And Sony.
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Polygon: "Solo is going the way of the Dodo" (in ref to huge budget Western games)
- Thread starter facetheslayer92
- Start date
And Square Enix.
PaulBizkit
Member
what a bunch of fucking attention whores. Polygon is basically Clickbait - The Website.
Yeah, there are several MMOs that are popular, but you can't have too many or the market would get saturated as fuck. Look at battleborn and lawbreakers, they are the proof that a MMO game won't sell just because is an MMO (there are many other problems with those games, though).
EA's SWBattlefront 2 will see a harder push on sales thanks to the story mode.
Yeah, there are several MMOs that are popular, but you can't have too many or the market would get saturated as fuck. Look at battleborn and lawbreakers, they are the proof that a MMO game won't sell just because is an MMO (there are many other problems with those games, though).
EA's SWBattlefront 2 will see a harder push on sales thanks to the story mode.
Raven117
Member
Its just a matter of managing the budget for the games and delivering quality.
Skyrim, Witcher 3 were blockbusters because they managed their budget correctly and delivered a quality experience.,
Assassins Creed Origins (while perhaps wont be as awesome as the previous two) will
likely do very well.
Skyrim, Witcher 3 were blockbusters because they managed their budget correctly and delivered a quality experience.,
Assassins Creed Origins (while perhaps wont be as awesome as the previous two) will
likely do very well.
Just on the already announced stuff
Wolfenstein 2
Xenoblade 2
Assassin's Creed Origins
God of War
RDR2 (probably will have 'some' MP, but unlikely focus)
Detroit
Spider-Man
Days Gone
Last of Us Part 2 (same as RDR2)
WilD
Death Stranding (going on a leg here)
...
I don't see how it's disappearing entirely... But certainly some Publishers have become very risk adverse and going where the (seemingly) big bucks for (probably) less investment are.
Wolfenstein 2
Xenoblade 2
Assassin's Creed Origins
God of War
RDR2 (probably will have 'some' MP, but unlikely focus)
Detroit
Spider-Man
Days Gone
Last of Us Part 2 (same as RDR2)
WilD
Death Stranding (going on a leg here)
...
I don't see how it's disappearing entirely... But certainly some Publishers have become very risk adverse and going where the (seemingly) big bucks for (probably) less investment are.
titiklabingapat
Member
Single player games will always be here. There is obvious demand for it.
What will disappear are the budgets. This is basically what was prophesized when HD budgets started ballooning like crazy at the dawn of the PS360Wii gen.
What will disappear are the budgets. This is basically what was prophesized when HD budgets started ballooning like crazy at the dawn of the PS360Wii gen.
Audioboxer
Member
It's more a case of you'll actually get an industry leading single player experience worthy of $60 even if you don't care about MP. I didn't play any UC or TLoU MP for any length of time. I don't even think I actually played TLoU MP at all (someone is going to be angry at this).
Yes, MP might help these games out financially with DLC and whatever, but the issue with some other "SP/MP" games like the incoming Battlefront 2, is do not expect anything like the calibre of a ND SP experience. It's literally tacked on shit, or generic run of the mill SP to have it as a bullet point on the back of the box.
Plus, I don't think ND is going to be putting loot boxes and other bullshit distractions in their SP portion of their games just quite yet. Some other SP portions of games are already going that way.
Naudyboy16
Member
I'm a person who loves Single Player games, back when I was in high school and gamed with my buddies ( a lot of Halo 2 online) multiplayer was my stuff. I'm 30 now and all I want to do is play a game on my own time. Most, not all online communities are somewhat savage. Either you get a group of kids tossing racial slurs or you get into a group of well trained soilders and you're getting blasted with no luck.
But I understand where games are going and it's definitely the service model. My only hope is that we still get games that have single player components. I get multiplayer is where most developers get their money now, but I hope they don't abandon giving us an entertaining single player narrative game anymore.
I still play Halo, i hope the Single Player is just as engaging as it's ever been. It just seems like games like Horizon: Zero Dawn are going to die out to the likes of games with shot single players but deep multiplayers.
But I understand where games are going and it's definitely the service model. My only hope is that we still get games that have single player components. I get multiplayer is where most developers get their money now, but I hope they don't abandon giving us an entertaining single player narrative game anymore.
