Bartosz Skwarczek is the Founder and President of Supervisory Board of G2A Capital Group, a global marketplace for digital entertainment.
Gaming — A New Hope
2024 feels like everyone involved in the video game business is stuck on an impossible boss level.
Inflation had an impact on how consumers spend their money, weakening console and game sales while development costs, market saturation, and competition rose for developers. Mass layoffs occurred as the gaming industry plateaued post-pandemic, with big players like Microsoft, Sony and Discord slashing roles to cut costs. It’s no wonder many companies adopted the motto “Survive till 2025.”
After years of simply trying to get by, the video game market is starting a reset process, “With 2025 in particular, carrying significant growth and potential,” according to Mat Piscatella, the video games adviser at Circana. New hardware releases like the Nintendo Switch 2 and the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI are a flickering light at the end of the tunnel.
Prediction: Community Ties Will Continue To Strengthen
Twitch’s Diversity in Gaming and Livestreaming Report highlighted that 89% of respondents feel that gaming allows them to connect with others who have similar interests or backgrounds, while 81% believe that gaming has allowed them to form connections they might not have encountered in real-life settings. These statistics emphasize the unique social value of gaming as a bridge for community-building, especially among diverse groups.
Recognizing this trend, Microsoft even decided to bring two-way friend requests back to Xbox after 10 years, offering more ways for players to connect with new and existing friends.
Discord’s growth, with projections to reach nearly 689 million users by 2025, also reflects the platform’s appeal as a community space. With 19 million active servers in 2023, a majority of which are gamers, it remains a central platform for diverse groups to create safe spaces for social interaction.
Together, these developments suggest that the gaming industry is increasingly focusing on enhancing community features and building safer, more inclusive environments for players to connect and engage.
Prediction: AI Will Heavily Impact The Industry
According to a recent report from CVL Economics, the gaming industry has already integrated generative AI into its processes more extensively than sectors like television, film, or music. The report’s survey of 300 CEOs, executives and managers also indicates that nearly 90% of video game companies reported adopting generative AI tools for various applications.
CVL’s report further declares that “the gaming industry relies heavily—more so than other entertainment industries—on generative AI to perform tasks like generating storyboards, character designs, renders and animations. In fact, by some estimates, generative AI may contribute to more than half of the game development process over the next five to ten years.”
On the retail side of things, we’ll also see marketplaces utilizing AI to curate highly personalized customer journeys, from product discovery to checkout, delivery, and even returns and exchanges. By utilizing customer data, such as browsing and purchase history, gaming marketplaces will be able to deliver personalized recommendations that resonate with customers while driving purchases.
Prediction: Marketplaces Will Diversify Payment Methods
While price is always important, how consumers can pay has become critical to the overall video game shopping experience. According to PayPal, 77% of consumers would abandon their shopping carts if their preferred payment method wasn’t an option. This includes global and local options.
Marketplaces need to expand their accepted methods of payment next year. At G2A.COM, we’ve been developing global and market-specific payment options, such as Venmo, Boleto (Brazil), Bizum (Spain), and Sofort (Germany), as well as employing payment optimization tech through platforms like Forter to improve and secure the overall checkout experience for our users. This allows organizations to scale their efforts at a global level while gaining the trust of in-market customers.
Prediction: Exclusivity And Nostalgia Will Drive Sales
What’s old will become new again in 2025, with reboots of classics like Final Fantasy VII, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid and GTA VI. What’s exciting about these revivals is being able to see them through a higher-quality lens and offering new content to current fans.
We’re also seeing a heavy focus on “early access” titles. Not only is it a way for developers to gather feedback and make changes before the official release date but for organizations to increase the price within the e-commerce marketplace for those who want to play the full version before anyone else. EA Sports College Football 25 brought in 2.2 million players before it was officially released.
Prediction: User-Generated Content Games Will Spark E-Eommerce Growth
User-generated content games like Roblox and Fortnite will continue to grow as platforms for indie game development through 2025. Roblox connects the creation and distribution of video games on one platform for over 70 million users worldwide.
Aspiring game developers can use the platform to quickly get feedback and iterate on their games from the large user base. In 2025, Roblox plans to add more in-game commerce opportunities—in addition to revamped creator tools—to increase monetization opportunities for at-home developers.
What’s interesting is the increased desire for in-game currencies instead of hardcopy games—primarily from today’s younger generations. A report from the Entertainment Association stated that 29% of 10- to 17-year-olds asked for gifts like Roblox and Fortnite credits. They would rather invest their time in building their own worlds, characters and games within the games.
Game On
Going into 2025, the video game industry is heading for a reset, bringing renewed opportunities to developers, sellers and gamers alike. Our team at G2A.COM looks forward to yet another year of creativity, technological advancements, community building and, of course, providing the most anticipated titles of the new year.
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