Future imperfect: Five predictions for the next decade | Opinion

Future imperfect: Five predictions for the next decade | Opinion Rarely has the industry looked to the future with such trepidation – but this turmoil is a transition, not a crash, and some paths ahead are visible A lot of minds around the industry currently seem focused on one thing: the future. Whether it was Amir Satvat's Gamescom Dev keynote, or the plethora of industry luminaries who lined up to discuss ongoing and impending turmoil for Edge magazine's latest issue, the topic of the moment is what's next – and the mood is apprehensive, to say the least. 1983 wasn't a downturn or a rebalancing; it was a near-collapse of industry revenues from over $3 billion in 1983 to a mere $100 million by 1985. Budget growth is slowing – but won't stop Playable Worlds CEO (and MMORPG legend) Raph Koster cited some figures in the Edge article suggesting that inflation-adjusted budgets for games have risen from around $1 million in the mid-nineties to $10 million by 2005, and eventually to $100 million by 2015.