GG: With KZ:SF "We Did The Best In The Time We Had";Player Numbers Are Low;Retro Maps Incoming

Guerrilla Games talks with honesty about Killzone: Shadow Fall, from the absence of Move and 3D to the low player numbers in multiplayer. There's some good news, though: "retro" maps are coming!

[Festano]

I've never had a problem finding games online, let's see how will be the next expansion.

[Shadonic]

yea, i didnt enjoy it as much as everyone else but the matchmaking was freaking perfect, smooth and no errors, occasional hiccup due to low player count though. Hopefully they'll get it next time, the MP just honestly to me seemed like it was too slow compared to how hectic the combat was and the way it felt as well. Everything just felt out of place and awkward to me. Its a shame because considering how gloriously awesome the combat could be with a bit more of a tightness bump on the movement and speed. I know its not a twitch shooter comment but seriously what is this game trying to be in a mp sense, I honestly felt as though it was slower than Halo before they added running and stuff.

[InTheZoneAC]

This game has always been slower than Halo...

Characters having weight and no noob aim assist deterred a lot of posers

It's strange how I played a little when I got it on launch, but I find myself playing it a lot now whenever I turn the ps4 on, even when I have watchdogs.

I just get so frustrated with the aim assist/lag in BF4, hop on KZ and everything is so perfectly smooth and I don't have to worry about someone's game automatically centering me on their screen. I can actually die without complaining over some bs reason why I died

KZ is a fair game and more should be like that. Why do developers even waste time implementing aim assist? Let alone not making it a server based option so you can rule it out when you create your own server?

[Alexious]

The game has always been built on the sense of actually being in a heavy armored soldier, as opposed to other games which let you fly around the battlefield.

Soldiers are supposed to carry 20/30 kg of equipment on them. I like their choice.

[incredibleMULK]

give me blood gracht from kz2 and salamun market from kz2! Radec academy too.

[fOrlOnhOpe57]

@incredibleMULK
Good choices, especially Blood Gracht. I would add in Beach head and Southern Hills to that list. Looked great on PS3 so PS4 versions would be tasty!

[Imp0ssibl3]

It seems like multiplayer console games which aren't Call of Duty or Battlefield only last for a few months tops before they slowly become a ghost town.

[0P-Tigrex]

There's at least 1k people playing during the day, 500 during the night. That's still a full game. You'll just be playing with the same people alot more.

Adding on the the game is crucial. While more people by the Ps4, they might even buy KillzoneSF. If the game keeps getting more content it will attract more players.

[Rogert]

It is not going to sell that much more. Retaining only 1,500 people out of the two million plus that the game sold isn't great at all

[Pandamobile]

1000 concurrent users for a game that released less than a year ago indicates that this game is on death's door.

To put that in perspective, if KZ:SF was on Steam, it wouldn't even be in the top 50 active games.

[TekoIie]

@Pandamobile

Well you can basically expect that to die within 6 months unless Sony do something with Playstation Plus.

[LonDonE]

What they should do is make Killzone shadowfall multi player free with all map packs etc on playstation plus! that would be a great way to add new players to the player count.

I just didnt enjoy the game, the single player or multi player while pretty were just not where near as good as killzone 2 and 3.

[Ninjatogo]

You should also note the player count is just for your region. From what I've read on their site they've got multiple server centres per region too.

[KingKelloggTheWH]

Your numbers are not accurate, they do the numbers by server and whatnot. So in all reality it could be upward of 15k.

[Alexious]

What's so strange is that the game, in fact, sold a lot. It's like a lot of players either returned the game, or never play MP, or a bit of both.

[SixtyNine]

This is probably the reason some devs don't include competitive multiplayer in their games. Majority will return to the most popular online games eventually

[B_Real]

This is why multiplayer achievements/trophies shouldn't exist unless its a multiplayer only game. It's almost impossible to get games set up a year after a mid-tier game comes out.

[koolaid251]

Killzone and Knack are like the 2 most traded in games on next gen.

[king_george]

I really wanna call you a liar.... but i cant :(

I've seen the games traded in quite a few times its such a shame. Not so much Knack (lets be honest, it wasnt that great), but KZ:SF. I wish GG had more time to polish the game even more and make multiplayer alot better than it already is

[shivvy24]

Not sure about knack but ive seen alot of kzsf sitting on the preowned shelf at eb

[Eyeco]

Lool at the disagrees, talk about a tough pill to swallow, I haven't seen to many Knack copies in the preowned circuit, but plenty of Killzone's on the shelf.

[koolaid251]

True I have a ps4 and I came from the xbox 360 but everytime I say something negative about ps4 i get bubbles and dislikes smh.

