After Zelda Breath of the Wild and while we wait for GTA 6 comes the year 2024. A year that seems very hollow after the amount of releases we were entitled to last year and those that await us in 2025 like. But it would be a shame to stop at this poor statement…
Blocked between Zelda Breath of the Wild and GTA 6
As you know, 2023 was a very, very big year in terms of releases. VSIt’s simple: a large part of the most anticipated games of the moment have seen the light of day. As a result, there were doubts as to who would win the Game of the Year title. In 2022, everyone agreed to crown Elden Ring. If Baldur’s Gate III launched in 2023 with a lead, it was a very short one, as the defenders of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 or the last-minute challenger Alan Wake II had solid arguments in defense had foals. But it would be a shame to assign this year 2023 only to the competitors for the GOTY title.
2023 marked the long-awaited return of major video game licenses. Diablo IV, Final Fantasy XVI, Street Fighter 6, Pikmin 4, Assassin’s Creed Mirage… Whether in October or June, the weeks were almost exhausting as the major releases came one after the other, leaving us very little rest. And among those big releases were new IPs that were also highly anticipated, with the disappointments that sometimes brings. Starfield and Hogwarts Legacy: Hogwarts Legacy have therefore undeniably marked the year 2023. The second is on track to make it a historic year: one in which the 15-year reign of Call of Duty and Rockstar is finally coming to an end and Hogwarts Legacy is on the verge of winning the best-selling game of the year.
2023 was also the year of redemption for another highly anticipated game: Cyberpunk 2077. And what about the independent gems that emerged this year, real lessons in game design like Chants of Sennaar or Cocoon through real UFOs like Dredge or DAVE THE DIVER? And at the end of this particularly rich year, we even had the right to the official announcement of probably the most anticipated game of the decade, which attracts attention as soon as even the semblance of information about it leaks: Grand Theft Self VI. The title is scheduled for 2025, which also promises to be a big year for video games. The simple release of GTA 6, which will undoubtedly cause a real tidal wave, is enough to make it a historic date for the video game industry. To this you can probably add Death Stranding 2, Star Wars Eclipse or even the next game from the father of Bioshock, Judas. In short: after a 2023 as rich as seldom before and a 2025 that everyone expected, 2024 could seem very hollow in comparison. And yet…
A busy schedule in 2024
It would be a big mistake not to look at 2024 at its fair value. As for 2023, there are many expected sequels planned to see the light of day in the coming year: Tekken 8, Hades II, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Commandos: Origins, etc. The year even starts with a bang with the remarkable return of the Prince of Persia license in an area where we didn’t expect it but which hits the mark (see the review here). And on the new “IP” side (so to speak) we also have some heavyweights in the program with Rise of the Ronin, the Bioshock-like Clockwork Revolution or even the expected Star Wars: Outlaws. And with luck, we might even see Hollow Knight: Silksong and the long-awaited expansion Elden Ring. After all, if we didn’t have them in 2023, then probably for 2024. And I can just as easily tell you that given the expectations surrounding these two releases, it will be difficult to call 2024 an off year when they come around . This moment.
But even without that, there is already a brave juggernaut in 2024 who is sure to make history. In fact, it would be very foolish of you to underestimate a certain Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. Even though the first work of the Ninja Theory license didn’t sell nearly as well as “Hogwart Legacy” (1 million copies sold in just under a year), the scale of it has had a profound impact on the industry. The title has overcome the difficult challenge of providing an interesting video game experience, a progressive (and award-winning) extra gaming offering, and at the same time an interesting and non-stigmatizing portrayal of mental disorders. In this way, Hellblade has, in a sense, taken a different approach to entertainment video games and as such enjoys particular recognition outside of the industry. As we discussed in this article on gamer mental health, one study even showed that the title made it possible to less stigmatize people with mental disorders.
If Hellblade was already a great achievement in itself, Ninja Theory (now pushed by Microsoft) aims to push all boundaries. Since its announcement, Hellblade 2 has impressed with breathtaking realism. In addition, Microsoft’s support made it possible to increase resources and staff. We’re still talking about a studio with originally around twenty people, today there are more than 130. So the chances are good that the title will give us a big slap in the face. In any case, we at JV believe in this very strongly. We have also suggested various content to share our excitement with you (a JV Fast and in particular five things you should know).
This is for excursions. But for the rest? And yes, because we can’t summarize a year by the number of big games released. For example, 2023 may have been wonderful in terms of offerings, but the downside of the industry was not so encouraging. The world of video games has suffered serious setbacks… According to an estimate by game developer Farhan Noor, several studios have closed their doors and nearly 9,000 people will lose their jobs in the industry in 2023. In total, no fewer than 170 companies in the industry thanked some of their employees. And isn’t it likely that this gray cloud that began to form in 2023 will become more dense and looming throughout 2024? Nothing is less certain…
Not hollow, but maybe gray?
It has to be said that this year 2024 is not starting under the best of circumstances. The Unity company did not wait long after the countdown to the New Year to announce the upcoming layoff of 25% of its employees, or 1,800 people. This follows major controversy following the company’s strategy changes last year, as well as another major wave of layoffs (1,100 employees affected by 2023). Of course, we may fear that the cloud of 2023 will cast a shadow over this new year.
But even if the year started very badly, there is reason to believe that the situation can improve. The harsh setbacks the industry has experienced over the past year are actually quite easy to explain. With the lockdown, the video game industry experienced a real boom. In France alone, the industry recorded a whopping 5.3 billion dollars in profits in 2020, representing growth of 11.3% compared to 2019. Obviously, this growth has given some wings. “During the pandemic, the number of games exploded, and this sudden boom caused studios to quickly expand, make acquisitions, and potentially overinvest in certain areas.” analyzes Liz Prince, head of recruitment specialist Amiqus. The problem is that the pandemic effect has become less important over the years. As a result, we will notice a significant decline in profits across the entire industry from 2022. Activision Blizzard, Nintendo, Ubisoft, PlayStation… The vast majority of gamers in the industry saw pretty significant drops in profits. According to Newzoo, the decline in profits in the video game industry between 2021 and 2022 was -4.3% compared to 2021. And that is understandable. People started going out again, inflation and shortages made games less accessible and, on top of that, there were many postponements of major games this year, partly due to the pandemic. -there.
With this decrease it was necessary to adjust the plans and especially the costs. At least that’s what Liz Prince says again. Therefore, it is partly due to this poor management of market expectations that we have had such a dismal 2023. However, if 2023 suffers to some extent from the consequences of 2022, 2024 should benefit from the generous planning of 2023. The big releases must certainly have boosted sales. It remains to be seen whether, on average, there were more players falling in more games than last year. A priori, this would be the case at least in France. Charlotte Massicault, gaming director at distributor Fnac, told Le Figaro that 2023 promises to be a record year for Fnac. “The return of stocks of new generation consoles has boosted the entire market” She explains. For his part, Emmanuel Grange, general manager of Sony Interactive Entertainment France, is planning “A historic year” for the box.
Of course, we still have to wait a while until we have the necessary perspective to be able to analyze sales in 2023 and the current situation in the industry. We also have to wait and see how the independent games sector develops, which also suffered major losses in 2023. But if all goes well, 2024 could be the year of confirmation, between stabilization and real progress. At least that’s what we hope. What is certain, however, is that it won’t be a slow year!
