Games – A Brief History
The origins of video games can be traced back to World War II, creating the first electronic digital computers to aid in the military effort. As with almost everything else in human history, it didn’t take long for anyone to recognize their potential for amusement, and the first known video game was released in 1950. It was named Bertie the Brain, and it was a tic-tac-toe arcade game.
Since then, game production has progressed at a breakneck rate, largely thanks to some of the titan companies. These firms were responsible for some of the most well-known video games, which kept us hooked to our devices for hours and hours.
A Look at the Revenue of Gaming Industry
The increase in game users over the last year has wreaked havoc on the game industry. One apparent consequence of this shift is that the industry is raking in more billions of dollars. The year 2020 will be remembered as the year of the pandemic. All came to a screeching halt that year, and humankind faced dark times. Even though the raging pandemic devastated several companies in many sectors, the gaming industry was spared. 2020 epidemic fueled the game industry’s rise.
In 2019, the gaming business produced $120 billion in income. When 100 million people tuned in to watch players participate in the World Championship of League of Legends, a much bigger audience than the Super Bowl telecast, at that time, it was expected that 2.7 billion people or one-third of the world’s population would be gamers by 2021.
Another statistical report issued in 2019 stated that the video gaming industry is growing very fast with billions of dollars in profit and over 2.5 billion gamers around the globe and predicted the industry’s total revenue would reach over 300 billion dollars by the year 2025.
In earlier times, the industry used to make money by selling games, but in some recent years, the industry has seen a new trend, which is accessible online games such as Fortnite and Apex Legends. This gaming mode has proved to be the most revenue-generating game mode to date.
In 2020, Alltopeverything, a well-known website, published a list of the world’s top ten largest gaming companies. According to their analysis, the video gaming industry set records that year, selling more than 130 billion dollars in games and consoles.
Future of Gaming Industry
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told shareholders in early 2019 that he felt the company’s most formidable competitor. It wasn’t HBO, Disney, or Amazon that did it. It wasn’t either broadcast TV or movie theaters that were to blame. The video game Fortnite, in his opinion, posed the most significant challenge to Netflix’s continued supremacy in the entertainment industry.
Perks of Lockdown on Gaming Industry
The number of hours spent in front of screens rose dramatically due to Covid- 19 lockdown, inspiring millions to pursue new digital activities. More people are playing video games due to school and workplace closures, job layoffs, and canceled travel plans, and more are upgrading their gaming relationships from casual to dedicated.
According to Deloitte’s 2020 digital media trends report, a third of customers subscribed to a video game service used a cloud gaming service, viewed esports, or a virtual sporting event for the first time throughout the crisis.
Industry after Lockdown Ends?
Imagine! Will providers be able to keep players involved until people start venturing out into the open again?
Customer acquisition and interaction for video gaming services and experiences have increased due to the COVID-19 crisis. Still, retention can be a problem as students and employees return to school and work.
Touchpoints, rewards, and interactions meaningful to these new users can go a long way toward keeping them engaged. In this case, a deeper understanding of customers is an excellent place to start.
Top Gaming Companies
Companies that can continue to adapt to and shape players’ demands for immersive electronic entertainment will be well-positioned to have a long run in the industry. Let’s explore the top 10 such sectors in this article.
Enhance your knowledge garland and enjoy the exploration!!!
1. Sony Interactive Entertainment
Headquarters
Japan
About Company
Sony is perhaps the most important name in the realm of hardware. It just seemed well and good that in 1993 they chose to join the computer game market and made an auxiliary called Sony Computer Entertainment. The organization exists under the current name since 2016.
Over the most recent thirty years, they have given us probably the best games at any point made and consoles to play them on. With the arrival of the Sony PlayStation in 1994, they have re-imagined gaming reassures, prompting the beasts we have today. The organization came out with the fifth rendition of its well-known gaming console, the PlayStation 5, which has outperformed 6 million units in deals.
The power of these devices had made it possible to create games for them that were simply a world beyond everything we have seen in console gaming before.
