The last 7 years have been a roller coaster for the games industry. The annual growth rate has stayed above 10%, outpacing U.S. economic growth by 8%. Nintendo holds a commanding lead in console sales, leaving Sony and Microsoft to fight for second and third place. The introduction of DLC has extended product life cycles past launch. Apple threw everyone a curveball and redefined both the mobile market and consumer expectations on price and format. Zynga expounded the social space while IPOing at a higher valuation than Electronic Arts after only 4 years. Call of Duty exploded past Halo and Grand Theft Auto to become the largest brand in gaming. Unreal Engine 3 and Unity have become the dominant forces in engine tech. Cloud gaming blipped onto the radar with Gaikai and Onlive. The crowd sourcing revolution is in full swing thanks to Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. We were validated in the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum! It’s been anything but boring. What do the next 3 years hold?