I still play Halo, i hope the Single Player is just as engaging as it's ever been. It just seems like games like Horizon: Zero Dawn are going to die out to the likes of games with shot single players but deep multiplayers.
Im always disappointed when I see people counter this argument with niche games or games that may not even have really performed. We just saw news yesterday that dead space didnt do it for EA despite 4 million sold. Is anyone sure horizon did well?
I think if you just look at the output if publishers over time, its clear where this is going even if single player games are not 100% omg eradicated completely.
Single player games can still have mtx and be gaas and other dumb crap.
I think if you just look at the output if publishers over time, its clear where this is going even if single player games are not 100% omg eradicated completely.
Single player games can still have mtx and be gaas and other dumb crap.
Unity2012
Member
[ ]"including Bethesda Softworks Dishonored 2 and Prey, Square Enixs Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and Ubisofts Watch Dogs 2."[ ]
Well, for me the real problem, in this case, is that I didn't care much for some of those games. I only own Deus Ex from that list--and could not even finish it. I think that what we need is "Fresh and exciting Ideas along with good stories," even if you are making a sequel.
I certainly hope SP games evolve but do not disappear. Great games like The Witcher 3, Horizon and Breath of the Wild are perfect examples of developing great ideas that sell. If you make them, we will buy them. The latest in-game money traps are, in my opinion, degrading the quality of development in the industry.
Well, for me the real problem, in this case, is that I didn't care much for some of those games. I only own Deus Ex from that list--and could not even finish it. I think that what we need is "Fresh and exciting Ideas along with good stories," even if you are making a sequel.
I certainly hope SP games evolve but do not disappear. Great games like The Witcher 3, Horizon and Breath of the Wild are perfect examples of developing great ideas that sell. If you make them, we will buy them. The latest in-game money traps are, in my opinion, degrading the quality of development in the industry.
LOLCats
Banned
Just because EA has no soul anymore and can't generate unique and good single player games doesn't mean its the end.
Personally i feel Bethesda produced games like Prey and Dishonored, Brink, Rage just are not good enough to hit it with the masses. You cant say the SP AAA market is dying because of that...
typical Polygon
Personally i feel Bethesda produced games like Prey and Dishonored, Brink, Rage just are not good enough to hit it with the masses. You cant say the SP AAA market is dying because of that...
typical Polygon
Garrett Hawke
Member
Its happening
2019-2020 is going to be awful if you like AAA single player
I expect it to come back around tho when people get tired of multiplayer, which will happen
2019-2020 is going to be awful if you like AAA single player
I expect it to come back around tho when people get tired of multiplayer, which will happen
moltonasty
Member
BS click bait article.
YES, SP gaming is becoming more rare and major publishers don't want to put the money in to it, compared to MP focused titles.
Does that mean they'll stop existing? No. Nintendo, indies, and the occasional big publisher will keep that going forever, as there will always be a market there.
YES, SP gaming is becoming more rare and major publishers don't want to put the money in to it, compared to MP focused titles.
Does that mean they'll stop existing? No. Nintendo, indies, and the occasional big publisher will keep that going forever, as there will always be a market there.
SolidSnakex
Member
I mean, Sony alone has TLoU
II, Spider-Man, Detroit, God of War, Days Gone etc. coming up. And just a few months ago Shawn Layden said this
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/w...ions-shawn-layden-death-stranding-spider-man/
II, Spider-Man, Detroit, God of War, Days Gone etc. coming up. And just a few months ago Shawn Layden said thishttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/w...ions-shawn-layden-death-stranding-spider-man/
MiamiWesker
Member
Whether or not this spells doom for big budget linear action games it's sad to see if come to this. That line where EA says they had players complain about the game when testing, who the hell are these people, I hate these people, go away and go play something else! I could have had my uncharted Star Wars and now it's going to be some loot infested thing most likely.
And I am most afraid for the linear part of this story. Single player games are still everywhere but almost all have some form of open world. Good design, hand crafted linear games are a rare breed and to me still the best experiences gaming has.
This just sucks all around.
And I am most afraid for the linear part of this story. Single player games are still everywhere but almost all have some form of open world. Good design, hand crafted linear games are a rare breed and to me still the best experiences gaming has.