[Lawboy2]

Ppl still play gears 3 and halo

[Multiplatguy]

I disagree. I was a big fan of Halo Wars and it couldn't have been a full year ago that it still had 10k on it most nights. Although being one of the only good RTS games on console might have helped keep a userbase.

[user5669510]

and some how pc gamers get downplayed because there isnt over a million players online at any giving moment lol. most console games dont have staying power. console gamers tend to move to the next big thing.

i think cod have high numbers because the split screen, easy to pick up, and the obvious "because everyone else plays it". i like cod i just don twant to pay for it when it hardly improve over the last one. thats the reason i havent brought madden in a while, by that i mean 8yrs.

[XiSasukeUchiha]

Interesting!

[temple]

I don't know why you always have more disagrees when it's generally your opinion that you post. Granted I only glance here occasionally, and don't know your history that well. I gave you an agree and bub up just to try and balance it out. On topic, I really liked KZ:SF and bought the season pass. It's better than CoD and runs smoother than BF so it was a no brainer for me. I look forward to whatever they have coming down the line.

[Blackleg-sanji]

he only gets disagrees because he blends his comments with naruro related stuff nd i guess ppl find it annoying?? idk i think its kind of funny (maybe cuz i kno what hes saying most of the time lol)

OT: i loved killzones multiplayer but the single player this time was kind of meh

[LogicStomper]

"and don't know your history that well"

That's why.

[imt558]

Bring back Salamun Market and Radec Academy!!!

[PrinceOfAllSaiyans]

Who the hell cares about 3D and Move support these days ?

[GryestOfBluSkies]

i know im in the minority... but i care about both of those things.

[ThatOneGuyThere]

I do. KZ3 in full 3d with the move controller was one of the most immersive experiences ive had with a video game. have you even played motorstorm in 3d? good lord its amazing.

[InTheZoneAC]

move was a horrible gimmick. I made it last for all of 2 weeks before I sold it...

[ThatOneGuyThere]

you must be one of those lazy gamers. lol. the move is insanely accurate. not every game is perfect for it, but the game that use it well, its really, really great

[hellzsupernova]

The only future I see for move is with the VR tech

[Qrphe]

I begged Suckerpunch for Move support on ISSthrough Twitter. I2 worked awesomely with it.

[Alexious]

Well, some people do. Granted, 3D will soon become a bit "old" with VR, but Move on the other hand could become even more popular with Project Morpheus.

[akaFullMetal]

Yea bring back Radec Academy Kz2 version.

[mcstorm]

That's very interesting seems kz was the best selling exclusive wasn't it? I just think Ps owners don't buy the console for shooters Xbox owners do that. Good to see it still getting dlc though.

[BLKxSEPTEMBER]

i never understood that argument. why do people believe that PS owners dont play as many shooters as XBOX owners? When you look at the most popular games on PSN its always a shooter at the top of the list. Uncharted and COD were both the most played games on PS3 and KZ is the highest selling PS4 Exclusive which is a shooter. so please explain to me how is it PS owners dont play just as many shooters...

[kewlkat007]

Lol... Just another excuse.

[mcstorm]

I would not say Uncharted was a shooter like kz, halo etc. I understand cod and bf sell well on the PlayStation platform but I would not class them as the core gamers who buy a console. To me cod and bf are games like FIFA, NHL etc where people pick them up year on year as that is what there mates buy. But if you look at the sales of games like KZ, Resistance etc compared to GT or UC they are quite low.

[InTheLab]

Except a ton of 360 gamers have moved over so they should be eating this game up right?

No. The game shipped in half the state of KZ3 and there's not enough content there to keep people coming for more.

Can't help but wonder how the game would have turned out if GG had another year.

[mcstorm]

I dint think that many 360 gamers have jumped to the ps4 at all. I don't know anyone who had a 360 and has got a Xbox one or anyone who had a ps3 get an Xbox one. Most I have spoken too have said they are getting the next gen of the console they have now but they are waiting for the price to come down or a big name game like Halo, gears, GT and UC to come out.

[McScroggz]

I know it's early, but I feel like maybe Sony should offer Killzone: Shadow Fall's multiplayer for free to help the online community (and sales too). Ideally it would just be free across the board, but even if it's free through PS+ I feel like it would at least help the game sustain a reasonably community for a little while.

[johndoe11211]

I agree with this. KZSF multiplayer is an excellent game. One of the best multiplayers i've ever played. They need to give more access to people who are skeptical.

[elazz]

That is also what they did with Killzone 3 (of course it was limited until a certain level) and I think that was within 12 months. So perhaps this fall they'll do the same and put it in psplus

[Teddy-Duchamp]

Mcscroggz, I agree.

