65% of game studios are currently working on live service games, while 30% are focused on releasing regular updates for their games, highlighting the industry's shift towards live service titles.
In fact overall, 95% are working on, or intend to release a live service game - with the new report stating that "Live services is defined as any regular update cadence planned for a game". That's a pretty broad classification, so perhaps 95% isn't that surprising.
This comes from a 2023 Game Development Report from VC firm Griffin Gaming Partners which also states that 68% of producers believe their production pipeline is not suitable for live service games, with 53% of studios expected to face setbacks as the report emphasises the need for solutions in the production process.
The report which was created in collaboration with Rendered VC also shows that 65% of studios plan to increase their use of off-the-shelf tools, showcasing the industry's goal of utilising better technology solutions.
Utilising emerging tools
“Games with live-service dependent go-to-market strategies require developer efficiency that today’s game tech isn’t built to deliver,” said Jiten Dajee, partner at Rendered VC. “Some teams fall flat. Others build new best practices and invest in emerging tools to run circles around their competitors. Those are the companies of the future.”
The report further states that historically, game development has been a discreet field that's driven by professional expertise rather than data. As becoming a developer and seeing a game released become easier, so has achieving hits in the new deluge of wannabe titles become tougher. This, coupled with development practices and technology that have drawn increased attention from corporate strategy, analysts, and investors, has led to myriad titles fighting for the same audience.
“Combining emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, hardware, and cloud with advancements in game development processes akin to the evolution of modern software development, will enhance efficiency and foster innovation in genres and business models,” suggests Pierre Planche, partner at Griffin Gaming Partners.
You can access the full 2023 Game Development Report here.
