So for a while now the trend has been towards the dominance of multi-player experiences, from MMOs to Halo these are the titles that are at the top of the industry right now. Even games that you couldn’t imagine moving towards a multi-player stance, like Dead Space or Assassin’s Creed, are having success with integrating a multi-player component. We’re at the point now where EA are on record as saying they don’t see a place for single player only games going forwards. So the question is simple, is this the end of the single player experience?
As someone who rarely plays online I feel like I should say I really hope not, but then again my two biggest picks from last year (Halo: Reach and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood) had compelling single player campaigns that were simply expanded by multi-player experiences if you chose to logon. I didn’t do that much, or at all with Brotherhood, but I didn’t really feel like I was missing out on anything by focusing on the solo experience. I still loved the titles; even without Brotherhood’s multi-player I still invested a good twenty to thirty hours in it.
I am, however, perfectly aware that my attitude to multi-player modes certainly makes me an outlier in modern gaming, the number of hours that players are now putting into multi-player games makes that pretty clear. Gamers collectively invest tens of millions of hours into multi-player gaming, so even though I bare no real love for going online with my games I can certainly understand why it’s cropping up in more games.
The real question is why do developers want you online with their games? Most titles are free to play from the developer’s point of view; although you may pay Microsoft for an Xbox Live Gold account that’s not being channelled to the developer or publisher when you play one of their titles. Of course the obvious answer is multi-player DLC. New maps, costumes etc… can easily be added into online modes without needing a huge amount of work put into getting it to fit with the single player campaign. Rather than writing a new story and making it work with what already exists, you simply slot in new content without worrying about how it interacts with the rest of the title.
The other reason, one that may actually be more important but is often overlooked, is to do with the “long tail”. Developers and publishers want you to still be playing their title months or years after release, even if you’re not giving them any money for the privilege. Why? Well firstly even if you’re not paying them anything, you’re helping to keep the game thriving and others may well buy something. Secondly it keeps the game fresh in your mind, and makes it significantly more likely that you’ll buy another one of their titles in the future.
Given these factors it seems logical for developer’s to focus on multi-player content over single player content. However I don’t think single player gaming is dead quite yet, more that it’s going through an evolution. It started with titles like Gears of War implementing drop-in, drop-out co-op throughout the game. Now titles like Mindjack and Brink are taking it a step further, with other players able to become not just your comrades but also you’re enemies.
This integration of multi-player into single player modes seems like it’s the natural next stop in gaming. Not abandoning single player altogether, but just pulling multi and single player experiences together into one cohesive experience. I don’t think we’re seeing the last hurrah of solo play, we’re just starting to see hints of what may come next.
TotalHitman
Single player gaming will always be around. Games with a single player story appeal to me not the multiplayer features.
rSp8
I love a good single player game. No multiplayer will ever beat good story telling, for example Assassin’s Creed (Yes I know Brotherhood has multiplayer, but I haven’t even tried it despite having the game for 2 months), Mass Effect, Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age, Batman AA… Publishers seem more & more keen to push online modes onto us & I can’t help but worry that games such as these will become less & less.
skibadee
no more single player would give up on gaming.
ratkiller75
Single-player is an integral part of gaming and like the article says will never be completely erased. Multiplayer is good but some originality is needed to keep it alive.
djsunna
i love SP modes, and i don’t think it is going to disappear any time soon but online MP has it’s place in some games but not every single title. Deadspace 2 doesn’t need an online MP mode uncharted 2 didn’t need it assassins creed brotherhood didn’t either and i bet there’s loads more. also with useless servers (fifa series amongst others) and the ongoing war with hackers (CoD series) and now the possibility of every new release being a target to be hacked and people being the top level with every weapon, perk or whatever (killzone 3 i’m thinking of mainly), glitch exploiters, campers etc online MP is not such the great experience it perhaps could have been.
coruscant
I’m more concerned about the near-extinction of split-screen… nothing beats playing with/against your friends in real life.
colmshan1990
Precisely.
There is no excuse in my opinion, and it certainly isn’t graphics!
mr187uk
Console single play, but Pc/MAC MP.
jayjay119
I think it rather depends on what type of game you are playing and inevitably what type of gamer you are. Personally I have absolutely no liking for games such as CoD, MoH and any other type of shooter, and this is where Multiplayer thrives. I prefer games such as MGS, Assassin’s Creed, Resi, Silent Hill, Tomb Raider and sandbox games which all have a very single player centric basis. As long as these different types of games survive, so too will single player.
KeRaSh
I only buy games for the single player content. The only multiplayer experience I care for is split screen.
muse88_James
I hope single player doesn’t get forgotten. I used to play the likes of FIFA, CoD and Battlefield quite alot online, but now I can’t be bothered. I just don’t see the benefit.
The only online I take part in now is local Fifa, and maybe a bit of Hot Pursuit, everything else is single player only.
muse88_James
“I used to play”
Does that make sense? Doesn’t sound right in my head, should be “I use to play”.