[xReDeMpTiOnx]

While shadowfall was better than kz3 I just can't help but want another kz2...... Kz2 has a place in my heart that just can't be replaced :(

[elazz]

Well, if Cod/BF or other casual gamers didn't complain and troll about the feel and handle of the gameplay Killzone would have been so much better as a franchise. They even changed the color for KZ3 and made it less dark.

I want a gritty shooter where you feel that the soldier is wearing 30-40 pounds of equipment. Still KZ3 and Shadowfall are very good just like Mercenary. KZ2 was just epic!

[Darrius Cole]

If the player numbers are low then it is their own fault. We shouted from the hilltops that we wanted 16 vs. 16 just like KZ2, but GG didn't give it to us.

Gamers tell gamer makers what we want, but they don't always listen.

[ThatOneGuyThere]

the maps are already crowded..

[SolidDuck]

I still really like the game. The multiplayer is a lot of fun. I hope they make it free on plus so the multiplayer gets more popular again. And maybe could sell more of the co op mode if plus members had the game. I haven't had trouble finding matches, but it is dying.

[NatureOfLogic_]

KZ: SF mp is really fun. I think the player numbers would pick up if the mp went full f2p.

[GryestOfBluSkies]

i loved the multiplayer, but i have stopped playing because most of the time i was getting into rooms with 4-8 people. i definitely would have kept playing if i could find full rooms

[InTheZoneAC]

the last month every room I've joined has been nearly full.

[HeavenlySnipes]

Stay in the game for 5 minutes and it'll fill up fast

[GW212]

Glad they are being honest about what they had to do to get the game to market on time. It's pretty obvious that most launch games (for current and past gens) tend to look and be pretty rushed. That's just the reality of the consumer world.

I thought the graphics were amazing for a launch game and gameplay was fairly decent. This was more of a graphics "demo" for me than anything else. Not a terrible offering though and I look forward to see what they put out next when having the proper time to do so.

[Qrphe]

They did really well with the graphics. I think this looked more impressive for a launch FPS title than Resistance did on the PS3 at the time.

[Legendary-Status]

I agree I know they were trying to get this game out as a launch title..but it was fairly decent..Graphics were really good for a launch title..this was a taste of GG getting 2 know the hardware now im waiting for their real game GG open world RPG

[Flare149]

For me the issue with the SF multiplayer was that it felt too generic, Call of Duty esque. I understand that argument sound generic and lame, but what I mean was it really FELT like it. The old Killzone games felt heavy & brutal, the maps had a lot of variation in topography, and the weapons felt distinct from each other. Personally I felt a lot of that was washed out for Call of Duty style maps and gunplay. Further the guns felt less distinct than any shooter I had played in awhile with the exception of a few. I hope that if they make another Killzone game they return to the feel of the originals, making it more distinct, fast paced, and brutal.

[jspsc123]

i know what your saying. SF felt a lot like cod. in 3 i would pick engineer and crouch walk with the big @ss machine gun and mow people down from across the map.

[mayberry]

Hopeing for some KZ2 maps! SF mp is great!

[Drasill]

I played 3 or 4 matches of the multiplayer and didn't care for it at all. I still want to try the single player campaign eventually. Too many other games I'd much rather play at this time. I've always got this vibe from Killzone that it's like Halo's little brother in a sense.

[windblowsagain]

I'm playing the SP game again, In Places it plays well and feels good. Aiming/feel is good, graphics are excellent and it's smooth.

I have played the MP a fair bit as well. Maps are decent and it's smooth. But there is something lacking for me and I can't quite put my finger on it.

But I do much prefer open type maps, BF4 style, because within those maps, you have corridors etc as well, buildings.

I know GG are at work on a new i.p. So it'll be nice to see where that goes.

[fxa5209]

KZ:SF is the worst in series and would not have good sales numbers if it was not a launch title.

What they hell were they thinking when they built the game? How about a feeling that some one is shooting at you when you play online. When some one shoots at you, you hear this annoying sound and boom you are dead.

KZ2 is special and is the best game in series.

[Father__Merrin]

i wish shadowfall has options to drop player count, that style of brash game simply isnt suited to how many it currently is it gets too clustered

plz fix this

[Ninjatogo]

You can create your own Warzone with a custom player count. Whether it becomes popular with the crowd is another matter however.

[Alexious]

Classic Warzone is perfect with 7 vs 7. Anything more is just too much for the size of the maps.

[Master-H]

With player numbers that low Sony will probably put the mp on plus in the near future to get more people in.

