Switch 2, A New Persona, GTA 6’s Reveal: As the pandemic continued to impact game development, 2022 was an unusual year for the gaming industry, marked by widespread consolidation and numerous delays.
Starfield, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Final Fantasy XVI, and a slew of other AAA titles are all set for release in 2023. What else can we expect from this year? To answer this question, we polled the GameSpot team about our predictions for the coming year.
Is Nintendo planning to announce a new hybrid console to replace the Switch, or is this just another update to the already-popular Switch? Would the leak of Grand Theft Auto 6 last year affect the game’s chance of a proper announcement this year?
What does the growing popularity of generative AI mean for the future of video games? What changes will be made to the strategies of PlayStation and Xbox in the coming year? Below, we ponder these and other possibilities. In the comments, please share your predictions for the year 2023.
The next generation of Nintendo’s Switch system will be unveiled soon
Even in Nintendo-published games like Bayonetta 3 and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the Nintendo Switch is starting to show its age as its sixth birthday approaches.
It has been speculated for some time that Nintendo will announce a “Switch Pro” system in 2023, presumably as a stopgap until the release of a true successor, but I find it highly unlikely that this will occur.
Instead, we may see the announcement of a true successor to the Nintendo Switch before the end of the year. Nintendo’s hybrid Switch design is brilliant, and I can’t imagine the company abandoning it.
When Nintendo has already sold over 100 million Switch systems, it would be foolish to further divide the user base by releasing different models like it did (to some extent) with the New 3DS line. Put out a follow-up system that Switches owners will want to purchase right away.
In my opinion, it won’t look too different from the previous iteration, but it will have significantly improved internals to compete with the latest consoles. It’s true that making a system so similar to its predecessor isn’t in Nintendo’s usual design ethos, but the Switch is unique.
Generative AI is the next game development trend
Blockchain and NFTs can step aside; new technology has arrived and I expect it to be just as exploitative as the old ones.
Software like Jasper and mobile apps like Lensa propelled generative AI into the mainstream in 2022, enabling amateurs to produce high-quality works of art (give or take some limbs) at lightning speed and with little to no training.
Despite the apparent fun and safety of using such software, the moral implications of creating artificial intelligence are unclear.
These services frequently employ Stable Diffusion, a process whereby preexisting works of art are fed into a database and combined to form something new when a user enters a written description.
In most cases, the artists whose works are being used did not give their permission for this process, which makes it sound suspiciously like art theft. And this is before you even consider the possibility of making money off of those cute little generated selfies you see floating around on Twitter.
Okay, but what does this have to do with the video game business? Video game development requires more resources (time, people, and money) to accommodate ever-increasing game sizes.
Even though generation is already utilized in many games, it is not implausible to assume that developers will seek out even more advanced forms of automation in an effort to save time in light of what we know about the games industry and, well, capitalism.
It’s likely that this shortcut is generative AI. If studios start using this method, it could have devastating effects on everyone involved in the entertainment industry, not just the artists whose works are being twisted into Frankenstein’s Monster.
Let’s not even get into the potential legal issues; it would be a major setback for creativity, originality, and humanity in gaming. While AI generation could have some beneficial applications, there are also many reasons to be wary of it.
We surveyed GameSpot’s staff to see what we expect for the next 12 months. https://t.co/72ipqa4Wqv
— GameSpot (@GameSpot) January 9, 2023
The return of Halo: Infinite
I think Halo is the best video game series ever made. I have fond memories of playing Halo Infinite, which was released in November 2021, and I still enjoy the game now. However, the novelty gradually faded. The game’s live-service promise was never realized.
This is something that Microsoft themselves has acknowledged. Xbox boss Matty Booty compared the Halo Infinite release to a runner who stumbles just before the finish line. Ouch! The soldier known as Master Chief has shown a knack for turning the tables in the face of adversity previously, and I’m willing to bet that he and Halo Infinite are set for another comeback in the year 2023.
In 2023, I expect developer 343 Industries to get back on track with Halo Infinite by adding a steady stream of new material and in-game activities, including some massive new maps and modes, and even more weaponry.
With Season 3: Echoes Within premiering in March, I’m hopeful (maybe naively) that 2023 will get off to a great start with the content it provides.
Microsoft has stated that Halo Infinite will serve as the series’ backbone for the following decade; if this remains the case, then even a year of substandard output may be forgotten in the final Halo Infinite narrative. Believe!
Please keep visiting Techballad.com for updates. Keep our site bookmarked so you can quickly return to check for new content. Like GTA 6 New Trailer