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Unity NYSE U is the world’s most popular platform for creating and growing 3D RT3D content. Today, Unity Gaming Report 2023 was released. It revealed that, despite shifting economic headwinds in 2022, creativity and innovation in gaming continued to be strong. This report provides actionable, fresh insights into the state of game development that will help studios of any size navigate the challenges of making games. This data was pulled from Unity’s real-time platform and Unity Gaming Services. It includes solutions that cover mobile, console, and PC gaming. It gives a unique look at the various parts of the gaming industry. This year’s report includes advice and insights from respected studios such as Zynga, the top entertainment publisher behind some of the most popular mobile games in the world, Second Dinner, an award-winning developer behind MARVEL SNAP and Ramen VR, creators of Zenith: The Last City, a highly acclaimed MMO VR title.
The Unity Gaming Report 2023 reveals that, while 2022 brought economic change and challenges to the industry, developers and the entire industry showed resilience and strength. The developers focused on optimizing, efficiencies and post-launch efforts. Smaller studios were able to ship games in less than twelve months, and with fewer hours. Different studio sizes were strategic in their platform investments. The large studios saw year-over-year growth in cross-platform and multiplatform development while 90% of smaller studios opted to focus on one platform. Studio owners of all sizes were consistent in prioritizing support after launch. Developers doubled down on the extension of their games’ lifespan by 33% to keep their existing players for longer. The Unity Gaming Report 2023 predicts generative AI will become more involved in game development to increase productivity and reduce time and costs.
Marc Whitten, SVP & GM of Unity Create, said, “It’s inspiring witness the passion and ingenuity of our developer community as they continue making incredible games in a difficult macroeconomic environment.” Unity is committed to providing a rich and best-in class platform that supports them in every step of their journey, from the creation of their game to scaling with their users to growing their business.
The Unity Gaming Report 2023 includes the following key findings:
Smaller studios can ship games faster and work less hours. 62% of them shipped their games within a year. Studio owners who are smaller worked 1.2% less hours per week (equivalent to five years of total work hours).
Different sizes of studios are strategizing about which platforms they will release their games on. Nearly 90% of small ones are only releasing on one platform. Large studios, however, have increased the number multiplatform games by 16% in 2022 compared to 2021. 88% of large studios invest crossplatform.
Developers are increasing their efforts to extend the life expectancy of existing mobile games and retain players. The average lifespan of mobile games has increased by 33% in the past year. Studios employing more than 50 people have 84% more games that are updated every six months.
