I have noticed that towards the end of this incredibly long generation of gaming (which is, in my opinion, a good thing), gamers are more and more focused on the one aspect that haunts every game out there (well, at least the ones with a story): the ending. So how should developers handle it?
With so many games fighting for players' attention and interest losing out over time, time sink games are at risk of eventually losing steam.
It was worrisome to begin with.
It's a niche genre with only a handful of hits that can stand the test of time.
Only a few will catch on. You need a perfect storm to be successful in GaaS and a bit of luck on top of that. But a potential cash cow will keep them trying and some will go out of business because of it.
Helldivers 2 manages just fine…
Keep production costs low… don’t just make custscenes until the mechanics and enemies are perfected first.
Make so much content that you can drip extra content for years, and the game already feels complete without them.
Most importantly: make weapons, enemies, levels, and mechanics that will stand the test of 1000 hours. This might require more devs embracing procedurally generated leveled, which I think separates Helldivers 2 from Destiny’s repetitiveness.
Nameer from eXputer: "Some exceptions aside, I don't think the battle pass is a net positive for gaming with how they're implemented in most live service titles."
I like the way Helldivers 2 does battle passes. It allows you to make purchases on each level of the battle pass and gives you the option of choosing which item to unlock first. The more purchases you make using medals the further you progress. There is no timer and you can earn medals towards purchasing stuff via personal orders and Major orders.
I haven't played much live service games that have battle passes but I remember some games that have battle passes where you progress through it linearly using an exp system. What makes it really bad is that the battle pass will have like 50 or more levels with the cooler stuff being closer to the end. They also have an in-game shop that sells exp boosters so you can reach the end of the pass before it refreshes. Everyone ilse will have to grind their way through.
battle pass in fortnite is perfect; buy one and it buys the rest for every other season as it gives you more money than the first cost. so 8.50 and season ends with you getting 13.00, it pays for the next and you have some pocket change to save up for cash shop. All of which is optional
Sony is taking actions as video by Moore’s Law is Dead, has been issued with a copyright claim.
And people say it's all fake because Sony haven't said anything 😂 conveniently forget the PS4 Pro was only announced 2 months before release.
Just announce it already! I want to preorder one asap. But in reality they don’t want to lessen PS5 sales until Pro is ready to launch so I understand the business part of it. September is probably when they announce it with an early November launch like the PS4 Pro
I would take that video and upload a torrent of it, fuck that copyright bullshit. If your going to do something that has a chance of being taken down, make a torrent first share it. Then Sony or any other company is helpless and you can laugh in their faces, taunting them to try to take it down 🤣
As much as the PS4 Pro didn't represent a major % in the playerbase, announcing a 'better' model will hinder sales from the 'base' model. They are right, business-wise.
Personally I didn't throw my controller out of the window for RDR or LA Noire but was glad it was over. Those two games failed fundamentally at one thing that is important to an ending. Prior to an ending the game needs to be paced correctly. LA Noire was a slow placed game (also repetitive) from the get go and so I was glad it was over so I can review it. RDR was a good game except for the beginning and the ending where the pacing dropped. On paper doing family things is great to try and get an emotion response to what happens next but in practice it is incredibly dull (which isn't helped by your son being so unlikable). I was glad that there were no more family stuff to do. I didn't feel sad because I was so enraged by the monotonous task before it
This " What I’m trying to say, is that players should be rewarded for investing hours upon hours of their lives with, at least, a fitting end to their own tales. " only works for games with choices which doesn't work for every type of game. Some games need a ridged structure to tell a story.
An ending needs to have prior build up before the ending is executed. You need to feel like you are building up to the end and the tempo needs to increase. I think endings can be cinematic as long as the bit before it is done well (pacing wise because that is fundamentally important for a game/movie)
I agree the ending is vital and some poor endings have ruined the overall experience for me.
Mass Effect 3's ending was a complete failure, both in gameplay and story wise. Even though it was a fight with every species in the galaxy vs the Reapers, it never felt like it. It just felt like another battle. Story wise, it was complete garbage.
With the indoctrination theory, it actually makes sense, but besides that, nothing about the three endings (that area all pretty much the same) even have much to do with the whole trilogy. I chose to pretend the indoctrination theory was Bioware's idea and that's how I can still manage to play through the games.
I think in turns of pacing and story i think the Lord of the rings the return of the kings is a good example of how ending should be in games. I know its a movie but if game developers can transfer that level of pacing and story into an epic game there won't be any trouble.
Theres' only a few game & game franchises that i felt had a fitting ending and these were Max payne 2 (before the 3rd), RDR i feel had a good ending (son got revenge end of) and Bioshock 1. So fitting endings is possible
Red Dead Redemption: The ending was superb and fit the game's theme perfectly. There is no reason why anyone would be disappointed unless they didn't pay any attention to the game and only treated it like a run&gun/shoot-em-up while ignoring/skipping cutscenes.
LA Noire: Another very fitting ending to the game as it fit the noire genre and Cole Phelps' character. The only reason one would be disappointed is, like I said previously, they paid no attention to Cole Phelps' background or how he perceives himself as a result of that background, which makes it clear he will get himself killed if it meant redeeming himself.
Borderlands 1: You don't find out what was in that vault? That monster in the end was the only thing in that vault! The vault was essentially a prison to keep this thing inside and all the vault hunters were essentially being sent to destroy it, despite being lied to about what they're actually fighting towards. This is more a case of a lack of storytelling than a bad ending.
There are many games that deserve to be pointed out as having a bad ending, but RDR and LA Noire are certainly not anywhere on that list. Borderlands 1, maybe but that is a case of a lack of storytelling/foreshadowing throughout the entire game.
Bye answering all questions you opened up in he start of the story and throughout the adventure. Making sure all character development is complete. If there are muiple games and you promise from the first game the choices of that game will effect the ending of the third be sure to KEEP that promise. Don't cheap out on the ending, a powerful ending is very important to have satisfying results. It's also more than okay to follow up on the characters to see how they were effected and what they did after the main plot. Doing the same to cities planets and governments is also a good idea especially in a game like mass effect because of all the choices.
When creating an ending not only does the creator need to be happy with it but the fans.