Gamer Debate: No Online = No Buy?

The multiplayer sphere has moved to the online realm and while most people still play with friends, internet friends have also taken places on our gamer "play card". More and more games come with an online mode and some have gone so far as to say that a game with no online isn't worth a purchase at all. Is that the case?

[Viktor E]

Paying for Online gaming is a disgrace

[The Matrix]

No online = More time spent on development of the single player. Single player is what matters.

No online = good.

[Viktor E]

After the lackluster Halo 3 Online experience,will future Xbox 360 games come with Online Modes?

[ChickeyCantor]

...you could use the EDIT button you know =).

OT:
Single player mode should never be taken lightly. Its important, online is great but its not always needed.( it just depends on the game)

[Viktor E]

The Author forgot to touch on the Lag found Exclusively on the Xbox Platform

[ChickeyCantor]

EDIT BUTTON.
you have like 30 minutes to edit them, dont spam the space!

[DreamcastFanboy]

Yeah even the Dreamcast's online never lagged like Xbox live.

[Old Snake]

So are you bashing xbox or just online?

[CViper]

So did this entire article just fail?

[Will_Smith]

Uncharted too... i remember someone on GameFaq's saying that game would have been better with an online mode but seriously how would Uncharted work with an Online mode? Would it be like Gears of War, if so, i'd rather not because it would kill the story for me personally

[mikeslemonade]

Personally i'm very conservative so I agree with this article just because an online game for me has the most replay value. However single player centric games account for the majority of game of the year awards.

[solidt12]

multiplayer is a plus but if the game is great I don't mine yes like Bioshock.

[Superfragilistic]

Did this guy forget the RPG genre?

Oblivion, Lost Odyssey, Mass Effect, Tales, FFXIII, Star Ocean, Fallout 3, Fable 2, etc...

[gaminoz]

An online-only game is too basic. Kill them, protect that. Sure it's fun but too basic an experience. Single player is WAY more important to me with story, new level types, etc. The depth of games with a good single player greatly outweighs a bunch of deathmatch games imo.

Second online is not what everyone wants, despite what Microsoft and others will say. I still like split-screen with friends and family over the drunk laggy swearfest with anonymous trained online commandos who take multi WAY too seriously.

If games all go online only, I'll give it up.

[SeanScythe]

Uncharted, Bioshock,Heavenly Sword, just to name a few grat singleplayer only games.

[Rob0g0rilla]

Yup and all those games sold over a million

[jamilion]

I dont know anyone in their right mind that wouldn't have bought MGS4 if it didnt have online!

[DA_SHREDDER]

You cant ignore the fact that games like Naruto dont need an online aspect. Just look at SSD HD . You gonna tell me that online for that game wouldn't be freaking awesome. I could name alot games that would benefit from multiplayer, and as much as it cost to make these games, it makes me wonder why games like Bioshock, Uncharted, High Velocity Bowling dont have online. Imagine how freakin cool that would be.

[waznotwaz]

You say it would be cool to have online for games like uncharted,but would it though.For me personally,multiplayer is alright,but it's the single player games on my playstation that I love.I for one am very happy that developers don't feel they have to make a multiplayer game if they don't want to.If that was what I really wanted then I would buy another xbox360,but trust me,that will never happen.That's because my beloved ps3 has a much more varied selection of games that appeal to my gaming tastes.I feel that that variety would get watered down over time if developers had to slap on multiplayer to every game.My fear is that spiralling development cost will force games manufactures to slap and slash.Slap on the multiplayer.Slash the single player.My hope is that trophies will keep diehard single player gamers like me happy.

[thor]

The more games that are online, the worse their single player component gets, and the fewer the number of people who play the games online. If every last game had an online component, most would not have any significant userbase after a couple of months, leading to the online death of games that we can still happily play single player and split screen on.

Take pixeljunk eden, recently. If that had an online component, sure you could play it with your friends for a bit online, but wouldn't it be much better just to invite them round and play on the same sofa? If it had online, I guarantee after a month if you wanted to play online against a random person you couldn't, and as I said, you can just invite your friends over if you want to play them anyway.

[Time_Is_On_My_Side]

"Some games, like Warhawk and Shadowrun, have crossed into primarily online only. These games may be fun, but what happens if your internet goes out or you move to a new area without the required connection (and why would you do that?). Point is, without online, some games can even beceom somewhat worthless."

- VampHuntD (Author)

I'm pretty sure Warhawk has four player split screenplay with LAN (Local Area Network). LAN is when you connect consoles together with wires (PlayStation 3 wirelessly) with their own TVs hooked up. I'm not sure about Shadowrun but Warhawk supports that so you don't have to be online to have multiplayer.

With the whole argument about multiplayer it doesn't have to be in there for it to be a buy. I still have a lot of PlayStation 2 games and I play them like I watch a Blu-ray movie over again. I game that I like playing is Indigo Prophecy (Fahrenheit) because I just loved the experience. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is another game I'll play over again when I forget about the story.

