We continue to summarize the results of 2019 together with the managers of gaming companies and market experts. Next up is an interview with Justin Farren, an executive producer at the Wargaming mobile studio in Minsk.
What was 2019 like for the company?
I joined the Wargaming mobile studio in Minsk not so long ago, but I can say that the year turned out to be great for us: World of Tanks Blitz, our first game, continues to grow steadily. 1.5 million people play it every day, and on its fifth anniversary, Blitz set a record for PCCU (the total number of simultaneous users). I had a chance to attend this year’s Blitz Twister Cup tournament and see the community’s reaction to our game improvements. That was cool.
A new project that I was invited to work on at the company has entered the production stage. So in this sense, too, the year was successful for us: we are moving from one game to developing a portfolio. We are developing this new project taking into account the needs of the community and will subsequently improve it taking into account the wishes of the players.
We want to create cool games that will become a cultural phenomenon. Games that will create a name for themselves and will be interesting to players for many years. Therefore, I am incredibly happy to participate in the creation of a new game and the prospect of working with a completely new audience.
Wargaming has already made a name for itself in the genre of competitive shooters, but what awaits the company in the future when it tries itself in other genres? Thoughts about this excite the imagination and motivate you to move forward.
What events in the global game development do you consider significant for 2019?
In my opinion, the main event of the year is the emergence of cloud gaming and the opportunities that open up for us as mobile game developers in this regard.
Cloud games are developing at such a pace that large publishers can no longer ignore this phenomenon. Thanks to technology, users get access to their favorite games, wherever they are and regardless of the platform.
The second important milestone is the recognition of the fact that women are underrepresented in games, both as main characters and as active participants in stories. I think as the number of women who will be involved in the development of games grows, this topic will be further developed.
Today, if we are talking about the age from 16 to 25 years, there is no difference between male and female players. Approximately half of young people of both sexes of this age range play on various platforms. And I think we should evenly represent our audience in the games we create. Because in order to establish a really close emotional connection with the product, the player must see “himself” in the game.
What are the main trends in the market, please?
Mobile gaming is not getting smaller. On the contrary, it is constantly growing. If in 2018, approximately 78% of users played mainly on mobile devices, then on the eve of 2020, this figure is approaching 85%. That is, more and more people are choosing a mobile platform for games. And we cannot ignore this fact. We have to respect our players’ time and pay attention to how they perceive the content. Yes, many developers still want to create games for other platforms, but it is impossible not to see this trend: the mobile market is growing rapidly. And the situation is unlikely to change in the future.
Another really important trend is the integration of Twitch and similar streaming platforms with games. Mobile and desktop games include tools that allow content creators and regular users to share experiences with other users. And this is no longer some kind of “bonus”, it is a mandatory function.
Hyper-casual games have formed their own genre, and this genre is growing rapidly. In different situations, a person can afford gaming sessions of a certain length. And in this sense, I think such games have a great future: their number will grow, as well as their quality.
If we talk about shooters, cloud gaming and the emergence of 5G play and will play an important role in their development. These technologies will give mobile games higher stability, performance and response speed. So mobile shooters like World of Tanks Blitz will be able to compete in all respects with games of this genre on other platforms.
Which games released in 2019 would you highlight? And what games have you personally played as a gamer in the past year?
I play all the time, on all platforms. I’ve spent a lot of time in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order this year. Great game.
I was also lucky enough to be one of the participants in the Brawl Stars beta test. And I was very pleased to see how the game has evolved this year. I play it every day.
I would attribute the return of No Man’s Sky from Hello Games to the big events of the outgoing year. This is a good example of how important it is to listen to the community and, without deviating from your vision, pay attention to what is happening in the market. The guys from No Man’s Sky managed to adequately get out of a difficult situation and fulfill the promises they made when releasing the game on Sony.
Also, this year I’ve played a lot of Outer Worlds, FIFA, Clash Royale and especially Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. You know, there are games that suck you in again and again. For me, Elder Scrolls is just one of those.
When I considered the offer of cooperation from Wargaming, then, of course, I plunged headlong into World of Tanks Blitz and World of Warships Blitz. It was important for me to understand what the company is strong in as a developer and which sides I can help it strengthen.