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[ScepticMatt]

2014 forecast (Edit: $20B 2012)

DFC has now raised its internal forecast for the global PC gaming market this year from $22 billion to $25 billion. DFC analyst Jeremy Miller said that "core gamers seem to be willing to spend more money than ever." While Asia remains a big contributor to the market, interestingly DFC found that core PC gameplay in the West increased in 2013 versus 2012.

Top games 2013

The top titles of 2012 continued to do well in 2013 and new titles like Battlefield 4 and Total War: Rome II had solid performances." League of Legends remained the number one PC title in 2013, followed by Dota 2, which actually had the most growth in 2013. DFC said that new versions of popular sports titles like FIFA 2014 also did very well.

On payment systems:

The big surprise is that an upfront payment business model still seems to do very well. Dota 2 charged a $30 beta fee before going free-to-play and a great deal of people took advantage of that. So really we see a hybrid business model working where you can call it F2P but still charge upfront

Rise of MOBA, decline of MMO

The MOBA genre is "far and away the largest because of those two games" whereas MMOGs are on the decline and first-person shooter games actually surpassed them on the PC in 2013.

Source: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...-market-to-exceed-USD25-billion-this-year-dfc
The full DFC Intelligence brief will be released on February 11.

(lock if old)

 

[Dolor]

This definitely describes me:

"core gamers seem to be willing to spend more money than ever."

EDIT: Retracted.

 

[Qassim]

*RETRACTED*

Don't start this. Especially like that. :/

Edit: Ugh - ninja edited!

 

[demidar]

Dota 2 is the hardest carry.

 

[bluecapsule]

Mobas are such a tricky format to get into. I think just about everybody who tries to enter the field will fail. LoL and Dota2 are both so good, and the learning curve is so insanely high, that its hard to imagine any new moba game that can steal players from the big 2.

 

[Azih]

EVERYBODY MAKE A MOBA.

Will Sega make a Shenmue MOBA?

 

[Dahaka]

Ewwww Mobas.

This PC thing needs more oldschool Quake and UT popularity

Spoiler

yeah I know, will probably never happen again

 

[Marauder Shields]

Am interested to see how Blizzard's new MOBA goes. I like that they're going for a totally new format, as just making a game like Dota/LoL would be pointless imo.

 

[Syf]

Mobas are such a tricky format to get into. I think just about everybody who tries to enter the field will fail. LoL and Dota2 are both so good, and the learning curve is so insanely high, that its hard to imagine any new moba game that can steal players from the big 2.

There's plenty of room for growth. Don't they still only use one map and primary game type?

 

[-COOLIO-]

Mobas are such a tricky format to get into. I think just about everybody who tries to enter the field will fail. LoL and Dota2 are both so good, and the learning curve is so insanely high, that its hard to imagine any new moba game that can steal players from the big 2.

mobas have a ton of room for improvement.

for one, the genre name. i mean moba? really? every game is a competitive game is a 'moba'.

 

[Orayn]

PC gaming, dying all the way to the bank.

Mobas are such a tricky format to get into. I think just about everybody who tries to enter the field will fail. LoL and Dota2 are both so good, and the learning curve is so insanely high, that its hard to imagine any new moba game that can steal players from the big 2.

I respect and like the genre, but it's still utterly baffling how popular it's managed to become in spite of the general difficulty and obtuseness. Even LoL is the polar opposite of WoW in that regard.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

Am interested to see how Blizzard's new MOBA goes. I like that they're going for a totally new format, as just making a game like Dota/LoL would be pointless imo.

Yeah, I don't think anyone is going to make money just doing what LoL and Dota are doing. They need more formats/maps just to be different. Pretty much all the Moba's I have seen besides those 2 have been rather boring copies too. Blizzard at least has name recognition and new map types

 

[Dance Inferno]

Remember back in the day when WoW was the most popular game on the planet and everyone was trying to make MMOs and now the MMO has more or less died? I foresee that happening somewhere down the line with MOBAs.