This just sucks all around.
this is ridiculous. i will echo what I said in the lawbreakers thread and say that, just like the MMO gold rush after WoW, there is going to be a period where developers are focusing on multiplayer and games as a service because they see how good the return on investment is. What they're not counting on, is that much of the player base who cares about this sort of thing is already going to be entrenched in their game of choice, be it PUBG, or Overwatch, or Dota2 or whatever. Drawing people away from whatever community they are already entrenched in is going to be hard, because they need to not just hook this one person but all their friends as well.
Primarily single player games face none of these hardships. People will buy them and then not even finish them (this shit happens all the time) and they can do that happily without engaging in additional purchases like loot boxes or whatever else. There is no requirement that the player remain engaged with the product after that initial purchase.
Primarily single player games face none of these hardships. People will buy them and then not even finish them (this shit happens all the time) and they can do that happily without engaging in additional purchases like loot boxes or whatever else. There is no requirement that the player remain engaged with the product after that initial purchase.
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
Sure didn't help TF2. They advertised the hell that the game now has a campaign, more so than BF1 advertised their campaign.
Definitely this.
Another good example is DOOM, SP is excellent. The MP? Not so much.
Shawn Layden spoke positively about it selling 3.4 mil, and that was in June. It has to have at least another mil under its belt by now.
Is that "doing well"? I don't know, but Sony sure doesn't speak of it like it is underperforming.
If we're looking for a single player game that will under perform, just wait until Detroit comes out. I'll be blown away if that doesn't bomb.
Case in Point:
but I can't speak to the Western AAA market or what AAA Western publisher want to do
One of those can be disputed, but to so would be a MASSIVE spoiler...
Those who finished it know what I'm talking about. But maybe there is an "Offline" solution built in?
Spieler Eins
Member
Nioh is the most successful Toei Tecmo game, Persona 5 I take it one of the most successful for Atlus. Resident Evil 7 will be one of the most successful coop-less Capcom games. Nier and Crash Bandicoot shattered all expectations.
Raven117
Member
Sony also has a few other metrics in mind when it comes to exclusives. (IE, did people buy a ps4 to play it).
shnurgleton
Member
When single player games are gone, I will stop playing video games
Kev, I am not sure about Horizon numbers.
What I am sure about is that this is an EA management problem, not an industry one.
BRocknRolla
Member
I don't disagree with the points in the article. (I think the "Dodo" analogy is inaccurate, but I understand it was being used as a turn of phrase.)
There's a world in which we could have both. Where budgets are appropriate, profits are realistic, and sales could be viewed in a totality of published projects instead of individual required targets. But more and more, AAA video games publishers seem less interested in that, and all in on wanting the biggest, most bombastic, most popular thing. (And all the while asking for a continuous revenue stream while people play.)
I sincerely hope this doesn't lead to another video game crash, but it certainly seems likely.
There's a world in which we could have both. Where budgets are appropriate, profits are realistic, and sales could be viewed in a totality of published projects instead of individual required targets. But more and more, AAA video games publishers seem less interested in that, and all in on wanting the biggest, most bombastic, most popular thing. (And all the while asking for a continuous revenue stream while people play.)
I sincerely hope this doesn't lead to another video game crash, but it certainly seems likely.
3.4m sold in 3 months on 1 platform (before it shot right back up the sales charts at $40 price drop)?
Yeah, it did very well. Anecdotaly, it's the 4th most sold title (SKU) this entire year on Amazon, behind Zelda, MK8 and Odyssey.
Eh, the persistent multiplayer market will get crowded real soon, and there's only so many online games you can keep playing at a given time, which makes the competition even tougher. Multiplayer focused games bombing will be more and more common, until publishers decide it's time to go back to single player content.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
From Software will save us. I'm not worried.
From Software don't make a lot of single player games these days. They know which side their bread is buttered (Jolly Cooperation!)
drotahorror
Member
Breath of the Wild.
I bet Mario Odyssey is gonna print money. The new God of War. The Last of Us 2.
I'm sure Shadow of War is over 1 million already.
Typical garbage from polygon.
I bet Mario Odyssey is gonna print money. The new God of War. The Last of Us 2.
I'm sure Shadow of War is over 1 million already.
Typical garbage from polygon.
kruis
Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
Single-player games are the only reaon I play videogames. I never ever play online. I just don't. And I'm not the only one.
I don't think videogame publishers realize that by concentrating on online "games as a service" AAA games, they'll accelerate the shrinkage of the videogames market.
