Russell Byrd
CEO / Cofounder Inevitable Entertainment Inc.
2002
The game industry as a whole is on a terrific upswing as the installed base of machines is reaching new heights. However, for the independent developer it is still difficult as there seems to be far more studios than work available.
2003
Hopefully, with 2003-2004 looking to be the top of the curve for this generation of machines, Publishers will be making enough money to support some newer cooler development as well as help the independent developers make it through the next machine transition reasonably comfortably.

Doug Hare
Vice President of Production, The Collective
2002
I think that 2002 saw development on the next-generation of consoles hit its stride (although they’re not really next-gen now, are they?) Everyone's pretty much comfortable with the various platforms and we're now seeing the evolutionary improvement in the games (especially visually) that comes from learning how to get the most out of the hardware. That said, looking at all the titles, side-by-side, at this year's E3, what was particularly striking to me was that although there was a lot of very, very nice looking product on display, a lot of it looked the same.
2003
I'm hopeful that with the knowledge and expertise of development and design for 3D games reaching a point of maturation, and the bulk of the hard work of getting to grips with the new platforms and tools out of the way, that we'll start to see greater diversity and innovation in the games that are getting developed and published.

Dennis Harper
VP, Product Development Pacific Coast Power & Light, A THQ Company
2002
This year was challenging for smaller developers. Due to the lack of a clear second place console, cross-platform strategies are in jeopardy. Retailers have been refusing to take 3 across titles on all but the very top tier titles. Many mid-range development budgets, relying on supplemental sales from Xbox and GameCube, are no longer viable. In addition, the PS2 channel is flooded with titles. Like I said, a challenge.
2003
For next year? Go big or go home. Big titles will continue to sell, regardless. Big titles are also viable for ports. Looks like we've got to swing for the fence.

Tricia "Kazi Wren" Harris
Freelance writer
2002
This was an astonishing year for gaming. The three console makers, in addition to PC and resurgence in Mac gaming, meant there wasn’t a gamer left wanting. Right now I’m looking at a stack of games screaming for me to check them out. Hmmm, I think I need an extra month in 2002 before I can get to them all!
2003
I don’t see the industry taking any steps backwards. Developers continue to seek new ways to present their creations using art, code, sound and story. It’s going to be a year of late nights, caffeine-induced consciousness and excuses to my boss about why I keep falling asleep in meetings.  

Howard Horowitz
Founder, Got Game Entertainment
2002
Big surprise on the console shake out -- PS2 positioned as preeminent platform, with Game Cube and Xbox positioning for 2nd place. Never before has the industry supported 3 console platforms.
2003
Will this be the year that online gaming becomes attractive for developers and publishers to shift their business model? Will this type of gaming be captured in PC or console base, or splintered between the two?

Francois Dominic Laramee
Freelance author, designer and comedy writer
2002
It seemed like more of a wait-and-see kind of year so me. The stock market really hurt the publishers who had pursued aggressive growth policies in recent years, so not a whole lot really happened.
2003
After this Christmas season, all of the current-generation consoles will have achieved comfortable installed bases, so the year should be quite good for software sales. And we should finally see, once and for all, if massively multiplayer online games will ever break out in a big way. For years, we've had excellent fantasy RPGs and not much else. Now, we have Earth and Beyond already out in limited release, Star Wars Galaxies in beta, The Sims Online coming soon, and all of the various console broadband services ramping up. So, the enormous growth that analysts have been predicting for "any day now" since Mplayer launched in the late Paleolithic era will either materialize in 2003, or it never will.

Marc Mencher
Recruiter, Author of Get In The Game! Careers in the Game Industry
GameRecruiter.com
2002
In 2002 we saw video game sales more than double the rate of growth of the U.S. economy itself. That’s remarkable for any industry, but particularly one that was once merely considered child’s play. Sixty percent of all Americans now play games, and game consoles are nearly as common in American homes as VCRs.
2003
In 2003 we should see video games sales nearing the 10 billion dollar mark. This all adds up to a bright future for the industry and the jobs that become available as a result of this. Growth is likely to outpace television, radio, motion pictures and music. In short, we're not just geeks in dark basements wearing weird clothes, we're geeks making money doing what we love!

