GDC-2019年游戏行业调查（英文）-2019.2-24页_2mb

2019 State of the Game Industry Summary

Core Content Overview

The 2019 State of the Industry Survey, conducted by GDC, gathered insights from nearly 4,000 game developers, highlighting key trends in labor conditions, platform preferences, monetization models, and the potential for unionization in the game industry.

Labor Conditions

• Work Hours: Nearly half (44%) of game makers work over 40 hours per week, with 3% averaging over 60 hours.
• Overtime Reasons:
  • Self-pressure was the most common reason (69%).
  • Not considering hours excessive (59%).
  • Management pressure (26%).
• Unionization:
  • 47% believe game industry workers should unionize.
  • 21% think workers will actually unionize.
  • Concerns about poor working conditions and excessive hours were cited as key reasons for supporting unionization.

Platform Trends

• PC Dominance: PC remains the most popular platform for both past and current game development, with 56% of developers releasing their last game on PC and 66% currently working on PC games.
• Mobile Growth: Android is the preferred mobile platform, with 53% of developers targeting it, compared to 50% for iOS.
• Console Interest:
  • Nintendo Switch saw increased interest, with 45% of developers expressing interest in it.
  • PC's lead is growing, with over half of respondents having released a PC game.
  • Switch sales performed better than average for 24% of developers who released games on the platform.
• AR/VR Development:
  • HTC Vive remains the most popular AR/VR platform, with 33% of developers currently working on it.
  • 34% of developers believe AR will be the dominant immersive reality technology in five years.
  • Few developers are working on unannounced platforms, with only 2% developing exclusively for them.

Monetization Models

• Pay to Download is the most common business model (50%), followed by Free to Download (41%).
• Paid DLC/Updates and Paid In-Game Items are also popular, with 24% each.
• Loot Boxes are not widely used, with only 9% of developers planning to include them in their next game.

Distribution Channels

• Steam is the most common platform for selling games, with 47% of developers using it.
• Direct sales (26%) and Itch (18%) are also used.
• Steam's 30% cut is widely seen as too high, with 32% of developers saying it does not justify the cut, and 27% saying it probably doesn't.

Industry Demographics

• Region Distribution:
  • North America (59%) and Europe (25%) remain the dominant regions.
• Gender Representation:
  • 77% identify as male, 19% as female, with 2% identifying as other or declining to answer.
• Developer Experience:
  • 33% have been making games for 3-6 years.
  • Over 70% have been involved in game development for less than a decade.
  • 7% have been making games for over 20 years.

Company Size and Funding

• Company Size:
  • Myself only (19%) and Over 500 employees (19%) are the most common company sizes.
  • 46% of developers reported their team size increased in 2018.
• Funding Sources:
  • 51% rely on company funds, 33% on personal funds.
  • Only 3% use pre-release alpha sales (e.g., Steam Early Access) for funding.
  • Crowdfunding interest is low, with 47% showing no interest and 6% using it as a funding source.

Summary of Key Findings

• The game industry continues to face challenges with long working hours, unionization, and monetization models.
• Steam is still the dominant platform for PC game distribution, but developers are increasingly concerned about its 30% cut.
• PC and mobile dominate the development landscape, with PC's lead growing.
• Nintendo Switch is gaining traction among developers, though it's still a smaller share compared to PC.
• AR/VR remains a niche area, with HTC Vive leading in both current and future development.
• Loot boxes and crowdfunding are not widely adopted, suggesting a cautious approach to monetization and funding.