Is this the generation the end of quality single player games?

[clicketycrack]

Did you forget the orange box?

 

[irishstormtrooper]

This only really applies to games with both single- and multiplayer. There are quite a few single-player only games where the campaign is quite good, like inFamous.

 

[lostclause]

Yeah, the multiplayer is set before the fall of Rapture. One team will fight for Ryan and one for Fontaine. Should at least be cool to see the familiar locations in Rapture before they got ruined.

Arrrgh! I hate the idea of crusading for either of those guys! Their whole characterisation of both is of, at best, morally ambivilent and at worst downright manipulative of those who placed their trust in them. Blindly being told that you're on this side doesn't cut it for me.
But yes, scouting around Rapture before it got wrecked would be cool (and wrecking in the process).
Now as a tokenistic, apologetic contribution to the main discussion: The story heavy campaign has it's place as does multiplayer. Some games blend it well (GoW and NWN) some poorly (The SW Battlefront series).

 

[Sevre]

Singleplayer will not die out quickly, look at the games you've got coming your way, Thief 4,Hitman 5, Bioshock 2.

 

[Ginnipe]

I don't know about you guys but I think the quality of the single player game in the majority of current gen games is slipping dramatically. With the advent of online multiplayer more and more developers are making games with a view to multiplayer quality.

I have no arguments against that but I do have problems with developers making a single player campaign because they "have to". You know the ones, the games with such dramatically bad single player but quite good multiplayer. For example, Halo 3 (My personal opinion, no flaming) had a very lacklustre single player but fairly decent multiplayer. CoD:WaW had a disapointing single player but the multiplayer redeemed it somewhat (albeit only a little, IMO WaW multiplayer is a mess of glitchers) Killzone 2 had a very bland single player but fairly decent, although short in terms of ranking (I was top rank the same day of purchase), multiplayer. Even games like Guitar hero, which are meant to be enjoyed with friends, seems to have the career mode stuck on as an afterthought.

Now apparantly these dev's think they can get away with having a bad/lacking single player if the multiplayer is good. It seems they can. But what about people like me that want an engaging single player experience? What do we get? A few hours of boredom and then a shove towards the multiplayer. Not. Fun. I have to resort to RPG's from the PS1 and PS2 to get anything in the region of "satisfying" single player.

So what of you fellow escapists? Do you even care? Do you think that multiplayer is better? Or do you agree with me?

You know what, I say fuck multiplayer and single player in the same game, dev's should just make a game completely devoted to single player like Bioshock, InFamous, and Oblivion so that that experience can be completely defined and perfected. And then make games only for online like Warhawk, Team Fortress 2, and M.A.G. (if it goes well) as a completely diferent game so that the multiplaer will be completely refined and perfected.

That would allow great game experiences so that you don't have either a great singleplayer yet a terrable multiplayer, or a lacking singleplayer yet a grea multiplayer. That would reach perfection and everyone will be happy.

But since I'm just a redneck escapists no one will listen to this and the dev's will keep on fucking up their games.

 

[Mirroga]

There are still some good future single player games. What I hate are good single player games who add multiplayer to add replayability.

Game companies, we do not buy single-players because its unreplayable, its just that those single player game suck. Add contents and wonderful new game+ options instead rather than a lame multiplayer or online options. (RE5 still gives a bad taste in my mouth)

 

[Ginnipe]

I know polls aren't the most accurate of things, especially online ones, but recent numbers show that only about 50% of 360 owners actually play online with any regularity. That goes down to 20% for the PS3 and I'd imagine even less for the Wii.

Even if those numbers are rising quickly (which I doubt) developers still have to cater to the mass market which includes a large amount of non-online gamers.

Plus when you consider how well GoW 1&2 mixed single player with multiplayer, and games like Fallout 3 and Bioshock, there's still great single player action to be had. I personally really like when a game can offer both.

Why is everyone saying that Gears Of War was great, it sucked ass. The singleplayer was alright but the multiplayer was god awful. And not just because I sucked at it, it's called one thing, THE FUCKING TWO PEICE, where someone hits you with their shotgun and then blows your brains out, I refuse to play when their is no skill involved and thats all anyone was doing. And since it's impossible to kill anyone befor they get to you since the hammerburst sucks ass and the lancer can kill for shit, you just end up keeping out your shotgun out the whole time to see who can two peice first.

 

[elemenetal150]

i think this is really only true of FPS and some action games that are conceived with multiplayer in mind. There are a ton of action games and RPGs that are great

 

[UncleOvid]

Not as long as Bethesda and Bioware exist, and considering Bioware has not slowed in years, and Bethesda has been becoming huge since Fallout 3 and now its recent gain of id. So unless Bioware gets cursed and Bethesda just stops making TES games, single player will be very strong.
There are others, but these 2 more than prove my point.

Wait, you mean the guys who are crafting Knights of the Old Republic 3 as a MMORPG? Dude, so totally fuck them.

 

[DoW Lowen]

It seems you're only looking in the FPS department, there are still plenty of good single player games out there. Top of my head is Bioshock and Shadow of the Colossus. What I'm more concerned about sometimes is the length of games going to the shit...

 

[Gotham Soul]

I'd say so, yes. All the games I seem to see these days are big-name games that last for about three hours in single player and rely on pure multiplayer for fun.

There's been a lack of decent RPGs lately in particular, something that makes me sad. And Dragon Age: Origins isn't being released until October.

 

[Kiutu]

Not as long as Bethesda and Bioware exist, and considering Bioware has not slowed in years, and Bethesda has been becoming huge since Fallout 3 and now its recent gain of id. So unless Bioware gets cursed and Bethesda just stops making TES games, single player will be very strong.
There are others, but these 2 more than prove my point.

Wait, you mean the guys who are crafting Knights of the Old Republic 3 as a MMORPG? Dude, so totally fuck them.

Did you somehow miss out on Mass Effect?

 

[Fat Hippo]

No, now stop spreading panic. All is well, return to you homes people. Nothing to see here.

Seriously, there are still loads of games coming out with good singleplayer content. And I doubt that's gonna change.

 

[Nmil-ek]

Bioshock II, Dragon Age Origins, Mass Effect II, God of War III, Final Fantasy XIII/versus (yes so shut up >_>) I've said it before and ill do so again personaly I think 2009/2010 have/will be some of the best years of singleplayer in awhile now.

 

[ArcWinter]

I'm sorry, what did you say OP? I couldn't hear it over the overwhelming sound of Bethesda Studios KICKING ASS.

Do you live in a cave and did not play Oblivion? Perhaps TES5 will catch your attention and you will be enlightened (hopefully it will surpass Oblivion).

Also Half-Life 2. And guess what's coming out? Assassin's Creed 2, and Bioshock 2 (the first of both of those games was good, not great, but good). Don't forget Dragon Age, the craziest story-oriented game you ever saw. Crysis was pretty good too, I still replay that zero-g level.

So, I have to say you have done no market research.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I
EDIT: Stop mentioning Bioshock. In my opinion it was the worst, most over rated piece of crap I played this generation.

It is not condusive to good discussion to ask people for thier opinions, then dictate to them that they should not express them.

As for single player games, I actually loved the campaign in COD WAW, it was gruesome, morally ambiguous and got me pumped full of adrenalin in many parts (the airfield battle, storming the reichstag)

With games as huge and immersive as Fallout 3, Mas Effect, BIOSHOCK, Dead Space... I could go on and on but yeah I think the single player scene is pretty healthy right now.

You know what game I do think suffers due its focus on co-op? Gears 2. Tank levels need to be banned.

 

[Soxafloppin]

I dont see sinle player games ever ending.