2010-2014
The freedom to play
(and create) any game

After years in the hand of a few giant publishers, the new decade brought in a widespread democratization of the gaming industry.

Digital distribution bloomed, with Steam dominating the market. With its Greenlight system introduced in 2012 it became possible for any developer to (try to) get their game on the platform. Introduced in 2013, the Early Access service also allowed developers to sell still-unfinished games, thus gathering the necessary funds to complete the project.

Crowd-funding also empowered many developers to pursue their dreams, with Kickstarter alone reporting over 10,000 game projects successfully funded. Game engines and console development kits started to get cheaper as well – or were even offered for free.

The rise of mobile gaming and indies also changed the way people thought about game pricing & buying games. While $60 AAA releases are still popular, it become common to have $5-10 low-budget indies or $20 mid-sized games. This may seem like common sense now, but it was a long process – as recently as 2009 Runic's decision to sell Torchlight at $20 was still seen as a bold pricing strategy.

The result is that a charming 2D indie can be as profitable as an expensive cutting-edge 3D game. The massive monetary entry barrier that surrounded the industry for years had now fallen.

Foreign markets also grew closer. The first Dark Souls was only ported to PCs in 2012 thanks to a overwhelming public petition, but it quickly became common to see games from major Japanese studios on Steam, as well as indie titles such as Recettear and One Way Heroics, courtesy of several new localization companies.

This eventually led to what some call the “indie bubble” or the “opening of the floodgates”, as more and more games are released each year, making it harder for titles to get noticed. As a result, many developers release a game, fail to profit and end up closing down soon after. Players also had issues with some developers pitching their games under Kickstarter or Early Access but failing to actually finish them, leaving behind a graveyard of abandoned projects.

Still, it's a much welcome change compared to the drought of the mid-2000s, as the amount of choice players have is unrivaled.

Games now come from one-man indies, middle-sized studios and big AAA studios. From the US & Europe, but also from Japan, China, South America and Africa. From expert programmers and from those with an idea in their head and a free engine in their PCs. From nostalgia driven-projects and from those seeking to expand the boundaries.

Truly, what a time to be gaming.