Hello and welcome to one of our final pieces for Optimism Week here on Eurogamer. This time, we’ve turned to the industry itself for some answers, and as such I’m going to do my best to get out of the way as quickly as possible. For this piece, we contacted a range of developers and general people-of-video-games to ask them one question: despite everything, what still gives you reason for optimism? As you’d expect, the responses have been wonderful. Here’s why we should still be hopefully for the future of video games, straight from the people who make the medium possible:
Anna Megill, game writer and narrative designer
“It’s a rough time for the games industry but a golden age for the game dev community.
“I’ve seen a tremendous outpouring of support for people after layoffs and for new writers trying to break in. It’s moving to see the way people rally around their colleagues to raise money, find jobs, offer feedback on resumes and portfolios.
We game devs have always looked out for each other – passing the hat in hard times and mentoring new writers. But now, there’s a renewed sense of responsibility and empathy for our colleagues. That feeling, that shared care and desire to help each other out, that’s how we win. And it gives me hope for our future.”
Rhys Elliott, head of market analysis at Alienea Analytics
“The industry is a bloody mess right now, there’s no doubt about it. But there’s plenty to be optimistic about, as well. For a start, the sheer volume of bangers releasing – amid all the adversity – is amazing and points to the sheer resilience of game makers. It’s across every price point and genre, too. That’s cumulative to the decades of masterpieces already available. So whether you’ve got a latest-gen console, a powerhouse PC, an older machine, or a potato, there’s no shortage of fun stuff to play.
“On the industry side, a recurring theme I saw this year in meetings at GDC and Develop: Brighton was how many Gen Z indie teams and solo devs are building cool shit. They cut their teeth on Roblox and are now luckily leaving that rapacious, dark-pattern-infested platform behind (sorry, Optimism Week…) for less predatory pastures. The games and ideas they’re bringing to Steam especially, for example, are spins on genres in ways we haven’t really seen before. A lot of it is low-fidelity co-op, which brings me to another recent bright spot, the phenomenal rise of so-called “friendslop” games. They’re quick for devs to prototype and make, cheap for consumers to buy, social by design, and built around fun ideas. They’re pulling in players across generations, too. Good shit, frankly.
“Lastly, it’s lush to see more real cultural exchange through games, with China embracing more Western AAA and the West embracing more games out of China. It’s true across the entire ecosystem, really – and that’s something that’s going to continue. In a world that seems more divided by the day, games are cross-cultural. Lovely stuff.”
Cliff Bleszinski, game designer
“There’s a lot to not like about videogames and the industry that makes them these days. Seems like everywhere you turn the platform holders aren’t quite sure what to do or where they’re going, which is leading to a lot of confusion or discourse online – not to mention countless layoffs. (Great way to bump the stock price, lay off the folks that shipped your hit game!) Players vote with their dollars and they want to be confident that they’re getting a good, well supported product with their hard-earned cash.
“I honestly took a few years off from playing, well, anything after my studio Boss Key cratered. I was jaded and bitter. Sure, I made my share of mistakes there, but the saying truly applied at that point: “Teach a man to make video games and he’ll never want to play one for the rest of his life.” All I saw was the budget onscreen and/or bugs or things that could have been changed or improved. That part of me dies hard.
“Only in the last while have I rediscovered the joy of playing. There’s still room out there for quality AAA experiences; burning through Pragmata and Expedition 33, for example, helped give me hope. However, increasingly, that feels like an exception for me. I find myself gravitating towards the indie scene, AA games, or “friendslop” titles. I’m also a sucker for the idea that a handful of passionate developers can make a hit. Titles like Meccha Chameleon (virus issues aside) and Far Far West (which apparently sold 1m copies) are a couple of small examples of this. Late to the party but I just burned through PowerWash Simulator which was so simple but addictive and next up is Neva, Level Devil, and Shift at Midnight.
