(Image courtesy of Jon Peddie Research.)
Since the 1970s, the CG industry has been one spurred on by rapid growth. Though the industry has been able to push through the most recent recession, a decline in PC and mobile sales has sapped much of the vigor that the industry once enjoyed.
But it’s not all doom and gloom for the CG market. In the past year a number of APIs including Google’s OpenGL extensions, Apple’s Metal, Microsoft’s DirectX 12 and others have given rise to more immersive graphic experiences. For those working on the cutting edge of computer graphics, purchasing new hardware that can utilize these new tools has fueled some growth.
In addition to APIs, some of the CG market’s growth has been catalyzed by a steadily growing CAD/CAM segment of the market. JPR predicts that through 2019 the CAD/CAM software market will continue to grow as new approaches to design will be introduced to the automotive, aerospace and architectural modeling industries. What those new design approaches might be isn’t defined. However, one could imagine tools like generative design, simulation driven design, model based design and the proliferation of 3D PDF technology energizing the CG industry.
Still, even with those upsides, the CG industry continues to struggle.
While JPR’s forecast is for continued CG lethargy, the firm does acknowledge that a number of factors could shake the industry out of its doldrums.
First, the web could be a huge driver for technological adoption. With greater access to information, consumers are beginning to create more content of their own, share it and learn to use more tools to communicate and express themselves. This drive to learn could lead to a marked uptick in CG market sales. What’s more, the demand for skilled programmers, designers and artists who specialize in gaming, augmented reality and virtual reality is growing. With more firms opening up to do business in those markets CG could pick up.
Though JPR has concerns about the growth of the CG industry, it’s hard to see it going anywhere soon. Like any mature industry, where prices are dropping, there’s bound to be a lag in growth. But computers aren’t going anywhere and graphics will continue to become more crisp, immersive and realistic. Because of those factors I imagine we’ll see steady growth in the CG market for decades to come.