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BEYOND THE SCREEN: HOW MIXED REALITY CAN REDEFINE GAMING


Publishing games that  platform will harm mixed reality’s growth. What’s required are games that use the full potential of the platform’s mechanics


Bobby Voicu, CEO and co-founder, MixRift


IT’S AN INTERESTING TIME to be in the gaming industry. To outsiders, the big headlines haven’t been positive: AAA studios and developers laying off thousands, high-profile cancellations, and games being pulled within weeks of release. Yet, in the long term, the outlook is more positive. One estimate suggests there will be 3.6 billion gamers by 2025, fuelling an industry worth USD$211 billion.


The growth is being propelled by industry segments targeting new and developing audiences. On mobile, for instance, games have consistently had a 40% share of global mobile app downloads over the past five years.


24 | MCV/DEVELOP December/January 2025


But what’s going to help expansion is the increasing diversity of platforms. Specifically, ones that offer a range of immersive experiences that could change how we interact with all forms of gaming, whether core, semi- casual, or casual: virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. Virtual and augmented realities are the most well- known, with VR headsets widely available. Yet mixed reality offers perhaps the most potential. Rather than stepping into a fully immersive environment, mixed reality combines people’s real-time surroundings with the ability to interact with virtual elements. It doesn’t cause users to suffer from motion sickness, as some have found VR headsets can trigger, creating an obstacle that can hamper repeat or longer periods of use.


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