9 Crippling Problems With The Gaming Industry’s Future

The modern video games industry is in a constant state of flux, constantly trying to keep up with the demands of gamers, technology, and - increasingly - shareholders. As we step into the seventh generation of consoles, games are becoming more and more complex, more engaging - and a damn-sight more expensive to develop. Near enough every game in development that isn't part of a core franchise is a considerable risk not only for the studio and publisher, but also for those who put up the money to invest their time in it too. With 2013's announcements of the Xbox One and PS4, the eternally-connected world was unusually sceptical about the latest hardware generation, with every single reveal and surprise being met with intense scrutiny and more hatred in the comments section than they (probably) deserved. Yet despite it all, the new systems are selling well and games are starting to trickle through with semi-favourable opinions from critics and gamers alike. As the gaming industry plays it's never-ending game of catchup, concepts of innovation are slowly being stripped away in attempts to recoup costs and satisfy people who aren't necessarily just playing the games. The harsh reality is that modern gaming is big business with enough money floating around during a single game's development to pay Manchester United's wages for several years. In the end, the future of the game industry is in serious risk of collapsing under it's own bloat, and ahead we have 10 of the most crippling problems that could derail everything.