ReportBoston Consulting Group
Video Gaming Report: How Platforms Are Colliding and Why This Will Spark the Next Era of Growth
1 Jan 202526 pages~36 min full read
Cloud gaming revenue is projected to scale from $1.4 billion in 2025 to $18.3 billion by 2030, marking a transition toward hardware-agnostic play.
The creator economy is expanding rapidly, with payouts to creators on platforms like Roblox and Fortnite projected to exceed $1.5 billion in 2025.
Generative AI is currently used by 50% of studios to enhance development efficiency, with 20% of new Steam games expected to disclose AI usage by mid-2025.
Direct-to-consumer distribution is gaining traction, as 33% of adult gamers have already purchased titles via developer web stores to circumvent traditional platform fees.
Industry success now requires shifting from console-centric competition to ecosystem-based strategies that utilize tiered pricing and windowing to manage content value.
The video gaming industry is transitioning into a new era of growth following a post-pandemic stabilization period. While the sector is unlikely to replicate the rapid doubling of the 2010s, a convergence of technological and structural shifts is expected to revitalize the market. This evolution is driven by four primary strategic trends: the integration of Generative AI, the expansion of the user-generated content (UGC) creator economy, the mainstream adoption of cloud gaming, and the regulatory opening of mobile app stores.
Key findings indicate that Generative AI is already being utilized by approximately 50% of studios to improve development efficiency and create adaptive gameplay, with 20% of new Steam games disclosing AI use by mid-2025. Simultaneously, the creator economy is surging; payouts from platforms like Roblox and Fortnite are projected to exceed $1.5 billion in 2025. Cloud gaming is also positioned for a massive scale-up, with revenues forecasted to grow from $1.4 billion in 2025 to $18.3 billion by 2030. This shift toward hardware-agnostic play is mirrored in distribution, where 33% of adult gamers have already purchased titles directly from developer web stores to bypass traditional platform fees.
The scope of this analysis is global, with a particular focus on major markets including the US, China, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. It covers the industry from late 2025 through projections for 2030, spanning mobile, console, and PC segments. Data is derived from the Global Gaming Survey of approximately 3,000 gamers, metadata analysis of the Steam platform, and interviews with industry leaders and developers.
The industry concludes that success in this new landscape requires a departure from traditional "console war" mentalities in favor of ecosystem-based strategies. Developers must master new monetization models, such as tiered pricing and windowing, to protect the value of premium content while navigating a market increasingly defined by infinite digital shelf space and algorithmic discovery.