“At the end of the day, there’re so many gamers out there who will always gravitate towards “gun or ball” games. Many folks have busy lives and don’t have the time to find the latest indie or AA hit (or have a friend that can advise them). That’s fine. There’s still plenty of players and space for new, weird, and unique titles to rise to the top and become hits as long as there’s an audience hungry for them. Having Mike Wilson, founder of Devolver, on our F13 podcast (shameless plug) reminded me that they were ahead of their time. The A24 of video games who were willing to take a risk on misfit fun titles. I’m not a betting man, but if I was I’d double down on those sorts of titles over games with seasons and battle passes.
“Have hope, play games, be weird.”
Grant Kirkhope, composer
“Games never cease to amaze me, good and bad.
“I think I feel that the industry is moving to a phase where people are looking for something outside of the norm. All the biggies will continue to churn away, but it’s the indie sector that seems to have the innovation. It feels a bit like when I started 31 years ago (gulp!) It was the guys who sat in their bedrooms with their Spectrums coding for fun and coming up with weird and wonderful things who were the guys that made Rare such a great powerhouse back then.
“I still see people like that these days. It’s only when you do that thing that really connects with you, that has the chance to connect with other people. Gamers smell a fraud a mile away. There has to be honesty in what we all do. And I think there are great things ahead, eventually!”
Véronique Lallier, head of operations at IO Interactive
“What makes me optimistic is actually quite simple: gamers are still gaming. People are still playing, buying games, talking about them, sharing them with their friends, and getting incredibly excited about what comes next.
“We spend a lot of time talking about the challenges our industry is facing, and they are very real, but sometimes I think we forget to look at what is happening on the other side. Players are still there, and their appetite for great games hasn’t disappeared. This year alone we’ve seen huge games like 007 First Light and Forza Horizon 6 finding massive audiences, while at the other end of the spectrum you still have unexpected games and gaming experiences like Meccha Chameleon, made by two people, selling millions and millions of copies. Or Big Walk reaching a million players in less than a week.
“I love that. There isn’t one formula for success. Players are showing us that they will turn up for great games, whether they are made by two people or two thousand.
“And then we have GTA 6 coming, which will undoubtedly be another huge cultural moment for games. So despite all the challenges, I look at the sheer amount of people playing and buying games, and the incredible variety of games succeeding, and I find it very difficult not to be optimistic about where we go next.”
Tim Endres, organiser at Gamescom
“A booked-up exhibition space for Gamescom is a positive signal towards the future of gaming. Companies and studios believe in the games they are making and wish to get feedback from fans and connect with them directly.
“At the same time, we see that Gamescom really is a place for people to meet on all levels – from business to fans. It is a clear signal that games culture is not just about the games themselves, but it connects people, it helps us build relations with others and create lasting memories. And sometimes a community can make a real difference. With Gamescom GDQ, for example, we will underline the power of community and support the ‘Gaming for Democracy’ initiative.
“To quote a popular game from last year: ‘Tomorrow comes’. And together, as a community, we will make sure that ‘tomorrow’ will be something we can look forward to.”
Felix Falk, organiser at Gamescom
“Our main theme for Gamescom 2026 says it all: ‘Games Spark Excitement for the Future.’ At a time of uncertainty and upheaval in so many areas of life, games remain firmly focused on what’s ahead – new start-ups, technological innovation, fresh partnerships, and of course the incredible titles arriving in the coming months and years.
“That’s what makes me genuinely hopeful. This industry has never lost its positive and forward-looking mindset. The community, the studios, the whole ecosystem – we are all looking ahead and asking the same question: ‘How do I reach the next level?’ That drive to build, to innovate, and to push boundaries is exactly what defines games culture and the industry.
Lisa Pak, head of operations at Playing 4 the Planet
“Friends are losing their jobs left and right, the world is on fire, and the grass is certainly not greener anywhere else. I’m not going to lie, staying optimistic every day is hard.
“But here’s what keeps me hopeful: every year studios that compete fiercely for the same players choose to sit at the same table for the Green Game Jam. They build climate- and nature-themed content into their games to protect and restore our planet and nobody makes them do this.
“Companies dial back on sustainability all the time. Budgets tighten. Priorities shift. If you pitched the right thing and got told no, or lost the job where you were finally doing work that mattered, I’m not going to tell you that’s fine. Because it isn’t.
