10 Ways The Gaming Industry Can Improve In The 2020s

6. Take Just The Right Amount Of Fan Input

This one is a little trickier for developers to get right, but finding the perfect balance between fan input and trust in your product is essential when designing a video game. This is especially true in the likes of sequels, where fans will have had some experience with the franchise already. Gamers are a vocal bunch and some, but not all of their comments should be taken into consideration.

A prime example of getting this right would be how Rockstar handled GTAV. Fans made it very clear what they liked and disliked when it came to GTAIV, with the more mature tone being at the forefront of complaints. Rockstar reacted and created a much lighter and funnier entry to the franchise which went on to be one of the most financially successful pieces of media of all time.

However, if we look at how tone-deaf “woke” Battlefield 5 was made out to be, or how humourlessly “edgy” Duke Nukem Forever was, we can see what happens when developers go ahead with making a game purely based upon what they think fans want. Honest discussion and proper customer research are the key components to landing this aspect of development, and it’s something more companies need to focus on in the future.