2024 Unity Gaming Report

“So the key ways in which I’ve been trying to promote productivity and efficiency have been about making hybrid work spaces as comfortable and collaborative as a space as in-person would feel. Some of the ways I’m doing that are finding new tools that allow people to embrace each other.”

“We continue to prototype in many cases with existing assets so that we don’t have to create everything from scratch. We can put it first into practice, and if it works, then we commit to creating those assets ourselves. This has continued to save us a lot of time for the next project.”

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“I think that people need to focus more on automated segmented offers, and using AI for designing user acquisition creatives and testing their performance.”

“There are some new formats rising up particularly with native in-game ads like we use in Tennis Clash. This seems like an untapped opportunity and a space that will change over the course of the next few years. They are very non-intrusive in a way, which makes them appealing.”

“While broad audiences are important, games are finding success going after specific groups. I think it’s key to focus on attracting different niche audiences at a deep level with diversified monetization and engagement tactics, and fulfilling their needs. This will help increase a player’s long-term value.”

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“Pick one platform, and if the game is a hit, then start planning for other platform releases. Then, when you’re reviewing documentation and the certification process, make sure to pay attention to every detail and do it exactly as asked.”

“Plan carefully. Think about whether you will be able to handle any sort of special considerations from some of the platforms.”

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“My advice for scaling a multiplayer game would be to have a decent architecture that is scalable by either going for a solution that works with the Cloud or some kind of hybrid solution that makes sure that you can actually scale when you have a sudden influx of new players.”

“It can be very hard to have enough players in some regions to find somebody to match with in a multiplayer game, and if they don’t find someone to match with, they might drop out. You need to make sure that there is something for players to stay around for until somebody else connects. You have to keep it fresh to keep people.”

“The biggest challenge for making a multiplayer game depends on what kind of game you’re making. Networking’s hard, and if your game is complicated, then networking is even harder.”

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“You can expand the lifetime of a game by adding modding support. Unity already launched a feature called UGC, which we are also looking forward to, and planning DLC and expansions.”

“An important strategy to consider to extend the lifespan of your game is fostering your community. So taking care not just of the game experience itself and the players, but actually the community of players. And that goes way beyond your game. You should be active on the community channels and you should also try to moderate and foster a culture of respect, non-toxicity, and positivity.”

“I’m a huge fan of user-generated content, and I really see it adding longevity to any game beyond its original premise. We launched Subway Studio, which is a feature within Subway Surfers that lets players make photos and videos of their favorite characters in the app. It’s been such a great way for gamers to show their love for the game and to express themselves.”

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Use Unity Gaming Services (UGS) Data Explorer to filter and use your data based on metrics or Events, and group them by platform, country, or version.

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“Start to think about how you can make the content and the experiences come alive into the real world. How to make them spatial and really a part of your players’ worlds.”

“The hardest part of making a game is finding the fun, and I don’t think enough people are focused on that. It’s single-handedly the most important thing that you can do, because as soon as you find that piece of magic that not only you respond to, but that others respond positively to, things can snowball really well from there.”

“Find great team members that are very passionate about what you’re creating because their input is very crucial to a game’s success.”

“Make something you and the team believe in. It doesn’t have to be a game that everyone on the team would want to play, but it has to be a game everyone believes in because as soon as someone gets disgruntled, things will take 10 times longer, no one will be happy, and it won’t be a success.”

“Games have to be spectacular for players. Dream big, but make sure to scope accordingly to your team.”

“Never stop exploring. Sometimes the energy of something new will spark an idea that will change the industry for the better.”

“Plan in advance. If you go into this year unguided, you may find yourself having a tough year.”

“Test early and often. Words I live by.”

“Always follow your gut. Everybody has opinions, but in the end, you’re the one making the game.”

“When building a game, focus on your passion and your reason for the work that you do. I love creating experiences that players enjoy, and that stays with me as I work each day.”

“Leverage AI to prototype, design, test and iterate. AI is expanding how characters behave, like for us with Peridot, where the combination of real-world spatial awareness is meeting AI prompts to greatly increase how Dots respond to real-world stimuli.”

“A topic that I feel isn’t discussed enough in monetization is what will happen once we will be able to pay for our digital goods in many different ways. What does it mean for developers? Are we going to be able to create our own stores and divert users to our own payment systems?”

“The use of advertisement in virtual reality, and the fact that free-to-play VR games could use ads in an interesting way that’s very subtle and not really interfering with any of the gameplay.”

“The ongoing adjustments of the industry to hybrid work rather than fully offsite or fully onsite. What will it mean for not just how studios run and the wage landscape, which I think is hugely important, but also what that means for talent pipelines.”

“We are seeing a lot of games that are becoming more cozy or community-oriented, that are not just challenging the player directly.”

“People moving from traditional desktop flat screen games into VR, and really understanding how different the VR platform is. Learning the best practices that have already been developed and applying those to the games they’re bringing over so that we can make optimized VR experiences.”

“The government subsidies in various countries to the gaming industry, and what that impact is on the global market.”

“How we use tools like AI to augment AR experiences in the real world. Getting people outside and understanding the world that they’re already in, but seeing it through new eyes.”

“The increasing amount of amazing games that are being released. As a studio, you have to be very competitive and continue to look at the market to stay ahead and produce really good quality games that have an impact.”

“Creating solid experiences with games that span multiple genres.”

“Building games that span devices to meet players where they are. In 2024, that means understanding the opportunity to build mixed reality experiences for both mobile and headsets, and taking advantage of what each offers.”

“I think that shorter games, maybe ones that last between one and three hours, should become a more accepted format.”

“More technical effort put into mobile games. I think it’s important to ensure that game performance is optimal on all devices, even the lowest-end devices.”

“AI. I don’t think anything will top AI for a few years.”

“Digital hangouts. Games for kids are not as much about winning or achieving an objective nowadays. It’s more about hanging out and expressing yourself.”

“Co-op games.”

“As a game designer, I would love to see the adventure game genre come back. In the late ’80s and early ’90s, adventure games were one of the top genres, and then they fizzled out. I’m a believer that what’s old can be new again.”

“Games that are streamer-friendly.”

“We’re really at the beginning of the era of spatial computing. So I’m really excited to see how games, content, and new types of experiences are going to be unlocked on these new devices.”

“Transmedia, because there will be more game IPs jumping into movies or into other types of media, and vice versa. I also think there will be a continuation of remote work and the possibility of attracting talent in other parts of the world.”

“Hybrid-casual and multiplayer games.”

“The creative possibilities that AI brings, especially for user-generated content and procedural storytelling.”

“Photorealistic characters.”

“The combination of AI and XR is going to lead to more experimentation, which can help expand the audiences for games and where we play them. The real world as a gameboard gets a lot more interesting with AI and XR as spatial awareness makes more experiences possible, from additive live operations and events to entirely new games.”

“The general tightening of belts. Money is harder to come by currently and that is going to have an effect on how everyone does business for the next year.”

“I think there’s going to be a huge spike of AI tools that help developers with productivity. They will provide the opportunity for small teams to make more complex games.”

“User-generated content is the future of gaming. There won't be any single game that won’t have at least one component or level that allows players to create their own characters, levels, or modes, and user-generated content is essentially going to drive the replayability engagement of all those games.”