The world of online gaming tends to move at an incredible pace. One day, developers like Niklas Hed, Jarno Väkeväinen, and Kim Dikert take their mobile demo to a competition in Finland. The next thing they know, their company, Rovio Entertainment, is bringing in a net income of almost £50 million each year. This is just one tale of the extreme overnight success that can occur, and it has inspired other developers to try to follow suit.
There are a few up-and-coming movers and shakers in 2021 who have seemingly come out of nowhere to take the gaming industry to the next level. Here are a few that you need to take note of.
Pragmatic Play
The iGaming industry used to be dominated by the big powerhouse developers, most notably Microgaming and Playtech. But the dominance of these giants has come to an end with the emergence of new developers making names for themselves. This is thanks to the incredible growth of the online casino industry, which has made it possible for a boundless number of companies to capitalise. One of the names that is currently making waves is Pragmatic Play. It has made several hugely popular titles, and its games can be played at many of the top sites.
Lauded for their variety, Pragmatic Play slots encompass a wide range of genres meaning that they appeal to players with diverse tastes from Western themes to Egyptian. The company was only founded in 2015, but it has already picked up numerous awards for its innovative products that have helped push the iGaming industry forward. In 2017, it won the Best Digital Company of the Year at the Malta iGaming Excellence Awards and has pushed on from there.
Zwift
Zwift is the name of a developer but also the name of the game that it created. The company is responsible for a massively multiplayer online running and cycling app that’s aiming to revolutionise how people exercise. It was founded in 2014 by Jon Mayfield, Eric Min, Scott Barger, and Alarik Myrin, and the beta version of the game was released that year. It began charging users for membership the following year and has since been named as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies.
The reason why Zwift is one to watch is that it has attracted a great deal of interest and investment over the last few years. Last year, it raised $450 million from a variety of investors led by KKR. The developers plan to use this money to improve the platform and enhance the overall experience. With the fitness industry and running apps on the rise, this concept of combining it with gaming is likely to be a major hit.
Supernatural
Another company that is aiming to benefit from the booming fitness trend is Supernatural. The Los Angeles-based developers have created a virtual reality platform for home workouts that transports users to real world locations like the glaciers of Iceland or the iconic ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. The aim is to add some thrills to the exercise experience to help people stay motivated.
Supernatural is looking to tap into another industry that is expected to be massive in the next few years. Projections suggest that VR will be a mainstream platform, with a spike in use expected in 2025. At this time, revenue from the industry could be around $766 billion. This means that companies that establish themselves early could profit significantly from this rise. Supernatural looks poised to do that, which is why it is considered one of the hottest game companies in the business.
Enthusiastic Gaming
If you haven’t heard of Enthusiastic Gaming yet, you’ll probably be aware of them soon. The Canadian company started out by specialising in video game journalism and has branched out to investing in eSports and holding its own gaming conventions. Because of all these ventures, Menashe Kestenbaum’s company is going to be at the heart of the next stage of the growth of the budding eSports industry.
Enthusiastic Gaming owns more than 20 websites that are dedicated to reporting on current gaming and eSports news. Most of these have been bought out in the last few years, with sites like Icy Veins and GameKnot acquired in 2021. It also controls some major eSports teams including Vancouver Titans, Seattle Surge, and Luminosity. It’s clear that the company’s influence is growing exponentially, which is why it is now listed on several of the world’s largest stock exchanges including Nasdaq.
The thing that all these game companies have in common is that they are each trying to push their respective sectors in new directions with the help of technology. Innovation always attracts interest and investment, and the way these companies are integrating various flourishing sectors is promising.