[Ninjatogo]

I really love this game, but that low player count...
matches getting a little too personal sometimes. XD

[Ol_Boy]

Kz2 was EPIC! The best fps I've played on a console. I always get happy and sad when I think about it. Wish we had it on ps4. I think the clan system was one of the best parts about the game. Anyway it sucks that kz:sf player base is so low.

[iistuii]

I thought the SP was ok, just below average & I've never liked the MP. So even if they gave it away on PS+ I wouldn't even bother with it. K2&3 were streets ahead of SF IMO. Maybe they had to rush it out but I'm betting on the next one to be a huge improvement.

[DJ]

Killzone just needs more marketing. The sole reason Battlefield is more popular is marketing. KZ:SF looks better and plays better. But great gameplay is only half of the equation. PS4 owners should be seeing KZ all over the place, even post-launch.

Games like Team Fortress 2 also show how important it is to have constant updates.

[SonyStyled]

my numbers for NA are 1750-2000 players consistently through the day. occasionally there will be a bulge. its multiplayer is awesome. its the only PS4 game i play or have played in my collection. and i have 5 games

[_FantasmA_]

Killzone Shadowfall = excellent, nobody buys
Call of Duty Ghosts = terrible, repetitive, easy, sells millions
Battlefield 4 = repetitive, broken, sells millions.

If Guerrilla Games hopes to compete with the the generic shooter kings, they are going to have to stupify their games, make it laggier, and start making yearly sequels.

[windblowsagain]

I don't fully agree with you.

Battlefield 4 is an awesome game, i'm not talking about SP, most fps shooter campaigns are boring imo unless they are sci-fi for me. The Mp has been 95% sweetness most of the time. With some lag thrown in, rubber banding. But overall i'm enjoying it.(PC version) Bought before i had PS4.

Ghosts i played on PS3, and imo is the worst COD, Although i'm not a fan of any of them except COD1&2(PC) AND MW.

Killzone has some good and bad idea's./

I would prefer KZ to be open maps, with spaceships, mechs and much more diverse maps from different worlds etc. that way there could be more players in each game for huge games and smaller numbers for smaller inside gameplay.

The reason I love BF series so much is because it's diverse. Repetitive it isn't. You can fly planes,heli, drive tanks,jeeps,trucks,etc. or just do it on foot. That's the beauty of it.

[e-p-ayeaH]

Finaly the old maps are alot more fun to play.

[hellzsupernova]

I love Sony but I can never get behind Killzone I just do not care for it. Played the first, second, third and SF and it is just meh. I buy a Playstation cnosole for Uncharted, The Last of Us, Heavy Rain etc I prefer story driven games not just point and shoot. Sure the Lore in Killzone is good but it never plays out great in the games.

[abstractel]

To me it was a gorgeous launch title, with a great long campaign and really fun MP. It was harshly judged by the media when I feel it was easily as good as KZ 2 and 3. I do feel the intensity of the action could have been higher, and it's by no means a perfect game but it really should have gotten low/mid 8s metacritic. There was only one really bad section, the flying section, and that's it.

I look at the launch trailer from time to time and think, damn this really was a fantastic looking game.

[ironmonkey]

It would be nice to see an kz2 1080p hd with 60fps. Im sure people would go nuts for it.

[R1CAN617]

What i think holds it back is not having smoother movement speed & ADS
but GG is dead set on having that heft feel which a minority of players absolutely Love & adore but the masses just don't enjoy I wish there could be some middle ground of some sort :/

[RevXM]

Now I feel bad I haven't touched the MP for shadowfall.
KZ2 maps will be cool and coop also.
I had so many crazy moments with KZ2 online.

[Dirtnapstor]

This retro pack would be awesome! Loved several maps from 2 & 3. And Operations mode was the best!
Is it me or does it seem like many of the older maps were bigger?

Don't know why so many players diss the SP campaign. I like it, decent progressing story; I'm thinking many of the haters out there do not pay attention to detail or have a real hard time with comprehension... Not trying to stir crap up, but as evidenced buy gamers (not necessarily about KZ), so many blaze through games unappreciative of anything because it wasn't like [insert game here] or too much like [insert game here].

[taijutsu363]

I was put off cuz of KZ MP trophies I ahte when developers do that almost forcing people to play their MP instead giving us a choice!

[bjmartynhak]

And they did the best shooter on launch and up to now. Sounds good.

[toddybad]

Games should stopp having multiplayer added on when it's not neccessary.
Battlefield I get it, it's multiplayer so release it like that with no single player.
stuff like Tomb Raider bolt on multiplayer that doesn't fit but you have to try for platinums. AC Black Flag also - ridiculous and poor multiplayer.
Just make the signle player fantastic you don't need the other options - other games exist for that.