Team coherence is back from the Develop conference in Brighton, UK. There's no doubt the games industry continues to face significant challenges, but when meeting people face to face, it's clear there’s still plenty of passion and dedication.
Developers continue to bring great ideas for incredible games, and they're working hard to turn these ideas into reality.
If you missed us at the show and want to discuss your multiplayer project, just reach out and we’ll find a time to chat.
Here are some key trends we noticed while at Develop Brighton:
The games industry (and the coherence team) has noticed a consistent trend at many conferences over the past 2-3 years: generally smaller, quieter shows, but still plenty of developers and some great sessions. Smaller studios, indies, and students had strong attendance, but there was noticeably less presence from larger developers and publishers.
Despite AI being a hot topic, many teams we spoke with are still figuring out how to use it safely, effectively, and affordably. Even putting aside ethical issues, developers are grappling with balancing AI-generated output quality against cost and risk. With ongoing legal uncertainty, many question whether adopting AI tools is even worth the immediate investment.
The industry continues to experience significant layoffs, a trend that has persisted for several years. While the largest studios’ staff reductions receive the most attention, many medium-sized and smaller studios have also downsized significantly. Hiring has slowed dramatically, pushing more studios toward contract, temporary, or part-time work, especially for specialists not needed throughout the entire development cycle.
Increasingly, co-development is becoming the standard. At coherence, we’ve seen more studios approaching us to handle multiplayer development. This way, they access highly skilled, specialized developers without the high cost of in-house expertise.
With a surge in indie and small studios emerging after recent layoffs, plus general scarcity of investment, the competition for funding has intensified. The current economic climate isn’t helping, and developers face significant hurdles securing funding compared to just a few years ago. Innovative (or "new and different") ideas face an even tougher challenge since they represent higher investment risks.
The emergence of smaller teams combined with cautious funding environments means studios have largely stopped chasing fleeting trends, since they can be less likely to get funded. Instead, there's an increased emphasis on crafting unique, high-quality experiences that truly stand out. This shift toward quality and originality feels particularly pronounced right now. Studios must be hyper-efficient with their resources and push harder than ever to differentiate their games, yet even then, success isn’t guaranteed.
Despite these challenges, many developers still manage to create excellent games, though they’re navigating a different route to success.
At coherence, we believe the industry will weather these tough times and evolve positively. Smaller studios, driven by genuine creativity and innovation, will continue to thrive and shape the future of gaming.
If you’d like to talk about your multiplayer project, please reach out.
We’re here to help.
-Team coherence
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