This week, I had the privilege of attending LA Games Conference, the leading event for senior representatives from all over the gaming industry (game publishers, developers, movie studios, advertising firms, VCs, social networks, technology providers, analysts and press). Unlike some other industry events, the LA Games Conference focuses on bringing together people in a lively, yet intimate, hotel environment that allows access and privacy to build and grow relationships and partnerships.
While there were no game demos, I found the fireside chats and panels with key executives to be nothing short of informative and exciting at the same time. I was curious to see where, as an industry event, the L.A. games conference was chiefly concerned or centered around, and how that might relate to us not only as parents, but also as consumers and patrons. And while I heard about revolving topics like "monetization" and "distribution of video / mobile games" a lot, it was in those discussions that made me very excited about the future of games, and how it looks nothing like how it looked when we were growing up.
It was clear to me that the focus was definitely going away from the current consoles, and moving toward the global mobile market. Gone are the days where it was simply two or three consoles to choose from, but a plethora of mobile games available for every Android and iOS phone out there. And while these games might be free, there is obviously an incentive to make purchases within the game to make the experience more enjoyable or immersive. I also learned how big and international the mobile gaming market is growing. I was reminded by the gaming industry professionals in the room that China has more Internet users than the United States has people. (On top of that, China isn't even remotely done getting its citizens wired.)
While there's room in the market for someone to come along for the casual gamers, there is also a move toward something more substantial--if not as life involving as a League of Legends, a Call of Duty, or a Halo--the hunger for something more stirred: this is where I believe virtual reality ("VR") and augmented reality ("AR") will make a huge impact. During many of the panels and keynote talks, many stated that VR wouldn't be viable for at least 2 to 5 years. This healthy skepticism contrasts again the current optimism we often hear about how VR has already emerged and that "the hardware timelines of Valve's Vive is scheduled to hit this Fall (and first quarter for 2016 for the Oculus).
While VR and AR are fundamentally different plays, it looks like there is going to be a barrier to entry for parents and consumers to get into that market. The VR/AR hardware is going to clock in at prices in the hundreds of dollars...add in the cost of the PC hardware, or the game console that will be required to generate the images, and you're starting to look at a serious investment.
