Q&A with Andrew Montgomery
Over the last several decades, the unprecedented surge in the video game industry has led to its rise as THE titan in the global entertainment and media sector.
The surge is not expected to stop anytime soon with a projected revenue growth from $262 billion in 2023 to $312 billion in 2027.* AI is the catalyst for this growth, enabling game developers to create more immersive, accessible, and profitable games.
In this Q&A, our VP of Strategy Andrew Montgomery, a 20-year veteran of data strategy, will discuss the future of gaming and AI. We’ll delve into his insights on the most exciting area of gaming, the biggest AI challenge for 2025, and practical advice for teams integrating AI into their development life cycle.
What area of gaming excites you the most?
Player analytics because I have been in data science for most of my career. I see so many interesting things happening in player behavior analysis. AI is used to gather and analyze vast amounts of player data, providing insights into player behavior, preferences, and engagement patterns. This helps in making informed decisions for game updates and new features.
With predictive analytics, AI models predict player churn, in-game spending, and other key metrics, enabling better strategic planning and targeted engagement efforts.
This is where smart organizations can lean into new avenues of growth. With rich profiles and player insights, brands can bring forward cross-title offerings and mashups that excite and draw new customers to their brand. In the digital worlds that are informed and shaped by AI, anything is possible.
When you think about AI in gaming, which challenge should organizations focus on in 2025?
I think organizations in the gaming space are rightly focused on scaling their titles and improving player retention, and system interoperability combined with advancements in AI are key to achieving those business outcomes. Additionally, the notion of what constitutes a “gaming platform” has continued to evolve. It is no longer just a console or a PC but includes everything from handheld devices to mobile phones, tablets, and wearables. The diversity of platforms in conjunction with the legacy infrastructure many game brands are built on creates a significant barrier to AI adoption.
Thankfully, with the rise of modern computing from system virtualization and cloud computing, models and languages can find new life in build-once-deploy-anywhere ecosystems. This provides some reprieve but ultimately architecting and designing gaming frameworks is an essential step in creating a game platform that can scale.
As a data strategist for many years, what is your advice for teams who want to integrate AI into their development life cycle?
Quickly understanding data gaps is pivotal for integrating AI into the dev cycle for many reasons including building and securing confidence with stakeholders.
It’s important to realize what looks good with simulated data may not be achievable in practice for many reasons. Commonly identified issues include system interoperability, data quality, and data governance. It is critical to understand gaps and mitigation strategies early while evaluating and prioritizing use cases to develop. Stakeholder support can be lost if you experience too many false starts.
As we look ahead to 2025, I’m excited to see how AI continues to shape the future of gaming. For any organization looking to level up with impactful AI capabilities, I encourage you to reach out. Let’s discuss how we can partner to unlock the full potential of AI.
Sources:
- Jon Wakelin and Alex Baker, “Top 5 developments driving growth for video games,” pwc (blog), 16 January, 2024, https://www.pwc.com/us/en/tech-effect/emerging-tech/emerging-technology-trends-in-the-gaming-industry
Andrew Montgomery, vice president of strategy, is an experienced technology executive and data strategist with 20+ years of experience with Fortune 500 companies. Andy’s focus is helping customers unlock their data to simplify business complexities and reshape business outcomes.
