Single Player gamers, do you think the industry is moving away from you?

[mitchell271]

-snip-

2 things. First, this would be better with a poll. Second, they're not moving, they've moved. Ever since Halo and Call of Duty and the death of the arcade, online multiplayer is the way to make your money now.

 

[Epona]

It seems companies are now beginning to abandon single player. Talk of Portal 2 being the last single player focused type of game from Valve. Blizzard's single player mode is basically to play an MMO by yourself. I would have preferred KOTOR III to another damn MMO and I would have preferred Age of Empires 4 to the Age of Empires Online.

Do you think that if this keeps up, you will lose interest in gaming in the near future?

I think the real question is whether soon will you need internet just play games?

Yep, I don't consider online single player to be true single player, especially when companies do stupid things like prevent you from cheating or not allowing you to pause. True single player allows you to do both of those things because it's offline and it doesn't have the possibility of affecting anyone else. Keep your internet away from my single player games, that's my attitude.

 

[ZeroMachine]

No.

... Seriously, I've made this argument so many fucking times, that from now on, I'm just going to say "no".

If we really need to explain it THAT MANY TIMES, there's something wrong.

If you aren't going to explain, why post here?

Because some things don't need to explained after they've been said hundreds of times, but they still need to be basically said.

It's like answering the question "did the US government cause 9/11"?

People can easily say "no" without explaining because the idea that we'd have done that to ourselves is just silly. We shouldn't have to explain that. Just like how I shouldn't have to explain that there are tons of great single player games/campaigns/sections out now.

I posted here because it needed to be said. We shouldn't have to endlessly refute that argument. It just plain old isn't true.

 

[CommanderL]

I remember the days where i would spend 2 hours digging through the PSX area at the local blockbuster trying to find a multiplayer game that wasn't sports based, because I had a friend coming over for the weekend, and we couldn't coop in any of my other games because they were well made single player experiences. what happened to that? now every game has some multi aspect, which is the only thing people care about anymore. just because there's a handful of new games like that, doesn't mean that handful doesn't keep getting smaller every year.

i remember this now days its the same problem beacuse no game has split screen anymore to be honest i like tor you can survive just fine playing alone and if you do get to deep a random will save your ass

 

[aba1]

It seems companies are now beginning to abandon single player. Talk of Portal 2 being the last single player focused type of game from Valve. Blizzard's single player mode is basically to play an MMO by yourself. I would have preferred KOTOR III to another damn MMO and I would have preferred Age of Empires 4 to the Age of Empires Online.

Do you think that if this keeps up, you will lose interest in gaming in the near future?

I think the real question is whether soon will you need internet just play games?

Yep, I don't consider online single player to be true single player, especially when companies do stupid things like prevent you from cheating or not allowing you to pause. True single player allows you to do both of those things because it's offline and it doesn't have the possibility of affecting anyone else. Keep your internet away from my single player games, that's my attitude.

sad part is it is already happening slowly I mean just look at dlc the line between extra content and content they hold out is become more and more questionable and games like arkham city are holding out portions of the single player experience and you need internet to get it. There is also steam XBLA PSN all let you download games sure innocent if people want there games this way but you cannot play any of these games if you arn't online

 

[AndyFromMonday]

With the advent of Call of Duty publishers have attempted to shift the focus from Single-Player to Multiplayer, specifically to a closed network system which will allow them to better exploit their customers. That's why a lot of games are forcing gamer's to be constantly connected to the internet.

 

[Epona]

No.

... Seriously, I've made this argument so many fucking times, that from now on, I'm just going to say "no".

If we really need to explain it THAT MANY TIMES, there's something wrong.

If you aren't going to explain, why post here?

Because some things don't need to explained after they've been said hundreds of times, but they still need to be basically said.

It's like answering the question "did the US government cause 9/11"?

People can easily say "no" without explaining because the idea that we'd have done that to ourselves is just silly. We shouldn't have to explain that. Just like how I shouldn't have to explain that there are tons of great single player games/campaigns/sections out now.

I posted here because it needed to be said. We shouldn't have to endlessly refute that argument. It just plain old isn't true.

I haven't read your argument so just saying No isn't telling me anything. If you aren't going to explain, then why even bother to post because some of the people aren't going to know your argument.

 

[VaudevillianVeteran]

In some ways but we're not totally forgotten about, looking at upcoming releases, we're definitely being catered for. Though sometimes SP is skimped on to spend more time developing the MP.

 

[retyopy]

1 word: SKY-FUCKING-RIM. And yes, that is one word, hyphens are just there for coherence.

 

[fragmaster09]

I'm not so sure about that. Many companies (like Bioware) still emphasize story , which is largely single player focused. CoD has brilliant multi- and singleplayer. Blizzard games have brilliant Single Player! Starcraft was rich and varied. I haven't played Diablo 3 yet, but its co-op is entirely optional.

So, no, games may be using more multiplayer, etc., but it doesn't have to affect singleplayer. Mass Effect 3's multiplayer is being developed by a completely different group from the SP team.

yet is still find CoD's singleplayer storytelling good, but not the actual GAMEPLAy, and i find multiplayer infuriating, with everyone but me with insane reflexes and snap accuracy, along with the ability to use a good gun and not have them all unusable to you(as in BlOps)

 

[Skoosh]

I really hope it isn't, because I play 95% singleplayer games. I think certain genres are moving away from singleplayer, but I doubt they will ever completely abandon it. Other genres are going strong without multiplayer.