Specialties
Game developing, Game Production, Computer Games, Game Design, Game Balance, Gaming console.
Production and Design
Sony PlayStation1 – 5, Spider-Man, and The Last of Us.
Revenue
The Japanese organization kept up its central spot with around 25 billion USD in income.
2. Activision Blizzard
Headquarters Location
Santa Monica, California, USA
About Company
Established in 2008, Activision Blizzard is a colossal organization that possesses a few other enormous game establishments, including Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, King, Major League Gaming, and Activision Blizzard Studios. These studios have made the absolute most seemingly perpetual and effective game establishments ever.
Activision Blizzard, led by CEO Bobby Kotick, has a strong track record of releasing games with a long shelf life and keeping loyal fans interested while attracting new players. Currently, the company is serving its services to 500 million monthly active users, in 196 countries of the world.
Specialties
Developing, distributing, publishing interactive entertainment for gaming consoles, mobile, tablets, and PCs, game developing for mobiles, Call of Duty Endowment, and Esports tournament organizer.
Production and Design
Call of Duty, Call of Duty: Mobile, Overwatch, Diablo, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Hearthstone, Candy Crush Saga.
Revenue
The California-based organization netted more than 8.1 billion USD in 2020.
3. Electronic Arts
Headquarters
Redwood City, California, USA
About Company
Founded in 1982 by an ex-Apple Computer employee, Electronic Arts began life as one of the early game developers for the blossoming personal computer industry, is now the U.S.’s second-largest video game company by revenue. All that changed over the following years, as they’ve now grown into one of the largest and most potent game companies in history, employing nearly 10,000 employees worldwide.
The company has been a constant presence on the market for almost four decades. This sort of life span says a lot of the nature of their games. They keep a heavy company in the world of esports.
Specialties
Developing, publishing, and digital distribution platform.
Production and Design
Battlefield, The Sims, Need for Speed, Star Wars, Dragon Age, Madden, FIFA series, EA Sports and EA Mobile, Dice, Respawn Entertainment, BioWare, Criterion Games.
Revenue
EA secured sixth place in the top ten video game companies globally with 5.5 billion USD in earnings.
4. Take-Two Interactive
Headquarters
New York City, New York, USA
About Company
Take-Two was founded in 1993 but was initially a publishing company. Later, they decided to start game development as well to become a major video game publisher. The company had its ups and downs, but it has weathered the storms and is currently in the third-largest gaming industry.
The company owns two popular labels, Rockstar Games and 2K, known for Grand Theft Auto and NBA 2K. Grand Theft Auto is the company’s biggest and most important property, and NBA 2K basketball series is a leader in the sports game category.
Specialties
Developing, publishing
Production and Design
BioShock, Borderlands, Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead, and NBA 2K
Revenue
The company grossed 3.1 billion USD last year.
5. Epic Games
Headquarters
Cary, North Carolina, USA
About Company
Tim Sweeney formed Epic in 1991, and he is still the company’s CEO decades later. Potomac Computer Systems was the previous name for Epic Games. From 1992 to 1999, the company was known in the market as Epic Mega Games, Inc. It develops video games, apps, and the Unreal engine.
Epic Games started as a PC and console game maker. However, they now have game studios worldwide and build and sell Unreal Engine, arguably the most successful game engine in the world. Unreal Engine, which powers games like Fortnite and PUBG Mobile, was created by this game developing company.
Fortnite launched in the market the year; the company earned around 4.2 billion USD in revenues, to which Fortnite: Save the World contributed majorly.
Specialties
Developing, publishing, game engine vendors, developing software, video games, Unreal Engine.
Production and Design
Fortnite, Fortnite Chapter2, BorderLands3, Gears of War, Infinity Blade, Unreal Engine, ZombieArmy.
Revenue
The Epic Games earn about $1 billion annually.
6. Riot Games
Established in 2006, Riot Games rose to popularity in the wake of dispatching League of Legends, one of the pioneers and early accomplishments in the ‘games as an assistance’ plan of action.
