In our previous post we talked about some of the major trends influencing the world of gaming this year, but we found that there are just too many things happening to limit our coverage of trends to one post.
Here are four more major trends in the gaming world:
1. Kickstarters
With the rise of public support for Kickstarters, game developers are able to produce high quality games that are supported by the gaming community.
Can everyone raise enough money to develop his or her games on crowdfunding sites? Probably not, but innovative game designers with histories of great games can, like Tim Schaefer.
As we mentioned in the first part of this series, Double Fine’s Broken Age was a completely crowdfunded game. Schaefer was able to raise a large amount of community funds after the original developers lost interest in continuing this project.
But Schaefer didn’t stop there. Double Fine has successfully raised enough funds for another title – Massive Chalic – a turn-based strategy game.
Schaefer isn’t the only developer using Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms to fund game development. Take a quick look at this list of crowdfunded games.
2. Indie Games
Indie designers are experiencing more success than ever. Gaming platforms such as Steam, Origin, and Uplay allow gamers to play indie games without ever having to physically purchase a copy of the game.
Indie games performed very well in 2014 with popular releases like Mountain, Octodad: Dadliest Catch, Monument Valley, and Banner Saga. We are anticipating even more in 2015 with titles such as: Firewatch, Below, Rime, and the Witness.
With the success and rise of indie games, we can look forward to more creative gaming options in the future.
3. Remastered Games
Do you miss classic old games but hate how outdated the graphics and controls have become? The good news is that many old favorites are being remastered to bring classics to both the new generation and delight older players.
This January, huge titles such as Resident Evil and Grim Fandango were remastered featuring improved graphics and controls. February brought the remaster of huge titles like Homeworld and Dark Souls II back into the picture.
It isn’t just PC games that are being revived. Nintendo is also remastering several of the Zelda franchise games. After the success of the Ocarina of Time’s move to the 3DS platform, Nintendo has recently rereleased Majora’s Mask and Donkey Kong Country.
Both new and old gamers will now be able to experience epic games of the past.
4. Old Game Downloads
Even if your favorite old game hasn’t been remastered yet, you can still buy copies online without shelling out tons of cash for the “vintage” discs on eBay only to hope it isn’t irreparably scratched.
Several game titles are allowing gamers to digitally purchase their old favorites on sites like GoG. While GoG also offers newer games, you can find old treasures like Pharaoh + Cleopatra, RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, and Hitman.
Unlike remastered games, these games do not have great graphics, but playing your old favorites will never be disappointing.
What do you think about these trends in gaming? How do you feel about the future of gaming?