Spec Ops Multiplayer Is a "Cancerous Growth"

[bl4ckh4wk64]

It really does say a lot about a game when so many people care about the single player over the multi. I mean, I didn't know it was there until I beat it and then I finally decided to give it a try. It was utter crap. I completely agree with Mr. Davis and I'm very surprised that he has the balls to actually call out his employer like that. Hopefully, people will now realize that multiplayer isn't the be-all-end-all of video games and that single player is probably one of the most important parts of many, many different games.

 

[daibakuha]

Multiplayer isn't needed for every game, but it can drastically enhance the longevity and fun of others.

But everyone is busy with their Guild Wars, Worlds of Warcraft, Modern Warfares and Battlefields.

It can increase the longevity of a game - no doubt about it. But if only 6 people are playing it then it was a waste of budget.

There's some big assumptions here. Like that the communities for those games overlap. People who play Battlefield, may not play world of warcraft, and even if they did, people don't play one game exclusively.

 

[ElPatron]

There's some big assumptions here. Like that the communities for those games overlap. People who play Battlefield, may not play world of warcraft, and even if they did, people don't play one game exclusively.

My point.

Your head.

Way over it. Where did I say that people played all those games at the same time? Where did I say that people played those games exclusively? If I did, please quote that part because I am pretty sure that enumeration (figure of speech) does not imply absolutely anything about it's elements.

 

[daibakuha]

There's some big assumptions here. Like that the communities for those games overlap. People who play Battlefield, may not play world of warcraft, and even if they did, people don't play one game exclusively.

My point.

Your head.

Way over it. Where did I say that people played all those games at the same time? Where did I say that people played those games exclusively? If I did, please quote that part because I am pretty sure that enumeration (figure of speech) does not imply absolutely anything about it's elements.

You said that if no one plays it then it doesn't extend the longevity of the game, before this you mentioned that with all these other great mutliplayer titles out there, why would anyone play a new game?

That's what I got from it. If that's not what you meant, perhaps you should be more concise in your response.

 

[Gorilla Gunk]

So instead of rising to the challenge and trying to create a fun, unique multiplayer experience incorporating the same ideas that made the single-player interesting they.... threw a hissy fit, shit out a Call of Duty clone they admittedly put no effort into, and are now whining about it?

And people are... applauding them? Like they're doing something noble rather than showing how lazy they are?

Good Christ, gamers really are morons.

 

[ElPatron]

threw a hissy fit, shit out a Call of Duty clone they admittedly put no effort into, and are now whining about it?

(...)

Good Christ, gamers really are morons.

1. They were forced by 2K

2. It was ANOTHER developer who made the MP, and you can clearly read it on the OP

Also, speak for yourself.

You said that if no one plays it then it doesn't extend the longevity of the game, before this you mentioned that with all these other great mutliplayer titles out there, why would anyone play a new game?

That's what I got from it. If that's not what you meant, perhaps you should be more concise in your response.

See, now you understood it.

Now the challenge is finding the differences between this reply and your first reply.

EDIT: to be concise, they are different

 

[Gorilla Gunk]

1. They were forced by 2K

2. It was ANOTHER developer who made the MP, and you can clearly read it on the OP

Also, speak for yourself.

Knew about 1, wasn't aware of 2.

Regardless, still a lot of whining and people applauding a developers laziness. In fact, finding out another developer had to do the multiplayer just makes this whole situation worse in my view. For the longest time I was considering getting the game because everybody raved about the single-player and the multiplayer did look like it had a lot of cool ideas but now this just leaves a bad taste in my mouth so i think I'll pass.

 

[Ghonzor]

I wished he didn't use cancer as an analogy. It was bad taste.

I was more concerned about the use of "raped."
Cancerous is a fitting analogy...rape should never really be used in that fashion.

He's actually using it properly.

Rape: an act of plunder, violent seizure, or abuse; despoliation; violation

I understand what the word means.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9766-The-R-Word

 

[Mr. Eff_v1legacy]

I think it's important to listen to the people who actually make these games, like Mr. Davis, or what Masahiro Ito (with his comments about Silent Hill HD). They know the projects, and what is beneficial for the quality of the experience. Any interest I have in The Line (and I fully intend to play it, when I can find a copy!) comes from its good story and refreshing take on the third person shooter genre.

 

[Ghonzor]

I wished he didn't use cancer as an analogy. It was bad taste.

I was more concerned about the use of "raped."
Cancerous is a fitting analogy...rape should never really be used in that fashion.