“But our industry keeps introducing me to people who fight for work that matters, who find their way back to it in a new role, a new studio, a side project, a game jam. People who genuinely support one another during difficult phases. This year isn’t the end of the story. Keep going and make next year say ‘yes’.
“We all get to choose who we surround ourselves with and what we come back to. Choose people who haven’t stopped.”
Ross Tregenza, composer and audio director
“The industry has had a rough couple of years, but I have complete faith in its future, and honestly? Games are only getting better. Yes, the machines are getting more powerful; yes, the development tools are maturing and becoming easier to use, but really it all comes down to one thing: people, and their wonderful creative brains.
“We’re generations deep into game dev now, and there’s talent in the industry that (bewilderingly for an old fella like me) grew up with modern consoles, dev tools, and YouTube tutorials – and they’re powerhouses of creativity, and that makes me so happy.
“The software is so solid now that you can create anything you can dream of, and for composers like me, we have access to every instrument in the world – the ones you know of, the ones you’ve just learnt about, and other crazy instruments that are being invented every day.
“With the vibrancy of modern games and game music, there’s no denying it’s future, and every time I see some new game come up that blows my mind or warms my heart, I think about those awesome, creative people who made it, and I know we’re in safe hands.”
Emma Kidwell, writer
“Organisations like the BAFTA, AIAS, or GDC’s Amplifying New Voices helps me feel hopeful for the future when it comes to seeing the next generation of designers – mentorship is a valuable resource and it keeps some of that generational knowledge alive while paying it forward and giving back to the community. Volunteer to be a mentor, if you can!
“Also, sharing and playing the games my peers make. Did you know it costs nothing to reskeet a post about a game you played? Write a review for a game you liked? Read some crit on the game? Engaging with my community and friends within the industry always fills my cup. Right now I’m playing Ambrosia Sky by Soft Rains, and then I’m going to tell the devs what I thought about it after, because isn’t that what we all want? To talk video games with our friends?”
Al Bickam, senior brand communications manager at Sega Creative Assembly
“What makes me hopeful is that, despite the challenges facing the industry, players still respond strongly to games with a clear identity that take creative risks. An idea doesn’t have to appeal to everyone to find a passionate audience and make a lasting impact.
“Games are still a young medium, with so much left to explore in storytelling, atmosphere and experiences that only interaction can create. That’s something we think about a lot working on Alien. The moments players remember most are often the ones that emerge unexpectedly from interacting with systems and feel uniquely theirs. That appetite for distinctive experiences gives me confidence in the future. There will always be developers trying something new, and players willing to meet them there.”
“Yes, the industry is going through a difficult stretch. But the unstoppable energy behind founding companies, experimenting with the latest technologies, and creating new ways to play hasn’t faded – if anything, it’s what keeps us moving.
“Every year at Gamescom I see hundreds of thousands of people who know of this medium’s power to connect and inspire. In these times, that kind of excitement for the future is exactly what we need. And games spark it like nothing else.”
Pav Gekko, composer and audio director
“Games are no longer just games. What makes me optimistic is seeing them increasingly become part of wider popular culture.
“As a composer, I’ll start with the area I know best: music. Game music was once treated as quite niche, but that has changed enormously. We now see major orchestral productions such as BAFTA Games in Concert alongside a multitude of smaller concerts around the world, bringing game music to audiences far beyond those who originally played the titles.
“Mainstream broadcasters are also giving it dedicated space, from BBC Radio and ABC Classic to Classic FM bringing in DanTDM to host a weekly programme devoted to game music. I’ve seen that shift first-hand too, with the Spirit of the North 2 score featured on those stations – something that previously might have been hard to imagine for an indie title.
And I think music is only one example of a much broader change. Productions such as The Last of Us and Fallout have shown how successfully game worlds and stories can move into television and reach completely new audiences.
“We have also seen the impact of the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners animated series on Cyberpunk 2077, helping to bring new attention to the game and attract new players.
There is evidence of this growing interest and mainstream appeal in many other areas too.
