Were my 2021 gaming predictions correct?
This special edition story about whether I was right or wrong, boiled down, in 5:13 minutes.
Last year, I made 5 predictions on what would happen to the gaming industry in 2021. With the year wrapping up in a few days, it's time to revisit those predictions to determine whether my crystal ball is authentic or really just a plastic sphere.
5. Will CD Projekt Red be redeemed?
The situation
The 2020 release of the futuristic action-RPG Cyberpunk 2077 was supposed to revolutionize gaming.
- Given the developer's track record, many were confident that Cyberpunk 2077 would live up to the hype - which it ultimately didn't.
- The numerous issues with the game, such as less-than-promised features and game-breaking bugs, lost CD Projekt Red an extraordinary amount of goodwill built up by fans.
My opinion from 2020
The studio will fix a majority of the bugs and make the necessary improvements to the game to make it run better, but nothing they will do will skyrocket the quality of the game to the heights that were touted pre-release.
Was I right?
Yes.
- A number of major post-release patches have been implemented to make the game stable and run much smoother, especially on older hardware.
- Given the delay in new game content to 2022, Cyberpunk 2077 still largely remains a disappointment to many - but there's always next year.
4. Will a Nintendo Switch Pro be released?
The situation
The original Nintendo Switch was released in 2017 to much acclaim, so much so that it is still largely sold out to this day.
- Nintendo made minor hardware improvements via an upgraded battery in mid-2019 and released the Nintendo Switch Lite (handheld only version) not long after.
- At the time of my prediction, rumours swirled that Nintendo would release a new model (i.e. a Nintendo Switch "Pro") that would feature upgraded hardware to make the system more powerful.
My opinion from 2020
An upgraded Nintendo Switch model would be released in the 2021 holiday season instead of early 2021 as predicted by analysts at the time.
Was I right?
Yes (kind of).
- A new Nintendo Switch model did in fact release on Oct. 8, 2021 - relatively before the holiday season.
- However, this model did not feature more powerful hardware, only being equipped with a better screen and other minor upgrades.
3. Will game streaming services gain momentum or become a fad?
The situation
Game streaming / cloud gaming is like Netflix for video games — allowing gamers to stream games directly to a device remotely from a server.
- The prospect sounds amazing, but without a strong Internet connection the experience is subpar and very heavy on data usage.
- At the time of my prediction, the cloud gaming scene was going through a relative period of slow growth.
My opinion from 2020
The cost of entry for the non-optimal experience you get in return prompted the belief that 2021 would remain a slow growth period for cloud gaming, but noted that Microsoft could prove me wrong.
What I right?
No, Microsoft proved me wrong.
- Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox's/Microsoft's could gaming service, really hit its stride this year when it released for Windows PC and consoles this year alongside mobile phones.
- 100 games+ can be played optionally with touch controls (in addition to a controller) and is widely accessible as the service comes free with Xbox Game Pass, although user numbers have yet to be released.
2. Will inclusivity and diversity improve?
The situation
2020 was certainly a year where we saw a push for inclusion in the gaming industry.
- On-screen, we saw a diverse cast of main characters in numerous AAA titles such as a Afro-Latin American superhero in Insomniac’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and a lesbian post-apocalyptic survivor in Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II.
- Off-screen, large industry players established their own pledges to enhance diversity in the workforce which is currently Caucasian-male dominated.
My opinion from 2020
2021 would be a year that we see more diversity in development, given that it's in everyone's best interests to include as many people as we can in the gaming community.
What I right?
No, sadly.
- Many major incidents came to light this year which clearly insinuated that the video game development industry is still hostile towards diverse groups - especially women.
- Although large industry players did make pledges to improve inclusion in the years to come, many employees of these companies have come forward to state that very little has been done to uphold them.
1. How will the "console wars" pan out?
The situation
PlayStation and Xbox have always been referred to as rivals by gaming media, seemingly battling it out every console generation to garner the most sales.
- Historically, PlayStation consoles have outsold Xbox consoles mainly thanks to PlayStation's fantastic line of exclusive games.
- Thanks to pervasive supply chain issues, millions of gamers could not get their hands on either the new PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.
My opinion from 2020
The PlayStation 5 will outpace sales of the new Xbox consoles handsomely this year.
What I right?
Yes (kind of).
- Although both consoles are still sold out thanks to scalpers, it has been suggested that PlayStation 5 is outselling the new Xbox consoles by almost 2-to-1.
- However, this metric is not all good for PlayStation - since scalpers held an impressive amount of units, Sony actually lost money on each of them since early consoles sales were sold at a loss.
- Microsoft doesn't care since their Xbox ecosystem includes PCs and other hardware via Xbox Cloud Gaming, which evens the playing field.
Want more? Check out my predictions for 2022!
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