 

[lightning2k3]

There's plenty of room for growth. Don't they still only use one map and primary game type?

Thats like saying doesn't basketball only use one map(court)?

 

[Hellraider]

Remember back in the day when WoW was the most popular game on the planet and everyone was trying to make MMOs and now the MMO has more or less died? I foresee that happening somewhere down the line with MOBAs.

Foresee? Everyone and his dog is already making a MOBA game!

 

[Zafir]

No surprise. MMO's just take far too much time, effort and money to make, and even then it ends up just can't really compete in the sense that people get through the content quicker than they can make it.

 

[Orayn]

mobas have a ton of room for improvement.

for one, the genre name. i mean moba? really? every game is a competitive game is a 'moba'.

Genres use the names that stick, regardless of how accurate/descriptive they are. It's pretty much impossible to change at this point and not really worth arguing over.

 

[Freedom = $1.05]

mobas have a ton of room for improvement.

for one, the genre name. i mean moba? really? every game is a competitive game is a 'moba'.

To be fair, call of duty is extremely popular and its main mode is Team Deathmatch, which is a real stupid name if you think about it for a moment.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Good games are good.

 

[Syf]

Thats like saying doesn't basketball only use one map(court)?

There's other reasons why stuff in real life has to be standardized. But plenty of competitive multiplayer games offer more than one map. In fact most of them do. It would be a positive thing. It's why I'm interested in what Blizzard is doing with Heroes of the Storm despite growing bored of Dota 2 months ago.

 

[deoee]

mobas have a ton of room for improvement.

for one, the genre name. i mean moba? really? every game is a competitive game is a 'moba'.

Don't forget that many DotA2 players, who see themself as the masterrace of players, don't call it a MOBA but an ARTS.

Just because they are better *g*

 

[Nokterian]

I have spend a lot of money on dota 2 for customization stuff. And i don't feel bad about since the community is making fantastic stuff like couriers,huds,annoucers etc. To me the community is providing excellent quality hero sets. Hell even i can sell it on the community market to make a some of my own money. All ready did it once with a rare sword witch gave me 40 euro's for it.

 

[bluecapsule]

mobas have a ton of room for improvement.

for one, the genre name. i mean moba? really? every game is a competitive game is a 'moba'.

That's like saying every videogame is an RPG because you always play a role. Its just the way the genre is named.

 

[Dance Inferno]

Foresee? Everyone and his dog is already making a MOBA game!

I meant that the genre will become less and less popular and eventually another genre will rise up to take its place. Not that everyone is making MOBAs - I already know that.

 

[bluecapsule]

Ewwww Mobas.

This PC thing needs more oldschool Quake and UT popularity

Spoiler

yeah I know, will probably never happen again

Strike Vector looks awesome, and kinda has that feel.

 

[Zafir]

I meant that the genre will become less and less popular and eventually another genre will rise up to take its place. Not that everyone is making MOBAs - I already know that.

It's like any fad though.

Can't see MOBA's fall being quite as "catastrophic" though. If only because they're just far cheaper to make.

 

[Einbroch]

F2P games that offer insane value and near-infinite replay-ability are the most popular? SHOCKED!

I can't wait for all the League and Dota copies in 2014/2015.

 

[Linkark07]

F2P games that offer insane value and near-infinite replay-ability are the most popular? SHOCKED!

I can't wait for all the League and Dota copies in 2014/2015.

About Dota/LoL copies, what happened to EA attempt to enter into the Moba market?

 

[Einbroch]

About Dota/LoL copies, what happened to EA attempt to enter into the Moba market?

I'm playing it right now.

It's another MOBA that is much closer to League than Dota, which means it's going to fail/be niche.

