Current Trends in Video Games

By Juan Gonzalo Angel Restrepo

Introduction

A longtime cable television executive and entrepreneur in Central and South America, Juan Gonzalo Angel Restrepo is well positioned to consider the direction of the industry. Juan Gonzalo Angel Restrepo stays current with electronic media developments, including the ongoing popularity of video games, which he also enjoys recreationally.

Observers at a recent video game convention noted several trends in the field. The first change has to do with the scope of the games. Developers are taking advantage of powerful machines like the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One to create much larger and more detailed environments.

Trends

For example, Creed: Unity's Parisian streets have crowds numbering in the hundreds.

Furthermore, virtual reality (VR) is becoming more prevalent; 2013's Oculus now has competition in Sony’s Project Morpheus. And more VR games are emerging, such as Alien: Isolation and EVE: Valkyrie.

Beyond these shifts, more video games feature related toys. Nintendo is releasing figurines of Mario, Pikachu, and Donkey Kong, while Disney Infinity has licensed Marvel superhero action figures.

Conclusion

Finally, social gaming remains popular, enhanced by games that feature cooperative play, including Assassin’s Creed and a driving game called The Crew.