Unity Unveils Surprising Findings About Game Developers From 2023 Data Analysis
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Game developers work fewer hours. Shifting economic headwinds have not slowed development. Studios release more mobile-only games.
These are some of the non-intuitive findings from Unity Technologies' 2023 Gaming Report, an annual snapshot of the state of gaming and game development released ahead of next week's Game Developer Conference.
Collecting feedback from over 230,000 Unity creators and ad data spanning nearly double that number, the report contains insights into the trends that experts in the field believe will shape the year ahead.< /p>
Marc Whitten, senior vice president of Unity Create, discussed the results with GamesBeat. He said that while 2022 has been marked by shifting economic headwinds, creativity and innovation in the gaming industry has remained strong.
EventGamesBeat Summit 2023
Join the GamesBeat community in Los Angeles on May 22-23. You'll hear from the brightest minds in the gaming industry to share their updates on the latest developments.
register here“We still see gaming as something quite sustainable and it continues to grow. And while there have obviously been some headwinds over the past year, developers, especially smaller developers, make games in less than a year," Whitten said. "They ship more games. These games actually last longer. They use more ways to keep them fresh with customers. I thought that was just a very good insight into their resistance."
Data is pulled from the Unity real-time development platform and Unity gaming services, through solutions that span mobile, PC and console gaming, providing a single view across the many industries of game industry.
Whitten said the game's developers showed resilience and strength. Developers focused on efficiency, optimization, and post-launch efforts.
I was surprised to see some developers targeting fewer platforms. This is happening even as Unity specializes in taking games to more platforms. There can be downsides to multiple platforms, like complicated updates and live operations, Whitten said.
Most small studios have delivered games in less than twelve months and they have done so with fewer hours. Studios of varying sizes have also been strategic in investing in the platform.
Larger studios drove year-over-year growth in cross-platform and cross-platform development, while the majority of smaller studios (90%) opted to develop for a single platform . However, what was consistent for studios of all sizes was to prioritize post-launch support as developers doubled down on extending the lifespan of their games by 33% to retain their longer existing player base.
Looking forward, the Unity Gaming Report 2023 predicts that generative AI will be more involved in the development process to amplify creator productivity and reduce the time and resources needed to create a game.
"It's inspiring to see the passion, ingenuity and persistence of our developer community as they continue to build incredible games in a challenging macroeconomic environment," said Whitten. "At Unity, we are committed to providing an in-depth, best-in-class platform that helps them at every stage of their journey: from building their game, to scaling with their players, to growing. of their business."
Connect with the top leaders in gaming in Los Angeles during GamesBeat Summit 2023 on May 22-23. Register here.
Game developers work fewer hours. Shifting economic headwinds have not slowed development. Studios release more mobile-only games.
These are some of the non-intuitive findings from Unity Technologies' 2023 Gaming Report, an annual snapshot of the state of gaming and game development released ahead of next week's Game Developer Conference.
Collecting feedback from over 230,000 Unity creators and ad data spanning nearly double that number, the report contains insights into the trends that experts in the field believe will shape the year ahead.< /p>
Marc Whitten, senior vice president of Unity Create, discussed the results with GamesBeat. He said that while 2022 has been marked by shifting economic headwinds, creativity and innovation in the gaming industry has remained strong.
EventGamesBeat Summit 2023
Join the GamesBeat community in Los Angeles on May 22-23. You'll hear from the brightest minds in the gaming industry to share their updates on the latest developments.
register here“We still see gaming as something quite sustainable and it continues to grow. And while there have obviously been some headwinds over the past year, developers, especially smaller developers, make games in less than a year," Whitten said. "They ship more games. These games actually last longer. They use more ways to keep them fresh with customers. I thought that was just a very good insight into their resistance."
Data is pulled from the Unity real-time development platform and Unity gaming services, through solutions that span mobile, PC and console gaming, providing a single view across the many industries of game industry.
Whitten said the game's developers showed resilience and strength. Developers focused on efficiency, optimization, and post-launch efforts.
I was surprised to see some developers targeting fewer platforms. This is happening even as Unity specializes in taking games to more platforms. There can be downsides to multiple platforms, like complicated updates and live operations, Whitten said.
Most small studios have delivered games in less than twelve months and they have done so with fewer hours. Studios of varying sizes have also been strategic in investing in the platform.
Larger studios drove year-over-year growth in cross-platform and cross-platform development, while the majority of smaller studios (90%) opted to develop for a single platform . However, what was consistent for studios of all sizes was to prioritize post-launch support as developers doubled down on extending the lifespan of their games by 33% to retain their longer existing player base.
Looking forward, the Unity Gaming Report 2023 predicts that generative AI will be more involved in the development process to amplify creator productivity and reduce the time and resources needed to create a game.
"It's inspiring to see the passion, ingenuity and persistence of our developer community as they continue to build incredible games in a challenging macroeconomic environment," said Whitten. "At Unity, we are committed to providing an in-depth, best-in-class platform that helps them at every stage of their journey: from building their game, to scaling with their players, to growing. of their business."
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