Traditional Single Player Experience Gone in 3 Years?!

[Poster1234]

Nah, there'll always be solo games.
Imagine playing Myst with comments a tips froms the entire world ?
Imagine Starcraft 3 : the ghosts of all the other players dead soldiers hanging around your map, tellng you what's comming ?
Sure, some genre can benefit from this communication tidal wave, but there are things you'll always want to experience on your own, because that is the point of gaming : it's suppose to be fun and/or relaxing, not to turn into bloody facebook.
If you want to talk to a friend while playing a game, I believe you can just pick up your phone and call him : I do so all the time (a friend and I actually turn it into some sort of a sport : how long can we chat of unrelated subjects before one of us screws something up?)

 

[Stall]

Please, read my post or the article before you post. This isn't saying that single player games will blow up and disappear and be replaced by nothing but multiplayer or co-op, but that single player experiences are going to somehow be augmented by constant connectivity. I thought putting die in quotations and bolding the sentence containing the source material would be enough, but apparently I expect too much out of the internet at times. I'm half-tempted to edit the title.

Maybe if it wasn't a Sony analyst saying that games will all become like the Playstation 3 exclusive Demon's Souls I would put more stock in it.

The thing about this is that Nintendo made a move that very much so echos this general sentiment put forward by this Sony analyst (with the whole "massively single player" thing), so it is clear that it just isn't something that this guy thinks could happen. This seems very much so to be what many people in the gaming industry think will happen.

And I don't think that this connectivity has to be invasive to someone who might be inverted. You might be constantly connected to thousands of people 24/7, but the effect might only be changes in your game world or whatnot. From how I am reading this, it would be possible to play a game without ever running into or having to deal with another player, but instead just having their actions effect your game in some way.

[Oh because that's just what we need. Games full of NPCs with purple mohawks and giant fish lips.

Seriously. Nothing about any of this sounds like it will add anything of value to the games. It just seems like needless gimmicks and desperate attempts to try to innovate. And by innovate I mean "them facebooks is popular now, how can we cram that into our game"?

How could that even happen if they weren't even options in the character creator? >.> Besides, it was just an example... I'm not a game designer. I don't know what or how this idea will materialize itself, if it even will.

 

[teebeeohh]

You know the best part about demon's souls connection thing?
You could turn it off, no white ghosts ruining the atmosphere, nobody to ruin my world tendencies, just leaving soul form was a *****
I think this is a horrible idea, it may work for some people but experiencing stuff with other people just sucks, I avoid full movie theatres because I can't stand people talking or yelling at the screen.

 

[Hipsy_Gypsy]

I tend to hate multi-player; I prefer single player adventure/puzzle games, I like RPGs as well but I tend to play a lot of platform games without actually realising it. Maybe once in a blue moon I'll play with some friends so not very often at all.

If I need to rely on a 16 year old fratboy or some retarded whiner to get through the campaign of my future games I am going to be seriously pissed off.

Games relying on multiplayer are going to fail to hell; what if you can't-or don't want to- play with anyone?

Yeah, ditto. I prefer being independent in games without having to listen to kiddos. Hence why I always had that feature disabled in Fable 2, eugh.

Maybe in the US, Japan won't stop making Jrpgs in 3 years...and that's my main thing.

That's true. Though personally I can't stand them but to each his/her own!


Looks like it's high time to either fish out or buy new scarts for the PS2 and SNES! Oh Jak and Daxter & Link to the Past, how I've missed you!

x

 

[matoasters]

I find this prospect rather sad. I only play a few games online, and think that making everything online would kill any ability to make a truly compelling story. It would really suck to play through a game like The Darkness, or Half Life 2 with some idiot constantly shouting obscenities into a mic.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

From how I am reading this, the analyst is saying that what we KNOW as single player games will effectively be dead in three years, but instead it will be replaced with a single player experience that is enhanced through connectivity and socialization with other players to some extent.

I don't quite see why it would be enhancing anything. They seem to be under the impression that people are always a joy to play with. Even looking at the basic premise of the Demon's Souls way of doing it, ways to abuse stuff (like leaving messages for other players) pop out pretty quickly. If it can be abused, it will be abused, and that always happens, which is why I stopped playing the multiplayer aspect of games (excepting Minecraft).

 

[krazykidd]

If this the case then I guess the number of new games I buy per year will drop significantly. I'm not much of a social gamer.

This , plus as long aw these things are optional i dont mind , but at least japan should still make jrpgs so i wont be too affected, but ive been stocking up on old games so , im ready for a video game apocalipse

 

[MegaManOfNumbers]

the hell? what?! single-player experiences is what defines gaming as an art!

here's a different scenario, I would have a hard time appreciating a book if I had to read it to someone!

