Bloomberg reporter: It is expected that Xbox will fully shift to cross-platform this year and PS will follow suit.

On January 6, well-known game journalist Jason Schreier published his forecast and outlook for this year’s game industry on Bloomberg on January 4. He predicted that Nintendo will announce and start selling the next-generation Switch, and that major game series such as "Civilization" and "Assassin's Creed" will also launch new games. In addition, many people working in the video game industry are looking forward to the industry ending its current difficult adjustment period.

Industry Early signs of recovery

Although not all companies can quickly return to their peak during the epidemic, the gaming industry is indeed rebounding. The growth rate of the mainframe market has slowed down, while the computer market has expanded rapidly. Steam's concurrent users will exceed 39 million in 2024, an increase of 6 million compared to last year. The release of the next generation Switch is also expected to trigger a consumer boom, especially early users who are looking forward to new games. In addition, this year more game companies will be looking to acquire, and potential investors are starting to emerge. Although layoffs have not completely stopped, the gaming industry is gradually recovering.

Exclusive The gaming era may be coming to an end

Last year, Square Enix released “Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth” on the PlayStation Released exclusively on 5, it may be the last third-party exclusive game. Since then, Square Enix announced that it will promote a cross-platform strategy. "Rebirth" is expected to be launched on PC later this month, and more ported versions may also be launched one after another. Console manufacturers such as Sony and Microsoft have also begun to push their games to each other's platforms. For example, Sony's "Spider-Man 2" will be released on PC, and Xbox's "Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Ancient Circle" will also be released on PlayStation 5. With games expensive to produce and console user growth slow, exclusivity is no longer cost-effective. It is expected that Xbox will fully shift to cross-platform, and PlayStation will gradually move closer. Nintendo may be the only exception, but how long this will last is unknown.

Yu Ubisoft faces change

Things are grim for Ubisoft in Paris, with its stock price falling to its lowest point in a decade as sales fell short of expectations and Assassin's Creed: Shadows was delayed. Now, Ubisoft is considering various options, including going private. If "Assassin's Creed: Shadows" sells well, Ubisoft will have more time to deal with future problems; if it fails, it may face a rapid restructuring, whether it is a sale or acquisition. Tencent already owns a stake in Ubisoft and has been linked to acquisition talks, and there could even be a surprise buyer, such as Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group.

《 "GTA 6" may be delayed

Publisher Take-Two Interactive has stated that "Grand Theft Auto VI" will be released in the fall of 2025. However, given the massive scale and pressure of the game, and Rockstar Games' commitment to avoid excessive overtime, there are predictions that the game may be delayed until 2026.

"Hollow Knight: Silk Song" is expected to be released this year

The independent game sequel "Hollow Knight: Silk Song" launched by the developer of "Hollow Knight" is highly anticipated. Although its release has been repeatedly delayed, it is expected to finally be released and sell millions of copies this year.

Generate Challenges faced by traditional AI

Although artificial intelligence has attracted much attention, the results are far from expectations. Tools like ChatGPT are helpful in workflow management and productivity improvement, but their content generation capabilities are still insufficient. This year there may be games companies trying to use generative AI for game development and running into trouble, ranging from plagiarism to possible lawsuits.

The "Half-Life" series is expected to return

There have been many rumors about the revival of Valve's classic shooting series "Half-Life". Since the release of "Half-Life 2" in 2004, the series has been silent for 13 years until the virtual reality game "Half-Life: Alyx" was launched in 2020. There are constant rumors about "Half-Life 3", so it is expected to see its official announcement this year, although it is already 20 years late.