Every year, we turn to a panel of trusted analysts to ask them what they see coming down the road, and ask them to assess their predictions from the previous year.
This year we've got all of last year's participants returning: Niko Partners' Lisa Cosmas Hanson, Midia Research's Rhys Elliott, Kantan Games' Dr. Serkan Toto, Ampere Analysis' Piers Harding-Rolls and Newzoo's Emmanuel (Manu) Rosier .
As always, thanks to all our panelists for taking part in this tradition.
Nintendo Switch 2 will take center stage
Incorrect. The Nintendo Switch 2 has been prominent in rumor discussions rather than taking center stage officially.
End of the live service domination and market saturation
Partially correct. While older live service titles continue to dominate, newer entries in the space have seen mixed success, with some achieving short-lived popularity and others failing to gain traction. The industry is not fully transitioning back to premium games, but there is growing acknowledgment that the sheer volume of live service offerings exceeds players' available time. Many players appreciate taking breaks from their 'lifestyle' games to enjoy more finite, complete gaming experiences.
Nostalgia takes a key role in live service titles
Spot on. As major live service games reach new lifecycle milestones, there's a rising interest in revisiting the origins of these games, with players embracing 'vanilla' versions of their favourites. This mirrors the trend in single-player games with remasters and remakes driven by nostalgia.
Xbox's strategic move into mobile
Partially correct. Microsoft is ready to launch the Xbox app on Android but cannot until an antitrust ruling in the United States comes into force.
"Without groundbreaking innovations, consumers may see little reason to upgrade to Nintendo Switch 2"
The onslaught of open-world Souls-like games
Incorrect. While expansions like Shadow of the Erdtree for Elden Ring and releases like Black Myth: Wukong have been successful, these do
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Serkan Toto
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