I know everyone isn't the same as me but for me online isn't the a make or break deal. Mass Effect is a good game with no online so I should avoid it, no. It's like debating whether or not you should buy a Blu-ray disc because it doesn't have featuretes. Yes it's nice to have that but most horror movies don't include how they made it but just very little back sorry. It doesn't mean I should avoid buying Blu-ray discs that don't support it. I buy the product to be entertained not to have a check list of what it has.

[VampHuntD]

My guess is that's why it says primarily regarding Warhawk and Shadowrun. Yeah WH has offline multi, but do you know anyone that uses it? I don't. Know anyone that bought it for offline multi? I don't. I do know a ton of people that bought it for online multi and to play online though.

[Legion]

SOP why the plug of PS3 having wirless LAN? I'm sitting in my room now with 3 of my XBox 360 systems having a wireless LAN link. Get over it. And one is also wirelessly setup to my laptop.

Now back to the issues at hand, online multi-player. In TODAYS market it is a seller. The few good games that didn't include were marketable due to actually having good gameplay and marketing strategy. But for the MOST part those are not STILL being played today. Yes, some people go back to a game they have finished before and play again. But those are usually the games with a built in replayability. i.e. Mass Effect, BioShock, Oblivion, etc. (note: SOP, you went back and played Drake because you forgot the story? What does that say about the story?)

Why did Halo become such a phenom? The solo play was good (better and unique when compared to it's follow up titles) but it was it's multi-player that got people coming back. Now in that time and day it was splitscreen and LAN multi-play. And it was AWESOME!! People played the game forever. In todays age they have the capability to use the on-line community that is huge and allows you to play your friends without leaving your house. You call your friends up just to make sure they buy a copy too. Entertainment, is always better when you share it with friends. That is why people still go to Movies today when HD home theaters are readily available and common. People like the experience of sharing their entertainment with others.

Why do sports games sell so well? Because of the competition amongst your friends! Madden would not have done half as well if it could only be played by one person.

I look at games today (and I buy MANY) and will frown on buying an offline solo player game that costs as much as an online capable game. Now with that being said. If a game is purely online then I will tend to shy away from it too. A game has to be capable of entertaining in both areas or it is just something to buy at a later time.

Just an opinion, but all of the remarks on this sight are worthless opinions. Get over it.

[Bell Boy]

Having been a gamer for over 20 years I find it ludicrous games like uncharted were marked down for no online yet they were some of the best gaming experiences I've had in years.

Online is great in some games but even in fps some of the modes are frankly quite dull. Even a good fps needs to have a quality single person to back it up such as half life and more recently resistance

[Kyur4ThePain]

I find that it's the games with bad single player that sometimes have the MP tacked on to try and make up for it.
Not always, but often.

MP plays NO role when I make a buying decision. In fact, a game could have the best MP setup ever...if the SP sucks, I might not buy it.

[GodModeDisabled]

I'm a single player guy. If a game has a poorly composed single player, but an amazing, revolutionary multiplayer, I will not buy it.

[Covenant]

Bioshock, Mass Effect, Heavenly Sword, Oblivion, Uncharted...

[Lcarrero5]

God OF War
SOTC
MGS series

Need I Say More?

[incogneato]

I personally do not buy games unless they have multiplayer. Only a really special single player game will ever get a purchase from me.

[nieto]

if a fighting game (soulcalibur, dead or alive, virtua fighter) doesn't have online then that means NO BUY!

[nieto]

if a fighting game (soulcalibur, dead or alive, virtua fighter) doesn't have online then that means NO BUY!

[Aclay]

I don't give a damn if a game doesn't have multiplayer or not, if it's a game I want, I'm buying it.

Some of the best game franchises had a very good Single Player experience :

Shadow of the Colossus
God of War
Metal Gear Solid
ICO
Jak and Daxter
Rachet and Clank
Hitman
Uncharted
Prince of Persia
Max Payne , and the list goes on.

All of those games are very good single player games, and really I'm more of a Single Player gamer anyways, so to me it doesn't matter. There's nothing like a good Single Player experience for me.

[PirateThom]

I'd rather have a good single player game that lasts 10 hours, than an average single player held together with by its multiplayer.

There's a huge list of games I could mention here.

[Dark General]

Only games to any game with online. It feels like alot of games that have online seem to leave me wanting more with their single player experience. Like it could have been further fleshed out or worked on. Having online isn't a bad thing, it's a good thing but i just rather prefer single player only.

[Exorgasm]

It seems gaming is 60/40 now with more people concerned with online interaction than a storyline. Some of the people I talk to hardly play multiplayer and the rest seem to almost avoid the story mode completely.

If it has no online mode then that makes me more likely to buy it because that usually means a really solid and well thought out single player game.

The worst thing to me is that when people preview and review games these days they focus more on online multiplayer than the single/co-op story mode itself.