Perhaps there is also an opportunity for the games industry to learn from older creative industries such as film, which have become very good at allowing successful ideas and intellectual property to live across different formats and at exploring different opportunities for monetisation and promotion. The game itself no longer necessarily has to be the end of the creative or commercial journey.
“The industry is undoubtedly changing, and some of that change is painful. But change does not only mean contraction. Games have never had greater cultural reach, and that opens up possibilities we are only beginning to explore.”
Dana Nightingale, campaign director at Arkane Lyon
“I find it very heartening that there are so many available and accessible tools and workflows that allow individuals and small groups of developers and creative souls to dream their interactive experiences into reality. More specifically, and most importantly, this allows queer and minority voices a way to realise their visions and present them to the world.
“It is more important than ever that marginalised developers have a way to say, ‘Here I am, this is what I created – maybe it’s about me and my experience and my community, or maybe it’s about kittens; but either way, it comes from my mind, my background, my lived experience, and my voice, and now it’s here, it’s real, and it can be experienced by anyone.’
“That’s what brings me joy and that’s what brings me hope. People living under the shadow of intolerance, persecution, war, and genocide have ways to create something that builds a bridge of empathy to the world, and a way to platform it, share it, and help others experiencing similar things feel less alone.”
Dirk Bosmans, director general at PEGI
“I am positive about the creative energy in the sector. I am aware of the risk that this sounds rather New Age, but it is a rather concrete concept for me: the element of surprise inserted in a tired genre; a visual, narrative, or mechanical idea that makes you hold your breath for a second as it presents itself to you. It is where you commit to the game on a deeper level and for that reason, it is a crucial aspect to games that cannot be replaced or fabricated because it cannot be predicted. It forms the core of what has brought us better entertainment than we could envision until we got to enjoy it. No matter how the sector evolves as a business, and no matter what technology will add to video games, the creative energy is the defining element behind each game that people remember fondly. Some examples are 40-years-old, others will be released next week. I can’t wait.”
Robert Yang, artist, writer, and game developer
“I make maps and mods for Quake, now a 30-year-old game. The tech is quite rustic. We still count pixels and polygons, we still worry about a 256 color budget. We’re basically medieval carpenters.
“And yet, new teenagers still randomly show up on the doorstep of our Discord, excited to learn this slow, ancient craft. Yes the golden age is gone, but despite those who seek to destroy what’s left, some of the old magic will still survive.”
Jesper Kyd, composer
“More people have access to games than ever before and market penetration is still growing.
“Another positive thing is that the world is starting to realise how hard it is to make a good game. And studios with original, unique visions should be treasured and will probably become more valuable and respected in the future.
“If publishers continue to prioritise short-term profit over creativity and people, and with a mindset that they can always rehire, that goes directly against another thing that publishers demand these days: that every game is a success or a hit. That is not sustainable. You must allow a team to learn from their failures as well.
“To rehire and build a new team that hasn’t worked together, it will be very difficult for them to make the next big thing. At some point, the right people will study what it takes to succeed and this is not the way.
“An issue could be that the corporate world outside our industry might not think of games as an art form so they apply the wrong algorithm to game making. They think success can be manufactured. Perhaps success can be manufactured in some industries, but not the games industry. Though games are starting to use the same game engines for many games, and that could be a way to lower risk, that’s not a guarantee for success. Video games are the most difficult art form to maneuver, with so many separate parts needing to align perfectly for a game to be fun.”
Peter Moore, football club owner
“I’m optimistic because, despite all the turbulence we’re seeing across the games industry, I’ve never lost faith in the fundamental power of games. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience several generations of this industry, from the early days of Sega and console gaming through Xbox, EA, and the extraordinary growth of online and mobile, and I’ve seen this business reinvent itself time and time again.
“What excites me now is the next generation of creators. The tools available to them, particularly through AI, are going to allow smaller teams and individual developers to do things that previously required enormous budgets and hundreds of people. That doesn’t mean the challenges facing the industry disappear, but it does mean creativity is becoming more accessible.
“Games remain one of the most powerful forms of entertainment and connection in the world. They bring people together, create communities and tell stories in ways no other medium quite can.