 

[Grief.exe]

There's other reasons why stuff in real life has to be standardized. But plenty of competitive multiplayer games offer more than one map. In fact most of them do. It would be a positive thing. It's why I'm interested in what Blizzard is doing with Heroes of the Storm despite growing bored of Dota 2 months ago.

I believe Valve is going to release modding tools in the near future so players can create custom maps and modes.

Its good to have one standardized map for competitive play, but then have multiple maps for the variety.

 

[Orayn]

About Dota/LoL copies, what happened to EA attempt to enter into the Moba market?

Still in closed beta, brings a few interesting ideas to the take and seems okay-ish overall. The kinda generic art and crowded genre will make it hard to find a niche, though.

 

[Laieon]

There's plenty of room for growth. Don't they still only use one map and primary game type?

League has 4 different game modes - 5v5, 5v5 Dominion, 3v3, and ARAM. Most people only play 5v5 though.

 

[Marauder Shields]

Have to admit as someone who is still learning the game, the thought of Dota getting new maps is terrifying. The game already has so many variables as it is, introducing new maps would just blow that wide open. I guess it probably wouldn't be an issue for more seasoned veterans.

 

[Annubis]

The MOBA genre is "far and away the largest because of those two games" whereas MMOGs are on the decline and first-person shooter games actually surpassed them on the PC in 2013.

The MMO bubble bursted because of too many "E.T." games.

The MOBA bubble is starting now,

League has 4 different game modes - 5v5, 5v5 Dominion, 3v3, and ARAM. Most people only play 5v5 though.

Pffff why would I play a suckier games when I can play a 5v5 =P

 

[Syf]

League has 3 different game modes - 5v5, 3v3, and ARAM.

Ah okay. That's cool then.

 

[Nervous Sausage]

Not a fan of the word MOBA name, prefer action RTS. I also highly doubt anyone else is going to steal any market share from LoL and Dota, especially Dota. The people that play that (including myself) are not easilly swayed to go elsewhere by the latest shiny new distraction. Many of us have been playing it for 10 years and still aren't bored with it, nothing can compete with that. Comparatively, it only took me a few years to grow bored with LoL. I will check out Heroes of the Storm out of curiosity though.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

About Dota/LoL copies, what happened to EA attempt to enter into the Moba market?

It's a great game that is converting LoL players. You should check out the beta if you haven't already, or if it's been a while. I see posts about Dawngate on the LoL forums often.

The game is just excellent, very well-made and LoL has even taken some ideas from it.

 

[Zemm]

Does this include Steam monies? Thought Valve didn't give that info away.

 

[Einbroch]

It's a great game that is convertingLoL players. You should check out the beta if you haven't already, or if it's been a while. I see posts about Dawngate on the LoL forums often.

The game is just excellent, very well-made and LoL has even taken some ideas from it.

Dawngate? They have? I'm not saying it's bad, but what has League taken from it? I quite like Dawngate, but it's another League-like MOBA that isn't different enough to draw people from League, at least for a while.

 

[HoosTrax]

I put about two hundred hours into DOTA2 after I got my beta invite, but I eventually came to the realization that it's the kind of game where you can easily get sucked into it to the point where you don't feel inclined to play any other worthwhile game.

I guess I decided I'd rather "broaden my horizons", so-to-speak, rather than try to be "pro" at one game.

 

[Azzurri]

I was going to make a thread about what MMO's need to do to evolve.

Anyways, I'm not a fan of MOBAS, but good for them.

 

[Drkirby]

Dota has had an active user base growth of 133% in just under a year, going from 3 Million unique players a month in Mid February 2013, to 7.125 Million it sits at today.

League of Legends currently has a player base that is basically 10 times larger, with 67 unique players a month, with 7.5 Million concurrent player Peaks (Dota 2 peeks at 700k concurrent).

 

[Atrophis]

Don't forget that many DotA2 players, who see themself as the masterrace of players, don't call it a MOBA but an ARTS.

Just because they are better *g*

Dotalikes innit?

