The annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) takes place in San Francisco, CA each year and attracts game developers, industry icons, prospective future visionaries, and members of the press from around the world. As one of the first major events of the year, it sets the tone for what to expect. In the months leading up to the event, the event organizers send out a survey to attendees gauging industry trends and opinions and this year’s results reveal some interesting (if mostly downward pointed) details on VR/AR game development.
In the 2017 State of the Industry Report, a whopping 24% of those surveyed were actively working on a VR project while only 19% are in 2018’s survey. Similarly, when asked which VR/AR device(s)/platform(s) most interest developers, the HTC Vive remains as the top choice. We’ve included a side-by-side comparison of the answers below:
Take note that the question asks respondents to select all that apply, meaning answers were not exclusive. If someone is interested in the HoloLens they could also select the Vive or Rift. There is another, similar question in the survey that pits VR against other platforms such as PS4, Switch, etc. in which 33% of respondents are “most interested” in VR, but again, it asks respondents to check all that apply so it’s not mutually exclusive there either.
Generally, the survey is showing a slight decrease in overall confidence in the VR market as sustainable. Fewer developers are actively working on or planning to work on VR games. When asked whether or not respondents believe VR/AR is a long-term, sustainable business, roughly 75% have said “Yes” and 25% have said “No” in the past, but this year that split changed slightly. Now, roughly 71% say “Yes” and an increase to 29% say “No.” It’s a small change, but could be indicative of the market settling in and falling out of its initial hype cycle, as expected.
If you’d like to see the full report’s breakdown, you can access it by filling out this form right here.