“So, yes, there is plenty to be concerned about. But I’ve been around long enough to know that periods of disruption often create the conditions for the next great chapter. I’m betting on the people who will write that chapter.”
Brandon Sheffield, creative director at Necrosoft Games
“One thing I’d like to impress upon everyone out there: No matter what’s going on in the world, collective action still works. In response to all the recent industry layoffs, the (North American) United Videogame Workers union contacted me to ask if we could help raise money to help folks who are out of a job. We quickly gathered some volunteers, put together a bundle on itch.io with almost 150 games donated by more than 100 indie game developers, and blasted it out into the world for players to purchase.
“All money would go toward helping laid off game developers who might need help buying food, paying rent, and keeping access to healthcare, (remember, this is America, our healthcare disappears with our jobs).
“The bundle ended this morning, as of this writing, and we managed to raise more than $250,000 in two weeks. All of that money (minus processing fees) goes straight to folks in need, as neither we nor the union take any part of it. That’s game developers, volunteers, a union, and game fans coming together to do something good.
“It’s funny, as we just released a game that’s ostensibly about collective action in the face of overwhelming adversity, and we got to prove it again in real life. The power of the many, wielded correctly, can do some good, and everyone’s contribution is valuable. I hope that everyone will take this to heart going forward, and look for small ways to help in your respective communities!”
Inon Zur, composer
“Games have always been a source of active entertainment, unlike TV and movies where you are just sitting and watching. There is no other area in media that generates excitement and exhilaration for fans like games. For this reason, gaming has a prominent and profound future in all cultures. Like any other areas in entertainment, it seems like the gaming industry is in a bit of a slowdown and there is an uncertainty of what the future holds, especially with the growing influence of AI components and involvement.
“However, I’m extremely confident that there is going to be a strong bounceback once the boundaries between AI and human-made components are drawn and cleared, and we should see a strong comeback of innovation and new IPs soon enough.”
Chella Ramanan, narrative designer
“Optimism is often elusive these days. It has to be a conscious endeavour, as in one you entertain when someone asks you to tell them what makes you feel hopeful about the games industry right now. So many thoughts took me down a depressing dead end, apart from one. And it’s this: there are still more interesting, thoughtful, beautiful, fun, terrifying games available for me to play than I’ll ever have time for.
“Any day of the week, I can search for something new to play and find an incredible experience. Despite all the adversity and struggle in our industry, we’re still making stuff that touches people every day. I’m still in awe of the games my friends, peers, and colleagues are making. Art often grows out of adversity and with so many super-talented people free to make their own projects right now, I’m excited to see what springs out of these hard times. And I’m also seeing people fighting for the right to enjoy art made by humans. All this keeps me hopeful.”
Chris Dring, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Game Business
“The problem with reporting on the video game business is that the mistakes we’re seeing today were actually made years ago. The layoffs we’re seeing, the closures, the games that aren’t delivering… they’re all the result of decisions made in 2021, not 2026.
“The industry is going through probably its biggest transformation in its 40-year history. But gamers won’t see the fruits of those changes for quite some time.
“And I really believe the changes will, in time, prove positive. We’re talking about a shift in how games are made. There has been the rise of the Hollywood model where small teams work on a project from beginning to end, with people brought in from outsource agencies when needed. The idea is it will reduce the cost of games, speed up development, increase creativity, and have a more stable industry. An example of this working is last year’s Clair Obscur. Almost all new studios forming today are following the same model.
“We do face a future of ‘more’. This is driven by things like Roblox and AI. There will be more games made. As a professional industry, that’s a challenge. But as an artform? Is it bad that more people can create interactive art? Express themselves through games? I find that hard to argue against. What this will do is force professional game makers to level up and create not just good, but interesting games that stand out, innovate, and demand attention. This era of ‘more’, enabled by AI, will also give rise to an era of ‘better’, with human creativity at its core.
“There’s also a new trend in the industry, and that’s the realisation that there is no trend. Everything can work. It’s hard, of course. But we’ve had indie hits, AA hits and AAA hits, new IP breakthroughs and established franchises succeed. Everything is challenged, but nothing is dead.
