( CNN ) -- With 2013 firmly in the rearview mirror , the movers and shakers of the video gaming industry are focusing on where the next 12 months will take us . With new platforms and consoles available and more people playing games on smartphones and tablets , the future appears to be open to a vast array of possibilities . We asked four industry players what they think the next year will look like . Each offered a few specifics and a broader view about what will be important to game makers and players . Many expect 2013 's releases of new hardware and software platforms -- most notably , the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles -- to spur creativity in game development and delivery . Here 's what they told us : . Ken Levine , creative director , Irrational Games . `` 2013 was the year of the left field : crowdfunding , the Steam box , in-house streaming . 2014 is the year we 're going to start to see how that changes the space . The majority of old-school developers I know now have gone into more personal , niche titles ; ( it ) reminds me of when many of the great PC studios ( BioWare , Bungie , Bethesda ) started developing console games in the early 2000s . `` Being in gaming is like being in music in the '60s , but there 's a new British invasion like every three years . I think disruption is generally a good thing . It keeps us on our toes as developers and usually yields dividends for gamers . '' Jean-Michel Detoc , managing director , Ubisoft Mobile . `` We 've seen the mobile industry consistently evolve over the past five years and , in my opinion , 2014 will be no exception . I anticipate the trends in 2013 -- increased time spent playing games on mobile devices and a shift to 'freemium ' pricing in games -- will continue to grow in 2014 . `` With more than 2 billion smart devices currently activated and the increased availability of low-end smart devices , the mobile market has never been stronger or reached such a mass audience . Gaming has expanded to represent around a third of time spent on connected devices , and I am confident gaming will confirm its position as one of the core uses on those devices in 2014 . `` Additionally , as app quality as a whole continues to improve , we will see fewer applications , but with more budget and ambition put behind them . The last important trend I believe we will see is the extension of 'freemium ' mobile games to new devices such as smartwatches and smart TVs . '' Geoff Keighley , host , Spike TV . `` 2014 will be a monumental year for the gaming industry . Both the Xbox One and PS4 will continue to grow their install base , and we will begin to see more games built specifically to take advantage of the next generation hardware . Already fans are anticipating the birth of new franchises like 'Titanfall ' and 'Destiny . ' `` That said , 2014 will be a year of experimentation . We will see more games on tablets , new business models birthed by the rise of digital distribution , the continued growth of eSports and exciting new ventures like Valve 's Steam box . `` What used to be a race between three console manufacturers for dominance has diversified into dozens of companies carving out their own market segments . '' Wallace Santos , CEO and founder , Maingear . `` 2014 is going to bring a lot of new and exciting technologies to gamers . The big story this year is the advances that AMD and NVIDIA are making with GPUs ( faster processors for graphics ) that make 4K gaming a reality . Next year we 'll see those 4K panels come down in price . `` With exciting technologies like AMD 's Mantle API , designed to max out the performance capabilities of your graphics card , and NVIDIA 's G-SYNC , designed to deliver silky smooth gaming , there 's a whole lot to get excited about . `` And then there 's the peripherals like the Oculus Rift . With gaming legend John Carmack joining the company , we can be sure to see great things from them as well . And let 's not forget the Steam OS . It 'll be interesting to see how this new entrant into the gaming market fares alongside the next generation gaming consoles . As always , it 's a great time to be a gamer . '' What gaming trends to do expect this year ? Tell us in the comments below .
Four experts discuss where video gaming is headed in 2014 . Many say the release of new hardware and software platforms will spur creativity . Spike TV News says 2014 will be ` ` a monumental year for the gaming industry '' Several cite the success of the Rift , the virtual - reality headset .