I read the line the TC said about "why would removing singleplayer and making it a multiplayer-only title affect the industry?" and I just started laughing because they obviously have no idea the domino-effect that decisions like this have on the industry.
"Oh, I say.. I have this fabulous idea, let's remove the single-player aspect of a game altogether and just make it a multi-player game!"
"Reginald, you cad! That's a brilliant idea!"
*sometime later*
"Ginger, did you see what Company X just did? They cut out all that development time AND removed wasteful spending on things like cut-scenes, music, and CGI.. and they're raking in the money!"
"I know, darling, we HAVE to get in on it! I'll go let Square-Enix know, right away.. I'm sure Gladis will just die if I don't tell her we can make the next FF a fighting game - it worked out so well with Ergheiz, after all!"
*even later*
"Games for practically nothing, and we're still charging full price! Why the hell didn't we think of this sooner?!"
"I'm not sure, Herb, but I think we were waiting for the general public to become so wretchedly stupid that they'd actually support something like this."
I'm being cynical, witty, and quite silly. But the point still stands. You make something like this, and it sells, and the next you know there is going to be many, many attempts to cash in on this. Look at how many of the older series have taken to putting mini-games into their games cause one person did it and it worked out for them. Hell, go back and look at Final Fantasy and Tomb Raider, they got away with Tifa and Lara's designs, now women with big breasts and very little character development are commonplace in the industry - they actually make games where that's all you see! Oh, and they're multiplayer games, who would've thought!
I'm sorry, but no.. insofar as I dislike the Call of Duty games, anyhow.. if I WERE to play one, you can bet your bullocks it won't be for the gods-damned multiplayer. Most actual game critics and reviewers who aren't being paid to say something is good will tell you that multi-player isn't what over 70% of the gamer populace is actually buying games for. While many may dabble in the multi-player, most will be hitting the single player first, if they touch it at all.
Turok Rage Wars and Metroid Prime: Hunters tried leaning towards the "oh let's just forget about single-player and focus on the real point of the game, and neither went over well. Even Starcraft players will often tell you that what got them into the game was the campaigns and they just stayed for the multiplayer.
