Game technology report from Perforce reveals role of game engines

Perforce Software, the DevOps company for global teams requiring speed, quality, security and governance at scale along the development lifecycle, announces the release of the 2024 State of Game Technology Report. This year's study, conducted in collaboration with JetBrains - a global software company specializing in the creation of intelligent, productivity-enhancing tools - compiles data from practitioners, senior management, and executives in gaming, media & entertainment, automotive, and manufacturing to take a deeper look at the widespread adoption of game technology.

Perforce research highlights the expanding role of game engines: 50% of responses indicate use beyond gaming

Garnering responses from 64 countries, the report identifies many of the motivations fueling game technology adoption and reveals a significant shift for game engine use. 50% of survey responses note use of game engines for projects outside of gaming - including 3D art creation (9%), film or television (8%), marketing (7%), and digital twins (6%).

"The report's findings on game engine use aligns with the unprecedented adoption of game technology we've seen in other industries. I really credit the game developers. They have pioneered versatile workflows, around a set of foundational tools, that streamline collaboration and manage complexity at a global scale," says Brad Hart, CTO and VP of Product Management of Digital Creation at Perforce.

"We see a huge opportunity in generative AI, especially in the game development segment following the recent breakthroughs of AI applications in both the development process and in-game mechanics," adds Vladislav Tankov, Head of JetBrains AI.

Given the trend for workforce consolidation in highly technical fields, the report also gathers insights from job seekers and employers on the values and skillsets most valued today. Interestingly, respondents in every industry noted 'availability and access to senior leadership' (90% overall) as more important than 'the ability to work remotely' (81% overall). When considering hiring new team members, 98% of managers surveyed rated the 'ability to learn new skills' as the most important trait.

The 2024 State of Technology Report can be downloaded in its entirety today. Leaders from Perforce and JetBrains also invite all industry professionals and newcomers to join them for a live discussion of the report's key findings on Thursday, Sept. 12.

Game developers have always been at the forefront of innovation, that’s why we believe their practices, tools and technology have been gaining traction across industries, revolutionizing how organizations approach digital creation.

State of Game Technology Report findings

In our State of Game Technology Report, featuring insights from JetBrains, we explored this trend by compiling data from practitioners, senior management, and executives in high-growth sectors such as gaming, media & entertainment, automotive, and manufacturing. The report takes a deeper look at the widespread adoption of game technology and generative AI, while also identifying key challenges faced by organizations.

• We've hit an inflection point on game technology adoption across industries, with 50% of survey responses noting use of game engines for projects outside of gaming.
• Funding is the top challenge listed by respondents (36%), with the need felt strongest in media & entertainment (42%), education (42%), and gaming (37%), and least in the APAC region (28%).  
• Respondents in every industry note ‘availability and access to senior leadership’ (90% overall) as more important than ‘the ability to work remotely’ (81% overall).
• Media & entertainment respondents demonstrate the most diverse AI toolkit, with a significant portion using ChatGPT (56%), Midjourney (35%), DALL-E (25%), and GitHub Copilot (15%).