According to a GDC survey, more than a third of developers are still interested in creating Switch games

Before the annual Games Developer Conference in March, GDC has announced the findings of its “State of the Game” survey for 2023, and there are many statistics that Switch owners could find interesting. This yearly poll provides us with information about the state of the gaming business right now, and you can get a copy from the GDC website.

Over 2,300 game developers were interviewed by GDC for this year’s poll, and there are a few noteworthy findings. One is that indie firms are currently employing more game developers than AAA. 39% of the developers polled presently work for independent game publishers, whereas 23% are employed by AAA developers. In reality, 57% of those surveyed have been employed in the sector for “10 years or less.”

In terms of Switch statistics specifically, a GDC poll found that 35% of game developers are still interested in making games for the device as it approaches its sixth birthday. The PC (64%) and the PlayStation 5 (46%) are only slightly ahead of this.

18% of the 35% that responded to the survey are actively developing a console game. This places the Switch below all contemporary consoles, as well as the Xbox One, iOS, and Android. While we don’t know much beyond the summer, the Switch has a sizable slate of titles coming out in 2023 from a variety of independent and third-party developers. Despite the lack of information beyond the summer, it appears that the platform will still have a successful year. Although some of the 18% might not be reached for another year.

Similar circumstances apply to the console in terms of the upcoming projects of developers. 19% of creators will be working on a Switch game next, which is still less than for mobile platforms and current consoles, according to the poll results. Again, the PC is the winner in both of these polls: 57% of developers plan to make a PC game as their next endeavor, and 65% are already working on one.

Some of the more significant discussion topics in the industry during the past 12 months are highlighted in other poll replies. The metaverse has received a lot of attention recently, especially as Fortnite and Minecraft try to create one. The metaverse, according to 45% of those surveyed, simply won’t catch on. Additionally, despite businesses like Square Enix expanding into NFTs and blockchain, interest in the technology as a whole remained flat over the past year. 75% of those polled had no interest at all in blockchain technology.

The expansion of accessibility in video games has received more than a page’s worth of attention; 37% of games now in development have accessibility features, and many are focusing on including colourblind options, remappable controllers, closed captions, and motion sickness settings.

The GDC survey shows that while most respondents (29%) claim to work a 36–40 hour week, many developers actually put in more time than that. In fact, 4% of those polled report working more than 60 hours per week.

You can register to obtain a copy of the State of the Game Industry 2023 Survey on the GDC website if you’re interested in reading it in its entirety.