Scott Miller
CEO, 3D Realms
2002
The glory days of the independent developer are nearly over. Remember in the mid-to-late-90s when, by droves, developers where breaking away to start their own studios, and work on their own original games? Most of these studios have failed, and/or they've been bought by publishers for peanuts. So, the power is back in the publisher's ball court, and, as the shot-callers, they're ramming licensed IP down every developer's throat. And rarely giving the developer enough time and funding to make anything other than been-there-done-that gameplay. Therefore, games based on movies or other licenses will continue to un-impress the press, and players, alike.

To regain our glory, we must invent our own industry brands, rather than feed off the original brands created by the top talent of other entertainment industries. Otherwise, we're just scavengers.
2003
Physics will be the new pink.

Nash Parker
Business Development Manager, Sony Computer Entertainment America
2002
Well, we can see from XBox what the cost of entering the Console market is; and it's huge!
2003
This year it's going to be about Online, Online, Online.

Jay Powell
Agent, Octagon Entertainment
2002
It was great to see the industry really embrace the older demographic of gamers in 2002. Nintendo began releasing "M" rated games for the Gamecube and several other developers and publishers began releasing games that are not targeted or marketed to the younger generation.
2003
I'm looking forward to the online market in 2003 for consoles and PCs. More homes are being equipped with broadband access, the MMORPG market is entering its second generation and the Xbox and PS2 will be supporting their online packages with lots of great games.

Andy Price
VP North America, Criterion
2002
2002 was Criterion's best year. There are now 250 titles in development using RenderWare. Developers are now leveraging the power of good middleware in a big way in order to get time back for differentiating gameplay and content. This was one of the biggest trends in game development 2002.
2003
I think in 2003 there will be a lot of interest from publishers and developers in new platforms and strategies.

Marc Saltzman
Syndicated video games journalist, author, radio & TV personality
2002
Content-wise, I think 2002 was an extremely strong year for all three consoles (especially the PS2 and first-party GameCube titles), not to mention some killer RPGs, action titles and strategy games on the PC. It's also good to see all three console manufacturers getting serious about online gaming (something that'll likely come into its own over the next two years). Now, if you don't mind, I've got a few missions to tackle in Vice City...
2003
Looks like the video game industry has much to offer in 2003, including the largest library of console software to date, massively-multiplayer PC diversions such as The Sims Online and Star Wars Galaxies and more creative integration of devices such as GBA & GameCube, PDAs & cell phone games and of course, online console gaming. Even though I'm waist-full in killer games right now, I can hardly wait to see what's on the horizon for '03. Somebody pinch me!

George Sanger
The Fat Man
2002
Hello? Is this thing on? You should be hearing something. Hello?
2003
The word is _still_ LOVE.

Bruce Shelley
Ensemble Studios/Microsoft
2002
2002 was the best year ever for the interactive game industry. The competition in the console world delivered the best lineup of console games ever and the PC world responded with their best games ever as well. It has been a great year to be playing, making, and selling games.
2003
We will be watching the continuing console competition and see if the PC world continues to respond with great games of its own. We see another banner year coming.

Paul Steed
3d Artist, Animator & Author
2002
2002 was an amazing year once again for an industry that now surpasses virtually every other form of electronic entertainment. With the horsepower of the new consoles and the increased power of processors and graphics cards there is no such thing as "low poly" anymore.
2003
In 2003 you'll see the consoles hit the online gaming scene, even better art and even more growth in the industry. While the technological advancements will make it easier to experience a richer gaming experience, hopefully someone will start formally pushing the envelope in terms of gaming content. The time for more adult-themed genres is at hand.

Yu Suzuki
Executive Officer, SEGA Corporation
2002
This year, game companies have had some tough competition as they create titles for the new console platforms. As a result, gamers have been challenged to wade through a flood of titles to make their purchase decisions. Meanwhile, the market has seen an increased demand for unique games with special features.
2003
The game market will be the biggest ever in 2003 -- there will be more titles available than ever before. A key factor that will determine the success of game companies is if they can produce a blockbuster title with truly unique features. Other important factors will be how companies differentiate themselves through PR activities, and if they can establish a new genre to stand out from the pack.