Inclusive, Competitive, and Lucrative: The Future Gamers Deserve — Part 2 of 4
For an industry that generates over $200 billion annually, it’s ironic how exclusive gaming remains. Publishers and hardware manufacturers continuously raise the barrier for entry, making it harder for many to access great gaming experiences.
It’s not just about having the latest console or PC; it’s also about the high cost of games, yearly releases, and a fragmented landscape that divides players.
The Price of Gaming: Hardware AND Software are to Blame
It’s easy to blame hardware for the exclusivity problem in gaming, and sure, owning a PlayStation 5 or high-end gaming PC will set you back several hundred dollars. But the games themselves are a bigger problem. The typical price tag for a new release is $70, which is more than most people spend on streaming services in an entire year. Worse, publishers like EA and Activision roll out annual releases for their flagship titles, forcing gamers to buy the latest version if they want to remain competitive. Miss out on the latest FIFA, and you can forget about playing with your friends or joining online leagues.
In fact, a 2023 survey found that 76% of gamers said they could not afford to keep up with new game releases, citing high costs as the primary reason.
This approach doesn’t just exclude a large portion of the gaming population, it fragments communities. Imagine buying FC24 only to be told a year later that your version is obsolete and you can no longer play with your friends who’ve upgraded. Publishers continue to profit off these annual releases, but at what cost to their communities?
Free Games: Inclusive, But with a Catch
Then, there’s the rise of free-to-play games. Titles like Warzone and Genshin Impact have opened the door to millions of gamers who don’t have the money to pay upfront for AAA games. At first glance, this looks like a solution to the cost problem. But when you dig deeper, these games are riddled with microtransactions.
Yes, you can play these games for free, but to stay competitive or customize your character, you’re often nudged — or straight-up pressured — into spending money on in-game purchases. In fact, 79% of gaming revenue in 2023 came from in-game purchases, not the games themselves. This creates a two-tiered system where players with money can buy their way to success, leaving free players in the dust. Is this really the inclusivity the gaming industry should be striving for?
Mobile Gaming: Powerful but Limiting
Mobile gaming has arguably brought more inclusivity to the gaming landscape than any other platform. With 2.7 billion gamers worldwide, mobile accounts for almost half of the global gaming population. Modern smartphones are powerful enough to run AAA-like experiences such as Genshin Impact and Call of Duty Mobile, making gaming accessible to nearly everyone with a smartphone.
However, despite these capabilities, mobile games are often restricted to their platform. Mobile versions of popular games like FIFA, PUBG, and Call of Duty aren’t compatible with their console and PC counterparts. This exclusivity means mobile gamers can’t compete against players on different platforms. On one side, gamers aren’t ready to sacrifice depth of gameplay for mobile versions. On the other side, mobile gamers are excluded from playing with friends on more powerful hardware.
The Fortnite Model: The True Face of Gaming Inclusivity
If there’s one game that has truly nailed inclusivity, it’s Fortnite. It’s free to play, available on every major platform, and supports cross-play. You can start a game on your phone, switch to your console, and finish on your PC — all while playing with friends on different devices. It’s the ultimate model of what inclusive gaming could look like.
What makes Fortnite special isn’t just its gameplay — it’s the way it treats its players. Despite being free to play, microtransactions in Fortnite are cosmetic only, meaning no one can pay to gain a competitive edge. This levels the playing field and ensures that everyone, regardless of how much money they spend, has the same opportunity to win. Fortnite’s $5.8 billion revenue in 2021 shows that profitability and inclusivity aren’t mutually exclusive.
Cloud Gaming: The Path to True Inclusivity
If Fortnite is the blueprint for inclusive gaming, then cloud gaming is the future. Cloud gaming takes the Fortnite model and applies it to every game and every platform. Imagine being able to play any game on any device — whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or old laptop — without worrying about hardware specifications. This is the promise of cloud gaming, and companies like Arium are building this future.
But why aren’t we there yet? The technology still faces significant hurdles, like latency, bandwidth, and the need for a stable internet connection. These challenges are real but solvable. Google Stadia’s failure didn’t signal the end of cloud gaming; it simply showed that we’re not quite ready yet. But services like NVIDIA GeForce Now and Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming are proving that cloud gaming is improving, and fast.
The potential for cloud gaming goes beyond technical benefits — it has the power to break down the financial barriers that the industry has put up for decades. With cloud gaming, a game can be developed once and work on every platform. This eliminates the need for yearly editions and costly hardware upgrades. Imagine paying for a service that gives you access to the latest games across all your devices, much like how streaming services have revolutionized TV and film consumption.
Why Are Sony and Microsoft Pushing Cloud Gaming?
Take a closer look at the big players — Sony and Microsoft — who have both added cloud gaming to their subscription models. Why? Because they know that the future isn’t about console wars — it’s about service wars. They’ve realized that by offering gaming as a service, they can hook users into a monthly ecosystem and retain them for years, rather than relying on sporadic game sales.
Game Pass, for example, generated $3 billion in revenue in 2021. Subscriptions like these create long-term value for companies, but they also have the potential to create a more inclusive gaming landscape. For a flat monthly fee, players can access hundreds of games without ever having to buy new hardware or software. This is where real inclusivity starts, and platforms like Arium are positioned to offer gamers seamless access without compromising gameplay.
A Challenge to the Industry: Rethink Your Approach
The gaming industry needs a wake-up call. If companies are serious about expanding their player bases and making gaming accessible to everyone, they must start by breaking down the barriers they’ve helped put up. Relying on microtransactions in free games or annual paid releases is unsustainable and exclusionary. Arium’s vision is built on addressing these issues by merging cloud technology with a seamless, cross-device gaming experience, where players can earn while enjoying gameplay.
Publishers need to adopt models that prioritize community and accessibility over short-term profits. This means embracing cloud gaming to allow anyone with an internet connection to play, offering games that support cross-play, and reducing reliance on annual game releases that isolate a portion of the player base.
The future of gaming is inclusive, but only if the industry is willing to break from the status quo.
🔻Please visit us on Medium, YouTube, and https://arium.gg
