Why the Web is the Future of Gaming

3 Reasons the Web is Shaping Gaming’s Future—and Why the Hiber3D Engine is Ready to Power that Change.

Browser is the new black.

Mobile gaming already commands the largest share of the games industry, holding over 50% of the market. By 2030, the mobile market is projected to hit $272 billion USD, with an annual growth rate of 11%. That’s colossal, but not at all surprising. What’s more interesting is how the landscape is evolving and where the future opportunities lie. 

Emerging markets driven by a growing youth population with spending power and improving infrastructure, are pushing the demand for mobile through the roof. These markets are home to 1 billion gamers, yet, they face significant challenges like high data costs, sluggish internet, a diverse range of devices, making app downloads both expensive and cumbersome. 

Browser-based mobile games are solving this with instant play, broad device compatibility, and removing the need for frequent downloads or updates. But the point is, to run a high end, immersive game on any web browser, across any device, anywhere, you’ll need an engine that’s light enough – such as one with a sub 5 megabyte core

Skip the middlemen and go D2C

Since the late 2000’s mobile games have relied on the app stores for distribution, monetization and a global reach. However, as mentioned in Jonas Tageman’s On Web First blog, what started out as a dream scenario for many, has long since become a headache. And, as with every monopoly, when the tolls get too high, people start looking for a detour – and in mobile gaming, that detour is the web.

As noted by Archie Stonehill of Stash, the disruption of the mobile ecosystem is already well and truly underway, not least with alternative app-stores rising on the strength of Epic’s win, but with more and more developers choosing to go direct to consumer not only to circumvent fees (30% on gross revenue) and market saturation, but to leverage game data for personalized marketing. Among myriad other benefits with D2C are price flexibility, broader reach (less censoring), customized user interfaces, and the possibility to localize content.

At the heart of this disruption, web-first game engines like Hiber3D are enabling developers to set themselves up for long-term success, by maintaining control of their revenue and data, while also achieving greater market penetration i.e. more money per sale plus a larger market to sell in. 

True Web Games > Traditional Games on the Web

To unlock the full potential of web gaming, we need to fundamentally rethink how games are built. Elements traditionally housed within the engine can easily bloat a web game, meaning large, unnecessary downloads and long load times. By fully utilizing the capabilities of the web, many components – like shops, progression systems, and personalization – can, and should, live in the browser instead. We call this approach ‘true web games,’ where the engine is kept light and fast to ensure a smoother user experience while also cutting down on development costs and time. This also allows for smaller, more targeted patches and updates.

At Hiber, we are adamant that the web is the future of mobile gaming. And it’s not just about porting games to the web, it’s about fully embracing the potential of web technologies to deliver the best possible game experiences, not only in gameplay but also in the metagame.

Hiber3D – Mid Year Roundup

July 2024 Edition

The first half of 2024 flew by in the blink of an eye, and we packed it full of milestones. From Hiber3D engine enhancements to strategic partnerships to innovative AI tools and a brand revamp, we left no stone unturned. 

Let’s take a look at the highlights…

Hiber3D Mid Year Roundup

HIBER3D PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

World Creator

Our text-to-3D world tool was made available to all users in January 2024, following a period in pre-alpha when over 10,000 early access members signed up for the opportunity to test and give feedback on the technology. With over 90 thousand prompts entered to date, this tool is democratizing 3D world-building, making it accessible to anyone. Try the World Creator today.

SkyScape AI 

Building on the success of the World Creator, we launched SkyScape AI, our image-to-3D world tool. Create virtual environments based on any image to push the boundaries of creation. Try SkyScape today.

SkyScape AI powered the Hiber3D engine.

HIBER3D MILESTONES

Shooter and other Game Modes

We added shooting mechanics to the growing list of gameplay features included in the Hiber3D engine, i.e. driving, flying, platformers, obbys and customizable game rules. All of these are accessible right out of the box! This means less time spent hunting for third-party plugins, custom coding, and building foundations, and more time spent on creating incredible games and experiences.

HiBux In-App Currency Launch

We partnered with Stash to introduce our in-app currency HiBux within our web-first HiberWorld UGC platform. A significant milestone on the road to building out a thriving creator economy.

HiberLabs Tests with HDK

We put the Hiber3D Development Kit (HDK) to the test with our HiberLabs series – a collection of games spanning diverse genres. From Halloween thrillers, to Turbo Goal (vehicle football), hover car racers, snowboarders, the hugely popular Sumo Cars (vehicle wrestling), and an engaging side-scroller series, each of these games highlights the ease, speed, and flexibility of creating with the Hiber3D engine.

New Gameplay Modes Out-Of-The-Box with the Hiber3D Engine

HIBER3D EVENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Google Next, Leap, Nordic Games

We traveled the globe over the past few months to showcase our Hiber3D engine to the worldwide tech community, most notably Dice Summit in Las Vegas, Leap in Riyadh, GDC in San Francisco, Google Next in Las Vegas to unveil SkyScape, and last but not least Nordic Game in Malmö. 

The Voice, Angry Birds

We launched two premium branded avatar catalogs in collaboration with Ready Player Me for the  iconic Angry Birds and The Voice IPs. These gamified brand spaces showcased exclusive purchasable wearables and have racked up almost 2M plays to date. 

Angry Birds powered by Hiber3D

NEW BRANDING

Last but not least, this year marked a new chapter for Hiber3D with the launch of our new visual identity and website that reflects our commitment to innovation, creativity, and exploration. We hope you love the new look as much as we do!

Looking Ahead

The past six months have been a whirlwind of activity and progress, and we expect the next six to be nothing less. We can’t wait to show you what we’ve got cooking. 

Thank you for being a part of our journey. Here’s to many more months of innovation, creativity, and community! Get in touch to learn more about the Hiber3D engine.