I don't think videogame publishers realize that by concentrating on online "games as a service" AAA games, they'll accelerate the shrinkage of the videogames market.
Ordinaryundone
Member
Gotta love how reactionary the gaming media is. Just a few months ago we were hearing all about how it was the new renaissance of SP gaming after Nier, Yakuza 5, RE7, Horizon, BotW etc. came out. And now SP games are dead.
Get ready for "The Return of Single Player gaming?!" in a few weeks after Mario Odyssey hits.
Get ready for "The Return of Single Player gaming?!" in a few weeks after Mario Odyssey hits.
RichiRamjag
Member
Mushroomer25
Member
I think it's the end of an era for major AAA third party studios - but not first party. Console manufacturers are fine with making a game like Uncharted 4, because it sells their hardware. They can make the game at a loss in sales, and still profit off the boost to hardware revenue. We're still going to see games like this, but not as frequently or as consistently.
Additionally, smaller studios are now able to make bigger projects than ever before. Independent productions like The Witcher 3, The Witness, and Hellblade are wider in scope than anyone ever thought possible of a production without major studio backing. If the audience for bold single-player content is there (and it is), I have no doubts that demand will be filled.
Additionally, smaller studios are now able to make bigger projects than ever before. Independent productions like The Witcher 3, The Witness, and Hellblade are wider in scope than anyone ever thought possible of a production without major studio backing. If the audience for bold single-player content is there (and it is), I have no doubts that demand will be filled.
Doctor_Thomas
Member
Bubble will burst on Gaas.
Publishers heavily invested will suffer.
Can't say I'll be sorry.
Publishers heavily invested will suffer.
Can't say I'll be sorry.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
No? The games having MP components doesn't mean they are not single-player games designed with single player in mind. In fact, as fun as jolly cooperation is, it often breaks the game because encounters aren't balanced for it (and when they are, like the optional areas of DS2's DLCs, people complain xD).
I'd still say it's pretty handily single-player. If anything the odd duck is Divinity since it has a co-op (in some cases "co-op") option.
Garrett Hawke
Member
EA dont manage bethesda
Why does anyone care? It's been a long time since EA released quality SP titles. If they want to gouge people with microtransactions and season passes then let them, nothing of value will be lost. Dead Space, Mirror's Edge and Mass Effect are all dead now and soon Dragon Age will be too. I'd rather those series die than be morphed into whatever whale-chasing abomination the suits at EA are wanking over.
But they're not made or sold as solo games, is the point. They go for both markets. More still if invasions are your thing. So they're not really in the 20 hour solo cinematic romp category, because they also do other things, regardless of if any given player engages with them.
Also because Jolly Cooperation should be a mandatory feature in every game
What's funny is that I mostly avoid AAA titles because of their focus on MP over SP. Sucks that there are less and less big games that focus on the single-player experience over online and loot box driven content, but there are other places and mid-tier games that still scratch that itch for me.
Sooner or later, itll be only first party studios that can justify investing big budgets on single player games, which isnt all that surprising. Indies will have to pick up the slack, and they are in the perfect position to do so as indies are generally less technically demanding and mostly rely on good art direction, and story to drive their narrative.
Crayon
Member
Yeah all this.
Doesn't Battlefront 2 have a single-player campaign? And doesn't Uncharted 4 have multiplayer (same with TLOU)?
Anyway, I've been asking for multiplayer modes for some of my favorite franchises for ages, and even back in the back in the SD days you'd stumble upon games with multiplayer features which increased the game's replayability by a lot. Not to mention other modes.
I don't want singleplayer to die in the AAA space, but I not to plussed about singleplayer-only titles as long as the core gameplay and campaign are good.
For EA in particular, ever since SSX went away I stopped caring about them, and Dead Space didn't do much for me.
Not enough to my liking.
Anyway, I've been asking for multiplayer modes for some of my favorite franchises for ages, and even back in the back in the SD days you'd stumble upon games with multiplayer features which increased the game's replayability by a lot. Not to mention other modes.
I don't want singleplayer to die in the AAA space, but I not to plussed about singleplayer-only titles as long as the core gameplay and campaign are good.
For EA in particular, ever since SSX went away I stopped caring about them, and Dead Space didn't do much for me.
Not enough to my liking.
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