Details strewn within a trio of industry reports offer clues as to the health and direction of online gaming in 2015.
First up is a report from Research and Markets, which says that digital distribution is on the rise and will continue to be for the future. It identified “key and prominent vendors” in the industry, which included MMO studios and publishers such as Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Warner Bros., NCsoft, Nexon, and Square-Enix.
A look at the global gaming market showed that mobile and online games are on the rise worldwide, with free-to-play becoming the dominant model. Subscription revenues are down in North America, online gaming growth has slowed in the UK, and Russia is ablaze with social gaming.
E-sports is the central focus of the last report, as analysts say that this market is experiencing “explosive growth” and might well become a $1 billion industry.
