“Gamers can feel when developers are passionate about their games. They can smell it like a dog smells fear. Don't be afraid to hold onto your unique vision: just be aware that it may not turn out exactly how you envisioned.”
Scott Rogers, Level Up: The Guide to Great Video Game Design
What is Game Development?
Game development means conceptualizing, testing, and creating games for people who are enthusiastic about gaming. The remunerative career in the gaming development area has become increasingly popular amongst people in 2022. A lot of primary talent is required for a person to pursue a career in gaming. Game development is an art, and a person designing games is an artist. The game developer works with various other artists such as illustrators, sound artists, content writers, programmers, producers, etc. One doesn't need a formal education to develop a game; they can do it without studying game development. However, keeping up with the trends is necessary to survive the game development market.
Game Development Trends in 2022
Game development technologies and trends to look forward to in the year 22 are:
1. Triple-A Gaming
Triple-A gaming means playing the games that belong to the AAA category, such as GTA 5, Witcher 3, etc. When players get together to play these games, whether on a computer or their Smartphone; one can find traces of innovation, creativity, and groundbreaking success in generating revenue.
These games mingle well with hundreds of thousands of gamers to be thoroughly engaged. When the developers develop such realistic and graphically intense games with big budgets, users can't be deprived of the best-in-class gaming experience.
2. XR = AR + VR
XR means Extended Reality. It is the perfect and balanced combination of AR and VR, i.e., Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. With the help of AR and VR, you'll feel like you are in a world that doesn't exist, but for you, it does. Pokémon Go is a game that created history by using AR. When it was in the market to download, people went crazy and went after it like maniacs, thus generating hefty revenue for Nintendo.
In the coming years, we shall see games with the mixture of AR and VR in many industries, namely ingress, machines, and more. But the uses of AR and VR in-game development have been going on for a very long time. According to one survey, the AR/VR gaming market will grow to $11B by 2026.
3. Mobile Gaming
Who uses the laptop/desktop anymore for games anymore? Only the game developers, who need to test the games they have created. In 2020 and 2021, the mobile gaming market grew fantastically because people at home played Ludo and Chess with their loved ones on their Smartphone. The number of gamers increases every day, enabling gaming companies like Nintendo and Ubisoft to invest in this field.
Apart from keeping the interest of gamers and other mobile users, who are usually online for countless hours, intact; games can make people forget their problems, even temporarily. Gaming has helped many stay engaged in doing something rather than sitting idly and feeling low. Thus mobile gaming, with its disadvantages, has tons of advantages.
4. Cloud Gaming
Cloud gaming falls in the same line as cloud computing. Instead of installing a game on a PC or Smartphone, cloud gaming delivers the game to an app or web browser, nullifying the need to download it. Even though it comes with its disadvantages, it is a hot gaming development trend in 2022. Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have stepped in to provide faster deployment and broader reach solutions. A few of the great examples of cloud gaming are LiquidSky, Playkey, and GeForce.
Without any doubt, the companies dealing with cloud gaming get paychecks constantly into their bank as soon as their customers switch from their personal computers, mobile devices, laptops, or touchpad; to access remote servers that don’t require any hardware support.
5. Using 5G
The 5G network works better than 4G and 3G because of its low latency, which is between 5 to 20 milliseconds, and speed of more than 500 megabytes per second. Speed has always helped upgrade technology, and it surely helps generate revenues. Professional gamers need not be disheartened because of slow networks because the game demands real-time problem solving and risk-taking skills.
Thus, this is the perfect time to invest in the interactive and graphically-intense dynamics of the fifth-generation network and its limitless capabilities. It will allow you to flexibly establish yourself as one of the platforms offering seamless, reliable gaming services which know every in and out of this network type.
6. Live Streaming
Some of the intelligent game developers of this century know what their audiences want and give them that. Initially, people weren't interested in VFX; they just wanted to see the dinosaurs on screen. Now they are interested in BTS – behind the scenes. Hence, when the audience sees behind the scenes, they know what kind of hard work and effort is put behind creating the game.
Live streaming also involves interacting with people and answering their questions. Engaging more with the audiences is the motto of game developers in 2022. Doing so gains the audience's trust by making them realize your videos, podcasts, and live Q & A sessions will support or entertain them for life, hence generating hefty revenues. What more does one need?
7. Gaming – An Art
Gaming is not a product but instead is an art. When a writer writes a book, it takes hard work, sleepless nights, missing meals, research, and lots of variables playing a role in the process to give out the finished product to the readers. Similarly, a game developer has to consider many variables to give the finished product to his audience. Hence, gaming is an art because people invest their emotions, hours, and money. This trend is undoubtedly evolving with social elements like in-game charts, push notifications, activity feeds, and guilds; it engages thousands of users daily via a personal connection. It also artistically establishes the nature and preferences; of playing games supporting art-based content.
Game Development Languages in 2022
Here are a few popular game development languages in 2022:
1. C++
C++ is a programming language with the additional facility of being object oriented. It is one of the fastest running programming languages and has the capacity to manipulate low-level systems. It can be used for all kinds of game development tasks because it has improved memory management, extensive libraries, great scalability, robust compilers, and enhancers. One of the biggest benefits is that it runs smoothly across every platform. Some of the world’s most popular games like Witcher 3, Dark Souls and Counter –Strike use this language.
2. JavaScript
Unlike C++ and Java, JavaScript is a multi – paradigm game development programming language for creating interactive and innovative web games. It is compatible with common web standards like HTML and CSS, as a result of which, the number of cross-platform mobile games being developed has increased. HTML 5 cannot support animation or interaction on its own; which is why JavaScript is required. The popular examples of JavaScript games are CrossCode, Miner Dash, HexGL, and Gods Will Be Watching.
3. Java
Java is another object oriented programming language that is used to create a wide variety of PC games, mobile games, and video games. For android phones, this language is preferable because it can ease off the work of game developers. Java makes it simple to develop multiplayer games by improving game performance. Few of the most popular Java-based games are FIFA 11, Project Zomboid, Minecraft, and RuneScape.
4. HTML 5
The game developers who are making games for web browsers must use HTML 5 to prioritize user experience. It has become one of the most popular web game development languages and with it, one can create very complex web-based games with better interaction and visuals by combining HTML5 with JavaScript. The limitation of HTML 5 can be overcome with JavaScript; because it goes with multiple programming languages.
Here are the examples of HTML 5 games: CrossCode, HexGL, Treasure Arena, Sketchout, and Bejeweled.
5. Python
Game developers prefer this programming language because it is user-friendly and flexible for the developers. Python is earning its share of glory as one of the best video game programming languages for gaming projects such as Battlefield 2, Doki Doki Literature Club, Eve Online, and so on.
Final Words
Learning about game development trends helps you stay ahead of others in the market. Similarly, investing in the right team of game development companies will help you develop the product that is preferred by many. Even for those who do not know much about the latest trends in game development, we hope that this article will come in handy for you. What are your thoughts? Let us know by commenting on Goodtal blogs.