Blockbuster games take 5-8 years and often hundreds of millions of dollars to make. In nautical terms, the biggest publishers— Ubisoft, EA, Xbox, Take Two—are giant freighters that are slow to change their steer in the face of ever-shifting video game trends.

AAA titles like Starfield and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 delivering amazing visual spectacles and unforgettable experiences to players worldwide. Indie titles proved that smaller studios could break into the conversation and steal the spotlight,