What to Expect in Gaming in 2009

Wired offers a nice video summary of their predictions for 2009 in the world of gaming. Wired Senior Editor Chris Baker and Game|Life Editor Chris Kohler give their two cents on what they think the gaming trends in 2009 will look like, and where they might lead. Some of their insights:

* The growing crisis of big budget gaming: titles requiring hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce and market are increasingly becoming banes not worth their cost/risk. The sour economic times are affecting the gaming industry as much as every other, with more second-tier publishers and developers closing shop, outsourcing, and scaling back.

* On the bright side: the hole left by higher budget companies leaving the fray is being filled by new, innovative indie game developers. The gaming landscape, as Chris Baker explains, is splintering – much like the video entertainment market – with niche and high-production games growing in variety and accessibility. 2009 will see more game developers gaining recognition for true labors of love rather than ante-raising moneymakers.

* Game publishers will continue finding new ways to incentivize gamers to spend their money on first-buy, new games, rather than going to Gamestop or other second-hand stores to trade and replay. Download-to-hard drive games and first-time use promotions are already being employed to encourage consumers to purchase games new. Baker and Kohler see publishers pushing forward with plans like these in the upcoming year – especially as consumers grow more money-conscious/conscientious.

[via Wired]