No one has a magic crystal ball like that of the old fortune teller Baba from Dragon Ball. Therefore, it is impossible to predict the future of the video game landscape. But… taking into account the latest technological advances, we can get a slight idea of what the great companies in the gaming world have in store for us.
However, analyzing what is going to happen in a decade may end in an anomalous gibberish similar to that of flying cars – and many other elements – of the mythical saga 'Back to the Future'. That is to say, in 10 years we will have all kinds of news both at the software level and at the hardware level, but it may not be as fascinating as we dream.
Having said which, in this article we are going to elucidate What does the year 2030 have in relation to the world of video games. Will we continue to use game consoles? Will virtual reality settle? What sagas will continue to be present?
Will game consoles disappear in 2030?
The cloud, that great platform for online storage services that everyone knows is there … but nobody can see it. Throughout the last years, the cloud has been present in practically all areas of our society: books, magazines, newspapers, documents, films, applications and, yes, also video games.
Unfortunately – especially for the most romantic ones – digital games and streaming video game platforms have been taking over the gaming landscape, and the trend seems to indicate that the day will come when video games in physical format end up disappearing. But does this indicate that game consoles will also vanish from existence forever and ever?
Not necessarily. Much less in 2030. There will continue to be hundreds of reasons for consumers to continue demanding game consoles instead of hiring gaming services on their television. Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter spoke on the subject:
"Surely game consoles will continue to be present, with more presence of gaming PCs, for those who want to enjoy a purer and faster graphics experience."
Leaving aside the eternal debate PC gaming vs. game consoles, the most logical and natural thing is to think that in the year 2030 we will continue to wait for new generations of game consoles such as PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo.
And here comes into play the virtual reality, a technology that is advancing by leaps and bounds and that is already available to all players. The question is, will it continue to develop in such a way that it offers a much more faithful experience to reality in 10 years? Probably not, but it will certainly be a great alternative with amazing improvements.
We could contemplate the supremacy of a «Netflix of gaming»
The movement from the physical to the digital format is largely a generational foundation. Younger consumers are much less tied to possessions. As P. J. McNealy of Digital World Research states; Young people have grown accustomed to acquiring music on platforms such as Spotify or Apple Music, viewing and downloading audiovisual content on services such as Netflix or HBO, and playing their favorite games on Xbox Game Pass, Steam, Apple Arcade or Google Stadia.
"Games are next in this new horizon, and the days of buying a game for $ 60 are ending for a large segment of the population, replaced by a subscription to a service like Xbox Game Pass."
In this budding phase of streaming video game platforms, it is difficult to ponder which company will gain a monopoly 10 years from now. Google is doing very well with its Google Stadia service, they already have more than 30 video game franchises such as Bethesda, Electronic Arts, Rockstar Games and Ubisoft. But this has only just begun. Streaming games will continue to evolve.
Of course, there will always be traditional players who prefer the physical format to this type of services. But the versatility, costs and accessibility that these types of platforms offer will gradually make these services dominate the market.
Our opinion
In 10 years we will see video games with a graphic level much higher than the current one, with more realism and fidelity. Connectivity will also form a fundamental role in reference to what the year 2030 will bring us, where multiplayer games will continue to evolve and offer all kinds of new experiences. Another thing that we will continue to see, increasingly, will be micropayments in free games.
But there is one thing that, hopefully, will not change in 2030. The masterpieces, good stories, and experiences that make us cry with excitement after finishing our favorite games. 2030 … here we go!