How US game developers are achieving global dominance

US game development companies continue to dominate globally with some of the most successful global franchises.

The biggest US studios include Rockstar Games, Inc., the company behind the highly successful Grand Theft Auto franchise and the wild west adventure game Red Dead franchise, along with California-based Electronic Arts Inc., whose most successful game franchise is the FIFA franchise. Activision Publishing, Inc. is the video game publisher behind Call of Duty, a game series that, by April 2021, had achieved the milestone of 400 million global unit sales since the first version of the game was launched in 2003.

Globally dominant game franchises

US game developers are responsible for some of the most popular game franchises worldwide. In the case of Grand Theft Auto, Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms, even got in on the act by announcing a worldwide exclusive VR version of GTA: San Andreas for the Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset.

The first game of the FIFA franchise, entitled International Soccer, was released almost 30 years ago and the franchise has gone from strength to strength ever since, becoming the most successful football simulation in history. The influence of the game is highlighted by the news that EA Sports will sponsor the Spanish football league in 2023. Electronic Arts have continued to innovate each year to keep fans coming back for more, with the latest iteration, FIFA 23, featuring Hypermotion 2 technology for more realistic player movement, a career mode and the option of defining your player personality, which affects how you react in certain situations. The company witnessed a change in consumer behaviour when 77% of sales of FIFA 22 were digital.

A successful switch online

Developers have reacted to the switch to digital sales by transforming the most successful titles into online versions, further consolidating their domination of the global industry. Call of Duty: Online and Grand Theft Auto Online have made a highly successful transition to the online world by offering players a regular supply of upgrades in the form of new missions, the option for players to take on their friends, and a wide range of free items to enhance their gaming experience. The ability of game developers to keep fans interested in the game is vital in such a highly competitive industry.

Another crowded sector where the US is asserting itself is the iGaming sector. Game developers such as International Gaming Technology, better known as IGT, are enjoying worldwide success. The company demonstrates the extent to which US companies are challenging operators in the UK iGaming industry, such as UK-based slot developer Blueprint Gaming, which is behind King Spin Deluxe and Intouch Games ltd, which began life as a manufacturer of physical slot machines in 2001, and features over 300 original online slot games. IGT, with over 12,000 employees and revenue in 2020 of over £2.5 billion, is now recognised as one of the best studios for anyone playing slots online in the UK with popular game titles including Cleopatra, Pharaoh’s Fortune and Temple of Fire. As is the case for the gaming industry, success in the iGaming sector requires innovative and popular game titles.

US developers continue to reap the rewards of the most successful game titles in the industry as they react deftly to changes in consumer behaviour and game technology to consolidate their position of global domination. Fans of the game franchises are treated to improvements in gameplay through innovative technology and are kept interested with regular new missions available online. US game developers have also shown they can hold their own in the iGaming industry by following their video game counterparts by offering innovative and popular slot titles.