I'd just like to see more games that aren't trying to do it all. There are a few out there that obviously are only there for the multiplayer and a lot that tack on a crappy multiplayer for no reason. Just make the game you want to make, we don't need token multiplayer mode in every game, nor do we need a bullshit story mode that no one plays.

 

[Epona]

1 word: SKY-FUCKING-RIM. And yes, that is one word, hyphens are just there for coherence.

Wow, you managed to list one Single Player game without any multiplayer. Want a cookie?

 

[NastoK]

We saw the wonderful story emphasis of Dragon Age 2. Hell, these days I think Bioware wants to make either MMO's or dating sims.

Not sure if you're being sarcastic there, but it did indeed have a wonderful emphasis on storytelling.

If you are talking about Starcraft 2, the one that encourages you to play single player online, I wouldn't know as the DRM drove me away.

I'm not a fan of the "must be online to play" scheme, but what a story it was.

Mass Effect 3's multiplayer is being developed by a completely different group from the SP team.

And to you I have this to say:

"Both studios work together as partners, lead by the core Mass Effect team, unified in a single vision," Priestly explained. "Under the direction of Casey Hudson and other team veterans, both studios make contributions to both the single player and multiplayer modes in Mass Effect 3."

That said, yes, I believe singleplayer games are slowly dissipating, and that makes me sad :C

 

[Treblaine]

It seems companies are now beginning to abandon single player. Talk of Portal 2 being the last single player focused type of game from Valve. Blizzard's single player mode is basically to play an MMO by yourself. I would have preferred KOTOR III to another damn MMO and I would have preferred Age of Empires 4 to the Age of Empires Online.

Do you think that if this keeps up, you will lose interest in gaming in the near future?

Hmm, co-op was still very much a separate after thought for Portal 2.

COD series however the single player component has gone from genre defining in COD4 to unbearable in Black Ops while the multiplayer has remained fun and relevant. The next COD game could honestly be 100% multiplayer (Co-op single player campaign much like Spec Ops) and I think it would sell better and is very unlikely to dent sales.

I think the thing is it is just easier to drop multiplayer into games, consider how Mass Effect 3 is the third iteration on the same engine and assets, its almost inevitable that "look into online options" becomes "hey, we've got a lot of ideas for online that could work".

I think its an exaggeration to say singleplayer game modes are being marginalised considering the hype for games that lack any significant online component like:

-Arkham City
-Skyrim
-Witcher 2
-Fallout 3+ series
-LA Noire
-Bioshock Infinite
-Dark Souls
-Zelda: Skyward Sword

I think it's just a case of many publishers mandating a "box to tick" with online, like Uncharted 2 getting online. it doesn't really need it, but I bet a few critics knocked 5% off their score because "Hurr, Uncharted 1 ain't got no multiplayer" even if it doesn't do anything special.

 

[Rad Party God]

Singleplayer as such will not die anytime soon, but admitedly, it's evolving and some may not like how it's evolving. Valve didn't say that they won't ever do a singleplayer again, rather, they said they won't do a singleplayer game, as in a completely solitary experience, something like Portal 2's coop mode, so if they'll release (if ever) Ep3/HL3, it'll include coop in some fashion, something akin to Gears of War or Resident Evil 5, where you're never entirely alone and anyone, locally or online, can jump into your game at any time and start playing together.

Wether you like it or not, it's entirely subjective.

Another example of this is Dark Souls or Demons Souls, where there's multiplayer in some form, but the core experience is still singleplayer.

 

[dessertmonkeyjk]

There are some things you can't pull off in Single Player and vice versa especially story telling. It's easy to have a battle royal but not as easy to do co-op in mass quantity when coordination is key.

Don't see it happening anytime soon... although unrestricted co-op integration into the solo campaign such as Bioshock Infinite with dynamic narrative flow would be awesome.

 

[orangeban]

Eh, sorta. Not really, but there's evidence. Exhibit A: Online All-The-Time DRM. You know one of the main reasons I like singleplayer gaming? I can play without being online, a luxury not provided with multiplayer games. But apparently game companies have nothing but contempt for me and my neanderthalic not-having-a-perfect-internet-connection ways.

Exhibit B: Single-player franchises moving towards multiplayer. Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed. Two big singleplayer games that went multiplayer. And I reckon' this illustrates a problem with this industry, the idea that a lack of multiplayer is a bad thing. No, it's just a different thing. This idea is so ridiculous, imagine if you saw a review for the latest 50 Cent album and noticed they had criticised it for not including folk music. It would be absurd! But this is exactly what keeps happening with games!

Though don't get too hysterical now, some companies do recognize that single-player isn't the devil and that success can be made without multiplayer.

Edit: Without wishing to derail, I will point out that I think the industry is moving away from local multiplayer. More and more games come out that have no local multiplayer, forcing you to have to play online or do a system linkup.

 

[Torrasque]

I think there is more pressure in the gaming market for multiplayer games, since they have the potential to last longer, but there are still single player games with absolutely no multiplayer.
Gamers that play single player games seem to be more hardcore fans about their games, which developers must love.

If games that would have been single player 5 years ago, were being jimmy rigged into multiplayer games, then I would say "yes, the gaming industry is abandoning us single player gamers", but Skyrim didn't get a multiplayer mode for the sake of having one, and if the last 5 years are anything to go on, single player games are still going strong.

I think you might be under the impression that the FPS craze that has the gaming spotlight right now, is the direction gaming is going.
Which I dearly hope it is not...

 

[tthor]

lol no. Tho multiplayer is good for some things, its horrible for others. single player will always have a strong place in games.