“We’ve just had Harvey Smith set-up a studio purely to make games like Dishonored. The immersive sim genre is apparently finished, but here is Smith opening a new studio, backed by a game publisher, specifically to make such a game. And that backing is the result of Helldivers 2 and Space Marine 2 and Clair Obscure and Dispatch and Arc Raiders… games in typically ‘niche’ genres that have broken out and become huge success stories. Success can come from anywhere, and that’s exciting. Look at this year’s breakthrough hits… Mewgenics, 007 First Light, Crimson Desert, Pragmata, Subnautica 2, Forza Horizon 6, Meccha Chameleon, Pokemon Pokopia, Resident Evil Requiem, Slay The Spire 2… the variety is incredible.
“The industry has realised this. It is reacting to this. Every week I speak to industry bosses on my podcast, and they’re all singing from complementary hymn sheets. It’s just going to take a little while before we hear those songs.
“It might not feel like it sitting here on the back of Bungie and Xbox cuts, Sony ditching discs, and console prices spiralling upwards, but I am convinced that by the end of 2028, we’ll witness the next golden age of video games.
“Here’s to the future.”
Florence Smith Nichols, video game archaeologist, developer, and journalist
“As a video game archaeologist, I’ve grieved not only the past, but the future. I’ve worked to record contemporary play traces, such as messages left in the landscape of Elden Ring, because otherwise their context would be lost for future researchers and fans. Grief might seem like the shadow of optimism, but for me the two are inextricably linked; I’m imagining a future in which we take seriously the loss not just of game software and hardware, but records of subjective play experiences. We’re part way there, but we’re not quite there yet.
“I mentioned Elden Ring, but we have a duty to preserve play beyond blockbuster titles. Thinking about the future as a queer person, I’m often drawn to José Esteban Muñoz’ Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity: ‘Queerness is essentially about the rejection of a here and now and an insistence on potentiality or concrete possibility for another world.’ Video games, especially AAA titles, are so often marketed as vast photorealistic worlds for us to inhabit. That dream, though, can only take us so far. We need a stranger, dare I say it, queerer, dream.
“If you want to feel hopeful about the future of this medium, look to the small, weird, broken games people are sharing for free everyday on the internet. Here’s just one example of a recent itch.io game that looks down the barrel of nostalgia and plants something strange and new instead.”
Olivier Deriviere, composer
“The game industry is going through another crisis. The magnitude of the current one is dire, but developers have always faced difficult times because making games is incredibly hard. Throughout my own career, I’ve witnessed the sweat and the tears, but above all, I’ve witnessed greatness.
“The gaming industry is one thing, but the people who make games are another. They are, in many ways, a different breed. The vast majority are passionate and dedicated. From the outside, it may be difficult to understand the sacrifices they make, but making games is incredibly demanding.
“You cannot stop passion. You cannot stop dedication. And even when the end result isn’t as good as we might have wished, there is no regret, because we gave it everything we had.
“The spirit may be affected by the social consequences of the current situation, but it will never die.
“I’m witnessing a new beginning right now, a new cycle. Many of those who have been let go will not come back to serve the industry in the same way. They are already thinking about the future. They are building the next generation of studios.
“Any crisis is an opportunity to build something new. Developers have been through this cycle many times, and they will always prevail, not thanks to the industry, but thanks to their passion.”
Jörg Tittel, founder and creative director and founder at RapidEyeMovers
“What fills me with optimism for the future is, ironically, the fact that, at present, the creative community – as well as a vast percentage of players – have lost all faith in the status quo.
“The game ‘industry’ (a term I loathe – as if art was ever supposed to be made in factories!) is collapsing much like the Hollywood studio system in the 60s.
“Audiences were turning their backs on made-by-committee conveyor belt entertainment and looked at other pastimes instead.
“And then something exciting happened.
“Audiences diversified, embracing a whole new kind of cinema, from Blaxploitation to Scorsese, to Hong Kong cinema and the Nouvelle Vague – not to mention the likes of Spielberg, Lucas, and Coppola, who managed to work with studio assets and money while retaining an independent and ‘auteur’ spirit.