Today, Riot likewise works a few worldwide esports class rivalries saw by many fans every year. Mob appears to have attempted to make another hit game after League, yet they positively have the skill and the money assets to continue to try until they succeed.
7. Nintendo
Headquarters
Nintendo is a Japanese MNC settled in Kyoto, Japan.
About Company
Founded in 1889, over 100 years ago, Nintendo is probably the oldest and most famous game company. Quite possibly the most cherished game organizations around, Nintendo was at the bleeding edge of gaming apparently for eternity.
Initially started in the 19th century as a manufacturer of hanafuda, a Japanese version of playing cards, the company transitioned to electronics in 1969. Since then, they have created some of the most iconic video game titles in gaming history. As yet continuing forward, some of them are similar to Super Mario, regardless of the first game is made very nearly 40 years prior. Notwithstanding games, Nintendo was one of the pioneers of gaming consoles and still delivers a few, like Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Switch.
They may have started from just a simple card game, but today, of course, they’re an international juggernaut that’s equally famous for their beloved games as for their unique gaming consoles.
Specialties
Consumer electronics, video game developing, publishing.
Production and Design
Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Super Smash Bros.
Revenue
The organization acquired 12.1 billion USD in 2020 because of the Nintendo Switch comfort and their new game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
8. Tencent Holdings
Headquarters
Shenzen, China.
About Company
Tencent Holdings is a Chinese entertainment corporation that also happens to be the world’s most profitable video game business. The company’s multimedia capability, robust WeChat social network, and stakes in other gaming companies make it a particularly appealing technology and entertainment investment.
League of Legends, a hit game from Tencent, has been going strong since its release in 2009 and is a top draw in esports. The honor of Kings, a hugely successful mobile game, is also produced by the company.
Tencent holds significant stakes in video game publishers such as Epic Games, Supercell, Activision Blizzard, and Ubisoft and its internally developed and controlled titles.
The Shenzen-based combination is the world’s biggest computer game seller. The company made 13.9 billion USD in earnings thanks to Honor of Kings and PUBG Mobile.
Specialties
Multimedia develops, social networking, esports, game developing, game management, game building, video game vendor, game console for mobile, tablet, and PCs.
Production and Design
League of Legends, Honor of Kings, Supercell, PUBG Mobile (Battle Royal Game).
Revenue
The company overall grossed 5 billion USD in 2020, 36 percent of the total revenue. Tencent also owns majority stakes in Riot Games, Supercell, Epic Games.
9. Bungie
Headquarters
Bellevue, Washington, USA.
About Company
Bungie was founded in 1991 and quickly rose to prominence as a developer of 3D games for Macintosh computers. It is best known for the Marathon and Myth video game franchises. Bungie has evolved from its self-described “creepy one-bedroom apartment” beginnings to become deserving of a well-publicized Microsoft acquisition.
Microsoft bought the company in 2000 and used the mega-hit Halo: Combat Evolved to launch the Xbox console. Bungie left Microsoft in 2007, then split from a subsequent Activision relationship and returned to its independent roots in just a few years. It supports the PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam platforms.
Specialties
Developing, game building, publishing, video game creation
Production and Design
Halo, Destiny, Destiny 2, Desert Storm, Marathon.
Revenue
$1.2 Billion
10. Ubisoft
Headquarters
France, Europe.
About Company
Established in 1984, it was one of the first European gaming companies, usually hailed from either Japan or the United States. Since then, it has developed or published some of the most successful games in the industry’s history. The company was first founders by five brothers of the Guillemot family.
Today, the company has offices and development studios worldwide, from Los Angeles and Montreal to Morocco and Brazil.
Specialties
Game developing and publishing.
Production and Design
Far Cry, Tom Clancy’s franchise, Prince of Persia, and of course Assassin’s Creed are only a portion of the titles Ubisoft has delivered throughout the long term.
Revenue
They have established the French company as the fourth largest game company globally, ranked by revenue.