billion minutes of gameplay.

What kind of industry is gaming? ›

The video game industry is the industry involved in the development, marketing, and monetization of video games. It encompasses dozens of job disciplines and its component parts employ thousands of people worldwide.

Is gaming a growing industry? ›

2020 saw the global games market increase 23% year-over-year, the highest growth rate in more than a decade. Globally, the industry is expected to reach $219 billion in 2024, passing the coveted $200-billion threshold in 2023.

What is the largest gaming platform? ›

Sony remains the biggest video game company in the world in 2022. The Japanese tech giant now makes most of its gaming revenue, which totaled $24.9 billion last year, with the PlayStation 5 which came out in 2020 and became the world's most popular next-gen video game console.

Which is the world's largest base of online gamers? ›

Currently, there are an estimated 1 billion online gamers worldwide with China, South Korea, and Japan having the biggest online gaming reach among the population. In 2025, online gaming audiences are projected to surpass 1.3 billion.

Are online games profitable? ›

Yes, you can make money playing online games. But depending on which platform you use, you could make peanuts or earn a solid income. Of course, it all depends on how much time you have at hand.

How can I improve my game design? ›

9 Tips for Better Game Development
  1. Be User-Focused. This is the #1 thing to keep in mind when developing any product. ...
  2. Research Trends and Competition. ...
  3. Differentiate Your Game. ...
  4. Have a Hook. ...
  5. Keep It Simple — at First. ...
  6. Have Different Elements of the Experience in Mind. ...
  7. Assemble a Stellar Team. ...
  8. Create a Plan.
Jun 25, 2021

How do you turn a game into a career? ›

How to start a career in gaming
  1. Decide which game you want to excel at. Most professional gamers focus on building their skills in a particular game. ...
  2. Purchase quality gaming accessories. ...
  3. Practice your game. ...
  4. Immerse yourself in gaming-related content. ...
  5. Join a network. ...
  6. Join a team. ...
  7. Apply for sponsorship.
Apr 13, 2021

Can game developers become rich? ›

Some of these developers have become so successful, in fact, that they managed to make their first million even before they hit the legal drinking age. Four exceptional young millionaire app developers stand out from the crowd (in no particular order): Nick A'loisio. Brian Wong.

How is the gaming industry changing? ›

Perhaps the most interesting change in the video game industry is the expanding demographics of gamers. With more people playing games, creating demand for more immersive entertainment, and looking for easier ways to access games, the future of the video game industry looks bright. Statista.

How has gaming technology improved? ›

Thanks to technological advancements such as 3D graphics, VR, and AI, video games are continuously evolving. As developers introduce new innovations, players will discover more realistic, fully immersive simulations on screens and lenses and will be able to connect further with others.

What's new in gaming industry? ›

Changes in technology are rapidly changing how games are made and played. From developers working on new AAA titles for the ninth generation of consoles. All the way down to single-person developers launching indie games on Roblox and Epic Games. The gaming market one that's always in motion.

What is KPI in gaming industry? ›

What are key performance indicators? KPIs are metrics that are used to measure the performance of your games, your products, or your company as a whole. KPIs are metrics that: Help you to evaluate the success of your game or your company.

What is a social gaming tool? ›

Social gaming is an online digital game that: 1) Contains at least one game mechanic that utilizes a player's social graph; 2) Facilitates and encourages social interaction and communication about the game outside the game and not only inside the game; and 3) Is accessed via PCs, game consoles, and mobile and portable ...

What are three qualities of a successful social game? ›

We asked some of the top social gaming experts about their thoughts on what makes a good social game. Fresh content, familiarity, and valuable incentives were just some of the characteristics mentioned. Here's a look at what makes a social game a bona fide success.

How does globalization affect the gaming industry? ›

In the gaming industry, the cloud has powered the spread and globalization of video gaming by democratizing the industry and making it far more accessible. Cloud gaming allows players to enjoy their favorite titles from any internet-connected device.

What is a Microtransaction in a video game? ›

A popular method of monetising games is through microtransactions. These are repeated, uncapped in-game purchases: for example, extra content, or ways to make progress in the game easier. These transactions may be made with real money or in-game currency (which is paid for with real money).

Are video game developers overworked? ›

Video game development has a particularly bad reputation as an arena in which technologists can put in 100-hour weeks to ship a game by a certain deadline. However, it seems only a minority of game developers report working insane hours, according to the latest edition of GDC's State of the Game Industry report.

Who invented loot boxes? ›

One of the first games to introduce loot box-like mechanics was FIFA 09, made by Electronic Arts (EA), in March 2009 which allowed players to create a team of association football players from in-game card packs they opened using in-game currency earned through regular playing of the game or via microtransactions.

What are the causes of globalization? ›

Abstract. The most important causes of globalization differ among the three major components of international market integration: trade, multinational production, and international finance.

What country develops the most video games? ›

United States

The US remains the top country in the world for designing games as well as the place where people spend the most money on video game entertainment – by far.

What do you mean by Globalisation '? ›

Globalization is the word used to describe the growing interdependence of the world's economies, cultures, and populations, brought about by cross-border trade in goods and services, technology, and flows of investment, people, and information.

How do microtransactions affect the economy of gaming? ›

Microtransactions basically make the game easier. They violate those rules and norms that are part of the game. Microtransactions aren't just about the cosmetic upgrades; often, they're important to the actual gameplay.

Which game is making the most money? ›

List
RankTitleSales
1Minecraft238,000,000
2Grand Theft Auto V169,000,000
3Tetris (EA)100,000,000
4Wii Sports82,900,000
46 more rows

How much money do people spend on in-game purchases? ›

In 2020, global gaming audiences spent an approximate 54 billion U.S. dollars on additional in-game content. In 2025, the market value of in-game purchases is projected to surpass 74.4 billion U.S. dollars.

Why are game developers paid so little? ›

While game developers can make a lot of money, game development is more popular and riskier than software development, which leads to lower wages. Also, game developers are limited to making games and typically have to live in large cities to find job opportunities.

Is the gaming industry underpaid? ›

Game developers are underpaid and treated poorly when the company for which they work is struggling financially and the leadership is unskilled in proper management techniques.

How long do people stay in the game industry? ›

The games industry seems to be one of high staff turnover, with well over half our respondents (63.3%) working in their current job for between one and five years, and one in four only starting within the last 12 months. No-one claimed to be working the same job for over 20 years, and only 1.3% had worked more than 11.

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