[Skadoosh]

Mass Effect, Oblivion, Uncharted, Bioshock, etc...Online is not needed. Sometimes it just makes it worse like in Stranglehold. I might be one of the few that enjoyed the game but the multiplayer was a mess.

[Reibooi]

Personally I don't care if a game has a Online mode. I honestly hate online since almost every game is nothing but people flaming and insulting each other with the most sexist, racial and homophobic names they can find. Back in the day when people played online to have fun it was great but no longer. I prefer offline games now and on the rare occasion that I do go online I either go into private chat or dont put on a headset.

[harv052]

I have to agree with that...I personally don't play much online but I know some people swears by it...

[Old Snake]

Pretty much all Nintendo games aren't online, so there ya go. And I'll still take a good single player experience over multiplayer anyday

[beavis4play]

no online? no problem. i love the stories of games like uncharted,bioshock, and ratchet. it's what gives games such variety. online tends to be very similar; just variations on a common theme. don't get me wrong. online is fun....it's not a requirement/necessity.

[solsub]

The SP component comes first for me. If it has either a poor or non-existent SP mode, then it is a "No Buy".

[GIJeff]

a developer to create their vision, and stick to it. If they want to tell a great story in a single player game, so be it. If all they want to do is bring the best online shooter to fans, great. I HATE tacked on multiplayer. It's useless...How many people really play Soldier of Fortune online? The people who got that game got it for the rediculous gore and cheesey shooter aspect(or simply because they didnt know any better), not because they included half @ssed multiplayer. The battlefield series concentrated on multiplayer, and its freaking epic, and every shooter game out now has a "conquest" mode in it thanks to 1942's success.

[DA_SHREDDER]

Ive realized that 65 dollars for a game can get you so much farther then before. I think that if I pay for a game like COD4, with high replay value is worth it. If a game doesn't have a online, then it should not cost as much as games that have online then. For example. Ive been playing COD4 since day 1. Imagine COD4 not having multiplayer.

I think times have changed. People have changed. Yes, single player games are freaking awesome. But just look what games like Halo and Gears have done. Why are they selling so much? Its cause they didnt take out multiplayer,, they added to single player. Games like Cod5 and Mercs 2 are games that Im getting day one, not just because they rock, but because me and my friends can pwn the single player mode as much as we want.

No online games are here to stay though. I cant imagine not having Ratchet and Clank and God of War. But look at what you get with those games. You get an experiance that last forever. How many single player games can you say that about? And yet you still pay $65 dollars for them even though their single player modes last just as long as any other game on the market. You guys pay $65 bucks for games like Uncharted and Mass Effect on day one, but Ill be playing games like Killzone 2 and Quantum Solace for the same price. COD5 and Mercs 2 have online coop also. Talk about bang for your buck!

[Sanhlami]

Well its like that for me. No online means no infinite replayability, no buy. If its singleplayer I might as well just rent the game and beat it. Some people just don't replay singleplayer games over and over. I beat it then trash it. I can enjoy a singleplayer storyline but its not fun anymore once you beat it cause you already know the storyline and theres nothing to be suprised or excited about. All there is, is achievements/trophies to strive for which I don't waste time trying to get every single one of them.

[Boink]

I mean granted the single player has to be good for me to buy it too. but if there is no online component it pretty much just ends up as a rental for me.

I'm just not the type who can play single player over and over, once the storyline is finished, that's it for me. and I can't justify spending 60$+ on something I will only play for 8-12 hours.

[f789790]

Warhawk is a great multiplayer game and Ratchet and Clank is a wonderful single player game.

[DJ]

Same goes for single player. Games like Halo would actually be perfectly well off with no Campaign mode because the Online/Multiplayer mode is so strong. And games like Uncharted and God of War are perfectly fine with strictly single player campaigns.

Co-op is typically a cheap way of making a single-player campaign suddenly become 'multiplayer', but luckily Insomniac is one of the first developers to catch wind of our complaints and craft Co-op within it's own campaign instead of cut and pasting the singleplayer experience.

[vhero]

1 word "bioshock"

[Lex Luthor]

It depends on the type of game. Also one of the reasons why i might hold out on Naruto ultimate ninja storm.

[VampHuntD]

If not, do so, cause the game is awesome from what was in the demo alone (and that didn't offer much). Combat seems simple enough to do, yet complicated enough to combat. The moves have been fun to watch and the added bonus of "jump in" characters reminds me abit of MvsC.

Online would be cool, but as this pointed out, where would the camera focus in an online match when both players are bouncing about? (and I totally am going to use tasty marker later...)

[N4GayFanturds]

Single player games, no matter how good (Bioshock, Mass Effect, etc) are no longer worth the initial $60 IMO.

It's better to buy these games used or after the price drops and you'll still get the enjoyment (just avoid spoilers at all costs).

With online games, it's cool to be 'the first kid on the block' playing online. Single player games; who cares...really??

[jinn]

every game must have online capability