Anticipating Next-Gen Player Habits

Posted 2025-11-26 09:53:52

The conversation around the "metaverse"—the concept of a persistent, shared, 3D virtual space where users can interact with each other and with digital content—is a central and forward-looking part of the Gamer Forecast in the United States. While the ultimate vision of a single, interoperable metaverse is still a distant and highly speculative one, the modern video game industry has already created what can be described as a series of "proto-metaverses." These are the massive, online, social game platforms that have moved beyond being simple games and have become true virtual worlds and social hubs for tens of millions of people. These platforms are not just places to play a game; they are places to hang out with friends, to attend virtual concerts and events, to create and share content, and to express one's digital identity through avatars and virtual goods. The US is a major center for both the development and the consumption of these next-generation social platforms, and the trends emerging from them provide the clearest roadmap we have for what a future, more fully-realized metaverse might look like. The gaming industry is not just a part of the metaverse conversation; it is building its foundations.

Key Players

The key players who are leading the development of these proto-metaverse platforms are a mix of established game developers and user-generated content platforms. The first and most prominent key player is Epic Games, with its cultural phenomenon Fortnite. Fortnite has evolved far beyond its origins as a battle royale game. It is now a dynamic social space that hosts massive live events, such as virtual concerts by major musical artists, and features a creative mode where users can build their own islands and experiences. The second key player is Roblox Corporation, with its Roblox platform. Roblox is less of a single game and more of an ecosystem, a platform where a massive community of young developers can create and monetize their own games and experiences. Its deep focus on a user-generated content (UGC) economy makes it a powerful model for a decentralized, creator-driven metaverse. A third key player is Microsoft, through its ownership of Minecraft, another massive, user-driven virtual world. A fourth, and highly influential, player is Meta, which is investing billions of dollars in its Horizon Worlds social VR platform, a bet on the future of the metaverse being in virtual reality.

Future in "Gamer Forecast"

The future of these proto-metaverse platforms in the US will be a story of expanding creator economies and a greater push for interoperability. The next major trend will be the development of more sophisticated tools and economic models to empower a new generation of creators. Platforms like Roblox and Fortnite (with its Unreal Editor for Fortnite) are investing heavily in making their creation tools more powerful and in providing creators with a greater share of the revenue they generate. This is key to building a vibrant and self-sustaining ecosystem. A second, and more challenging, future trend will be the push for greater interoperability between these different virtual worlds. The ultimate vision of the metaverse is not a collection of separate, walled-off platforms, but a single, connected space where a user can take their avatar and their digital assets from one world to another. This is a massive technical and business challenge that will require unprecedented collaboration between competing companies, a challenge being debated more seriously in the US tech industry than in any other region. The future is about breaking down the walls between these virtual worlds.

Key Points "Gamer Forecast"

The modern gaming industry has already created a series of "proto-metaverses"—massive, social virtual worlds like Fortnite and Roblox. The key players are the companies that own these platforms, such as Epic Games, Roblox Corporation, and Microsoft. The future will be defined by a greater focus on empowering creator economies within these platforms and the long-term, challenging pursuit of interoperability between them. The US gaming industry is not just waiting for the metaverse; it is actively building and defining what it will be. The Gamer Forecast is projected to grow to USD 1050.26 Billion by 2035, exhibiting a CAGR of 13.19% during the forecast period 2025-2035.