Devcom survey: A third of devs prefer minimal AI involvement in game production
| Date | Type | Companies Involved | Key Datapoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 2025 | report | 33% devs want minimal AI use |
- Economic uncertainty, market saturation, and rising costs top the list of industry concerns.
- Platform exclusivity is fading, with most expecting limited or timed deals to become the norm.
- AI is gaining ground in code and art production, but 33% of developers prefer minimal use.
A third of developers want to see as little AI involve in the development process as possible, according to a Devcom speaker survey.
The event organiser asked 100 speakers for their thoughts on industry trends, opportunities and challenges. When asked where AI works best in the production process, 32% cited the most valuable use cases as code and production, while 11% said art and animation.
Industry challenges
The biggest challenges facing the industry were said to include economic and political uncertainty (56%), market saturation (53%), and rising development costs (44%).
While large-scale digital showcases are still seen as valuable for visibility by 54% of respondents, others questioned their cost-effectiveness or impact.
In terms of buying habits, digital formats are preferred by 59%, with physical editions mainly appealing to collectors.
As for cloud gaming, opinions are split as 45% believe console and PC will stay dominant, while 46% anticipate a shift toward cloud and digital-first strategies by major platforms.
The Devcom 2025 conference will take place on August 18th to 19th, with other activities on the 17th. The event has added two new sessions to its keynote stage: a talk with the creators of Viva La Dirt League and a live Mario Kart challenge with pro players.
These join previously announced sessions on Helldivers 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and a career talk by Minh Le.
Full disclosure: PocketGamer.biz is a media partner for Devcom.
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