 

[Turin Turambar]

For the people that say "ewww MOBAs". I said the same two years ago, before one finally clicked with me (Smite).

I think the new genre has some very interesting idea and novel concepts. But I think the RTS perspective/control will always be a barrier for lots of core gamers. That's why I think hybrid action/MOBA games, or pure action games with some inspiration in MOBAS, will be a big boom in gaming, consoles included.

You don't need a top down perspective for a Moba. The core concepts are:
-team vs team gameplay, lots focus on teamwork that isn't optional, it's tied into the systems and game mode.
-tug of war game mode, with intermediate objectives
-mix of AI and pvp in the same game
-focus on different gameplay experiences and roles in the characters used, instead of being always soldier vs soldier with slightly different weapons, even if you don't make lots of maps in exchange
-death penalty is important, it makes people sweat when playing and curse when they die and be ecstatic when they kill someone. There are consequences with your actions.

 

[dezzy8]

Pokemon MOBA would rule the world.

 

[Nags]

...So how bad will Elders Scrolls Online flop?

 

[GuitarAtomik]

For the people that say "ewww MOBAs". I said the same two years ago, before one finally clicked with me (Smite).

I think the new genre has some very interesting idea and novel concepts. But I think the RTS perspective/control will always be a barrier for lots of core gamers. That's why I think hybrid action/MOBA games, or pure action games with some inspiration in MOBAS, will be a big boom in gaming, consoles included.

You don't need a top down perspective for a Moba. The core concepts are:
-team vs team gameplay, lots focus on teamwork that isn't optional, it's tied into the systems and game mode.
-tug of war game mode, with intermediate objectives
-mix of AI and pvp in the same game
-focus on different gameplay experiences and roles in the characters used, instead of being always soldier vs soldier with slightly different weapons, even if you don't make lots of maps in exchange
-death penalty is important, it makes people sweat when playing and curse when they die and be ecstatic when they kill someone. There are consequences with your actions.

+1 on this. I'm surprised more games haven't tried to meld the genre more with others. Smite and, before that, Monday Night Combat are the only ones I can think of off-hand.

 

[Concept17]

Kind of disappointing. Most MMOs just follow the WoW model, while moba games have grown boring for me. Although I am looking forward to Heroes of the Storm.

 

[Concept17]

For the people that say "ewww MOBAs". I said the same two years ago, before one finally clicked with me (Smite).

I think the new genre has some very interesting idea and novel concepts. But I think the RTS perspective/control will always be a barrier for lots of core gamers. That's why I think hybrid action/MOBA games, or pure action games with some inspiration in MOBAS, will be a big boom in gaming, consoles included.

You don't need a top down perspective for a Moba. The core concepts are:
-team vs team gameplay, lots focus on teamwork that isn't optional, it's tied into the systems and game mode.
-tug of war game mode, with intermediate objectives
-mix of AI and pvp in the same game
-focus on different gameplay experiences and roles in the characters used, instead of being always soldier vs soldier with slightly different weapons, even if you don't make lots of maps in exchange
-death penalty is important, it makes people sweat when playing and curse when they die and be ecstatic when they kill someone. There are consequences with your actions.

I installed Smite, but haven't played it. Not sure why. Maybe I'll give it a go. 90% of my issues with mobas is the RTS mechanics. I never feel completely in control.

 

[Annubis]

You don't need a top down perspective for a Moba. The core concepts are:
-team vs team gameplay, lots focus on teamwork that isn't optional, it's tied into the systems and game mode.
-tug of war game mode, with intermediate objectives
-mix of AI and pvp in the same game
-focus on different gameplay experiences and roles in the characters used, instead of being always soldier vs soldier with slightly different weapons, even if you don't make lots of maps in exchange
-death penalty is important, it makes people sweat when playing and curse when they die and be ecstatic when they kill someone. There are consequences with your actions.

Reading that description, it makes me think of Alterac Valley