“I believe that video games are about to experience a similar kind of renaissance. Games from voices who’d previously been marginalised, with fresh new mechanics, authentic perspectives and aesthetics never-before-seen in video games will rise to the top of the charts.
“These stars will rise above and beyond the noise, unshackled from algorithms and decrepit corporate non-ideas.
“Money is tight right now and hard to come by.
“But the fact is smaller teams have the freedom to dream bigger.
“Let’s hang in there, stick together, work hard and ignore the doom and gloom.
“We’re not an industry. We’re artists. Let’s make art that will move millions.
“Games have yet to reach their potential – and that fills me with hope and fuels boundless creativity.”
Anna Donlon, head of Valorant Studios at Riot Games
“It is undeniable and wonderful to see the impact gaming has on people. And watching more and more people find games that they love and become ‘gamers’ has been one of the most exciting parts of my journey in this industry.
“For those of us who truly love games, we understand how much more they are than mouse clicks and leaderboards. They become part of our identities. They shape communities. They connect us in ways that transcend most mediums. I can’t imagine our desire or even our need for that ever going away.
“How we make games might change. How we serve and delight players might change. But that fundamental need for connection… that’s not going away. And the way gaming can deliver on that… amplify that… I only see that getting better over time.”
Andrew Hulshult, composer
“Unfortunate monetary corrections by big business is a tale as old as time. ‘We spent too much money and grew too large’ is a cycle you see in almost any business that gets big enough. The number of people this affects is terrible, and it usually stems from someone making bad investments and then being unwilling to take responsibility for it. The silver lining is that creatives get tired of “the big machine” that clearly has issues and start creating their own properties and their own studios. This means more creative freedom, more competition, riskier ideas that big business is not willing to take, and job growth.
“While this currently looks like a black eye for the industry, I think it will become an event that spawns a lot of great games we will see in the next five years or so. I am admittedly an optimist, but I have also seen this before.”
Colin Johanson, studio director at ArenaNet
“The thing I’m most optimistic about is the sheer volume of innovation and new ideas being explored today in the industry. ArenaNet’s DNA for 25 years has been challenging conventions, solving for player frustrations, and trying new things to find innovation. I love seeing how many more studios there are today, most noteworthy the smaller studios and even tiny 1-4 person teams, making games that bring this same spirit of innovation, willingness to try new ideas, and challenge conventions.
“You have to be optimistic to innovate: to be willing to believe you can find a new idea that’s exciting and fresh, especially when you go in knowing you will fail countless times and learn before you find success. That spirit of optimistic innovation is as alive as ever if you look at the sheer volume of games being shipped every year across the industry, with more new, interesting ideas being created than ever before if you’re willing to look for them.”
Chantal Ryan, founder and developer at We Have Always Lived in the Forest
“When I look around I see a world of unbearably creative people pursuing ideas that make me thrill with excitement. When it comes to the creative spirit and the urge to bring vision forth, people never change. Not really. Go 2,000 years back to the creative philosophical ideas of Socrates and his forebears. Back 5,000 years to the sculptures of Ptahkuu and other ancient Egyptians. Back over 50,000 years to the cave paintings of indigenous cultures around the world. How far we’ve come, and how close we’ve stayed, to our creative truth and pursuit.
“Like those who have come before us, we continue to build on ideas. To innovate, to push boundaries. Many creatives will tell you they work best within a set of constraints. Society is full of constraints now, and we’ve often seen some of the great works of our generations rise from creatives in conversation with the turbulence of their time. I think we’ll see incredible ideas and approaches rise in this current climate, a climate that commands the need for innovation, willingness, risk, and, above all else, enduring self-belief.
“Video games are, beyond all else, expressions of creativity. Whenever society has formed itself into a vice, it is creatives who have so often risen the tallest war banners. We will see art that is a battle cry to the arms of the human spirit, forged in the many human textures of silliness and seriousness and all our glorious madnesses between. Forget trodden down, I think our future sees a beautiful revolution.”