Hello! If you’ve clicked on this blog, chances are you’re a gamer (or at the very least, have some interest in the world of interactive entertainment). And we think that’s pretty doggone cool!
(Image source: Giphy)
As a leader in the educational games development industry, it’s our job to stay on top of the latest and greatest innovations in the world of game-based learning. But as a studio made up of 40+ gamers, we spend a fair share of time following the happenings in the commercial games development space too. Today, we’re examining a few of the biggest trends in gaming that have emerged as of late – and taking a close look at how each will impact educational games as a result.
Accessibility matters.
The past few years have marked huge strides for bringing issues of accessibility in gaming to light – namely due to efforts from organizations such as The AbleGamers Charity and Microsoft’s launch of the Xbox Adaptive Controller. And while our industry still has a long way to go in terms of ensuring that the games we know and love are accessible to all players, we’re encouraged to see the subject being discussed in more contexts than ever before. And for our team here at Filament, we’re currently spending a lot of time thinking about how we can enhance our games with added accessibility features – keep your eyes peeled for this in some of our upcoming games!
Cloud gaming is here.
Earlier this year, we shared an in-depth look at cloud gaming on our blog – alongside some analysis of how the technology will affect the future of game-based learning. And while the recent launch of Google’s “games, without a console” platform Stadia was underwhelming at best, it’s undeniable that future advances in cloud gaming will radically transform the gaming industry as we know it. While the tech is not without its downsides – namely that it requires a constant high-speed internet connection to function – the possibilities afforded by allowing high-fidelity gaming on low-cost devices is sure to drastically change the types of games typically made available to players in school and training settings. And as a game studio that specializes in creating experiences for education and impact, the idea of high-fidelity games being made available on virtually any platform is quite exciting.
Silly games are serious hits.
2019 was packed with memorable new game releases – from Pokemon Sword/Shield to Kingdom Hearts III, and even Hideo Kojima’s long-awaited new game Death Stranding. But when I think back on the year’s most iconic games, many of the titles that spring to mind are decidedly..well, silly! From the incredibly popular and memeworthy Untitled Goose Game to the sentient banana-driven shoot ‘em up My Friend Pedro, gamers were treated to tons of wacky, lighthearted games throughout 2019. Heck, even Filament is getting in on the fun with our ridiculous, in-development robotics game RoboCo (which you can conveniently wishlist on Steam here 😉). We’re encouraged to see these games find success in the commercial market – and we hope that this trend helps usher in a new generation of wholesomely hilarious learning games for players of all ages!
More future-focused insights from your friends at Filament:
Esports EDU: Competitive Gaming in the K-12 Classroom
Why You Should Use Unity to Build Your Next Learning Game
How VR Changes Learning