What was the biggest gaming event of 2013?

By Gamesbriefers

Question:

So what happened in 2013?

King almost floated but didn’t, possibly over one hit wonder concerns.

Oculus Rift raised $75 million to become launch VR headsets.

Angry Birds launched it’s first F2P game.

Two consoles had their fastest-selling launch ever.

GTAV grossed $1 billion in no time flat

Supercell sold a 51% stake for $1.5 billion to a Japanese acquirer.

If you had to identify the event or datapoint that emerged in 2013 which gives the best indication of where the future of games is headed, what would it be?

Answers:
       Teut WeidemannTeut Weidemann Online Specialist at Ubisoft

For me, it would be this:

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Ben Cousins Head of European Game Studios at DeNA

The same two games swapped the top grossing slot on iOS in most countries for the ENTIRE YEAR. A year in which the total revenue spent on Apps in the same store DOUBLED.

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Martin Darby CCO of Remode

For me it has got to be the Supercell share sale that sums up the zeitgeist. Not that the other things aren’t significant too though: More that they are just very close to things we have seen before.

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Eric Seufert Mentor at Gamefounders

In terms of signals of future trends, I think the PlayHaven / Kontagent merger was pretty telling. The tools and services space around F2P (and mobile in general) exploded a few years ago and I think 2014 will bring a lot of consolidation within the mobile analytics and mobile advertising markets.

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Harry Holmwood CEO of Marvelous AQL Europe

Of course the Supercell valuation is a huge event, but I think I’ll pick the industry’s CPI hitting its highest ever cost as an indication of the direction we’re headed for 2014.

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Tadhg Kelly Developer Relations at Ouya

Microconsoles

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Andy Payne MD at Mastertronic

For me the fact that Google, Amazon and Samsung have got serious about games this year is pretty significant. Along with Apple they will make the trad console manufacturers look increasingly niche although some games developers should be able to make profitable games for Xboxone and PS4 and that can’t all be bad!

But as we approach the celebration that is Christmas, given that we have been marketed to since the day after Halloween, I would offer this;-

Can King find a queen?
Supercell is not an oxymoron
Will the consoles need consoling ?
And will Greedy Grinders for iOS and Android be a hit?