 

[MegaManOfNumbers]

Oh noooo. That's really not cool. I have a completely shittily limited internet connection where I live, and the maximum usage is 200 MB/day. Plus, the DL speed is only 0.35, and the ping is over 700 (Used Speedtets.)

This really would suck, because the only games I've played multiplayer, was a few minutes of L4D and a bit of minecraft. I hate multiplayer >)>.

Welcome to The Escapist, my friend.

I'm disappointed you had to start off your forum experience talking of such a terrible prediction.

also, this. I have pretty crummy internet connection too.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Because clearly EVERY game is better when you add the potential of griefing assholes to it...

It sounds as though they just want to give up on providing strong, Primary single-player experiences as a cost-cutting measure; as MMOs and shooters have proven, you don't need story or "fluff" (or in the case of MMOs, you just need grind) to make money.

Other Players provide a cheaper alternative for variant play than creating more content, but it comes at a price: Depth. Some gaming moments are just flat-out better for single player than multi-player.

 

[Radelaide]

I severely doubt this. You limit your purchase market if you just make multiplayer games.

 

[Smokej]

this would be the downfall of gaming, another step to the gaming apocalypse

MP in the singleplayer part of the game doesn't add anything with value (Coop with a friend aside) take Demon Souls here, what do you get besides griefing, a lot of comment-markers for obvious or pointless stuff and every now and then a mindless multi person raid without the hint of communication...

this isn't happening anytime soon because most highly rated games have a strong SP experience which will be most certainly screwed if the internets are an essential part of it

the broadband connection availability in emerging market countries is another reason that this is just some jabber from wannabe wise-guys

 

[Ironsouled]

Yeah... no. If I'm stuck playing old games for the rest of my fucking life, so be it. I. Refuse.
More likely, this was one of the 'visionary' types who need to be kicked in the gut. Lots.

 

[mateushac]

never did enjoy the aspect of multiplayer. If something doesn't have a good story, I'll stick to books.

i feel pretty much the same way

 

[Sinclair Solutions]

Guys, read the article. He means that there will still be single player games, but they will be more like Demon Soul's. You might see messages and shit from other people, or they might have little items scattered about a map. You'll still have engaging stories and fun experiences. As long as guys like Ken Levine, Suda 51, or even Hideo Kojima are still around, that will be the case. They will just be a bit modified.

As for my feelings about, I'm still a bit skeptical. I play single player because I don't WANT to deal with other people. Sometimes, I just want to be in the world the game gives me and not be bothered by the masses. If there is the option to turn it off, like Demon Soul's, then I guess I'll allow it. That might be nice for other people, but I'm not really interested.

Good article, though.

 

[Mxrz]

I don't think most of you get what they're saying. Single player will remain, but most games will start incorporating online elements into it. And JRPGs too. Some already do this. No one said they'll be multiplayer only, just that SP stuff is evolving to have some online elements too. About time too.

 

[FalloutJack]

The skeptic in me says there's a market for it. Ergo, no.

 

[Helscreama]

I don't think single player will ever completely go away. You can ramble and muse on it all you want, but there's a fairly large market of people that still like single player games.

Also, do I need to point out all the praise that Mass Effect 2, Oblivion, Saints Row 2, GTA IV, Red Dead Redemption, Bioshock, Just Cause 2, Dead Space, and several other games this generation have gotten and all of whom have fairly devoted fanbases? Should I point out the scores some of those games have gotten on several review sites?

If you think single player is leaving, think again. It might lose its prevalence but I think it's here to stay. Too many people prefer it, and you can only have so many multiplayer games before people lose interest.

Besides, if I don't want other players in my single player campaign, can't I just disconnect it?

You'd be stopped by the DRM or some other form of "always-on" program.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

I guess there are a few exceptions to this prediction.

Games like Catherine have only a small bit of online interation and player input. Or Demon's Souls. The game can be played with little to no online player capabilities. I prefer to play off-line to ignore stupid and misleading messages.

Although, there are also the games that can ONLY be experienced alone. (Like the previously mentioned Jak and Spyro.) How fun would Ratchet and Clank be if only your partner gets the good guns and you're stuck with your wrench?

Anyway, I will rue the day there will be no isolated single player experiences.

Sometimes, I just want to play my Fallout 3 ALONE and only alone.

 

[Something Amyss]

Maybe in the US, Japan won't stop making Jrpgs in 3 years...and that's my main thing.

Of course, they could readily alter the formula in JRPGs. And quite easily. Especially since we're not talking, at least automatically, a full multiplayer experience.