He's actually using it properly.

Rape: an act of plunder, violent seizure, or abuse; despoliation; violation

I understand what the word means.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9766-The-R-Word

What, do you think the article should have a trigger warning?

Or would you rather he said something different?

I did clearly say I didn't think "rape" should be used in that fashion, right?
There's your answer.
There are other ways to express what he needed to get across.

 

[Something Amyss]

A lot of people said the same thing about the multiplayer for Mass Effect 3, yet people still play it.

Yeah. It's almost like...It's another exception or something.

 

[Nickolai77]

Lol at all the posters here who have said they noticed the game at a multiplayer- perhaps the dev's didn't want you to find it because they knew it would be shoddy?

By the sound of things 2K hired a bunch of people who don't actually know anything about gaming but armed with sales figures and profit projections they believed that they should clone COD's multiplayer.

 

[ElPatron]

Regardless, still a lot of whining and people applauding a developers laziness. In fact, finding out another developer had to do the multiplayer just makes this whole situation worse in my view.

Why, if I may ask? I mean, they were focused on the single player and 2K games says "Hey noodleheads, your game must have a MP mode. You'll be working with this dev". It's not the first time it happens and honestly I think if a MP mode *must* be shoehorned, at least have a different dev make it.

If they had been forced to make both the SP and MP, there would be a huge mess with schedules, lots of work overload, budget issues and the campaign could have been an inferior product because of that, while the MP could have just barely worked at all. Having a different dev is the less of two evils because at least you have the SP.

By the sound of things 2K hired a bunch of people who don't actually know anything about gaming

They were like hired mercs. It doesn't matter if they knew anything about gaming or not, they had an objective that just needed to be completed at any cost.

I can't blame Darkside Studios because of the simple fact that I have no idea of what they were told or what they actually had control on. I don't know their budget and deadlines.

 

[Lord_Gremlin]

Analogy is indeed bad... Multiplayer doesn't affect campaign at all in case of The Line. Call it piece of crap strapped together with main game, but tis no cancer.

 

[Blunderboy]

You know, I like this guys statements. You know what I don't like? How everyone is going to use this guy as a reason for ragging on why things shouldn't have mutliplayer. Multiplayer isn't needed for every game, but it can drastically enhance the longevity and fun of others.

Well said squire. Couldn't agree more.

 

[IamQ]

Multiplayer isn't needed for every game, but it can drastically enhance the longevity and fun of others.

The first part of that doesn't get said *nearly* as often as the second, though.

I thinks it's more of the second. Everyone says that multiplayer isn't needed. It's just that publishers don't listen. Nobody though, says that the multiplayer aspect of a game actually helps. Everyone always bashes it.

 

[Dandark]

Damn it! The more I hear about this game the more I want to buy it. I just don't want to spend money on yet another modern military shooter when it doesn't even appeal to me.

If only it didn't look so crap and Darksiders 2 wasn't waiting for me to buy it! ARG I say! ARG!!!

 

[sunsetspawn]

Here's how I see this situation unfolding.

Cory Davis is Spider, and 2K Games is Tommy.

 

[dtgenshiken7]

Ah, I'm glad that people have begun to speak out against apparently mandatory Multiplayer for triple-A FPS's, because it needed to be done.

For sure, it adds so much to the experience of a game, but Leave it to the games renowned for it, like the CoD series and Halo. It just seems a bit off-kilter that it is now obligatory to stuff a multiplayer feature in. It's like Assassin's Creed, where there was a perfectly good single player, which resulted in a lot of people completely ignoring the multiplayer features, which was really just a shambles in the first place.

I do admit that maybe he could have worded it better, labeling this as a 'cancerous growth' really does not look good, in the eyes of both the consumer and prospective teams willing to hire this guy in future. Who's willing to hire someone who bashes features in their own games?

Still, the fact that this has been pointed out is good simply because it means that triple-A developers are beginning to get back to the ways of using games for storytelling as well.

Here's to this guy, and may developers in future waste a lot less money in future by NOT including shitty multiplayer in perfectly good games.

 

[tehwalrus]

Ah, you shouldn't worry too much about multiplayer. I've played great games, such as Saints Row 3 and Dead Rising 2, which have multiplayer, but I never even looked at it because I was having so much fun with the single player. I don't buy single player games to play the multiplayer section in the same way that I don't play multiplayer games and then expect them to have a single player campaign.

You are missing out, Saints Row Co-op can be a really incredible experience.