I'm posting this now before reading the full source just to say how I whole-kcuffing-heartedly agree.
Now, after reading it, I have to admit it's a very honest and surprisingly insightful comment on the direction games have been going for a few years now.
Kudos to the guy for his candor and guts to post this great example of what a blogitorial should be.
look at games like Uncharted, it was one of the greatest game i played in a long time... and yet i heard people cry about it not having an Online mode. i was like WTF?! how would online work in a game like that, it would kill it.
so far this gen i hear peole b!tch about 2 things... Online mode and DLC.
Yep yep, it's true. I all these other games with online stuff but i was stuck on gears of war for a while year before cod4 came out. Nothing really stood out, and it seemed they were just mp for the sake of being mp.
Campaign Mode in games like Condemned 2 Bloodshot & The Darkness could've been better if precious resources weren't wasted on creating Online Multiplayer.
Just look at games like Bioshock & Ratchet&Clank:FTOD... great examples of what games (with no online multiplayer) can turn out to be.
got to agree. that is not to say online doesn't have it's place, it does. just shouldn't be destroying good single player or offline games.
i barely play online, and this coming from someone who was addicted to counter strike or many years. some of my favorite games have no online component, and I never even went online for COD4. Yeah I said it!
My life (work, GF, drinking!) allows me to play games but very unscheduled and sometimes very short sessions. single player is where I'm at right now.
on one hand...online gaming is a good feature if done correctly
but on the other hand...some devs feel like they can gimp the single player experience and trade it off for a good multiplayer experience
if they're going to half-ass the singleplayer...just scrap it altogether, and release an online only game with a lower price a la Warhawk.
All that "but the multiplayer rocks!!11!" jazz isn't worth sh*t
most people now won't even BUY a game if it doesn't have multiplayer...and some don't even bother with the campaign. and what about those without internet? they suffer
i agree that multiplayer adds replay value, but its still supposed to be an extension of the singleplayer...not the main attraction.
gaming STARTED with great singleplayer, and that shouldn't go ANYWHERE but with more and more people caring more about multiplayer...and BUYING games strictly for multiplayer...and the multiplayer games getting more sales, playtime, recognition, better reviews.... devs have less and less incentive to give a f*ck about their singleplayer counterparts....
I had got Vegas and for the first time I went straight to the online play my friend said don't even bother with the single player. I love to play online but I also love an epic story.
I think Mgs4's single player won't an any way be hampered by the online aspect.
about CO44 and why some think it has ruined it for other FPS games...
************************** you can say that for many 3rd-party games.
gamers will continue to buy games, it's just everyone is competing for online (time/replay value/pwnage) now...
What happened to a great and solid CAMPAIGN? seems to me COD4 really aimed at the multi-player.(which is great)But to ruin FPS, No!!
This is exactly what I was talking about yesterday and games getting boring article...where sonorus touched on it, as well.
Great Campaigns and Single Story Modes are lacking and very "short" these days in FPS's. (as well as other gameS) Dev are relying on the Online multi-player for replay value.(nothing wrong with that but I felt like COD4's campaign wasn't anything great.) ***************************** ****
Anyone felt like the WWII Cod's relied a little bit more on the war stories and the history of WWII, through the campaigns. You felt like you were on the "beaches" of Nomandy. Somehow COD4, maybe because sh6t like that is still happening right now, there was no emotional attachment to the Story. That's where multi-player kicked in. Still fun as hell.
Hey I'm not alone we need to get back to solid 1-player modes and stop relying on multi-player for like every game. I think some games shouldn't have multi-player. I know some people that "never" finished a Halo Campaign...can you guess why?
I mean, how many times have you heard, the single player was good but it's the multiplayer side that makes it well worth the purchase. This is for a game that is rooted in single player. I would rather have a good co-op single player game, then have some halfass or same as yester-year multiplayer matches added on to make the value of my purchase worth it. I miss the days of good single player adventure games.
Online functionality has mostly just opened the door to a new type of gaming. There will always be great single player experiences, but some games fare better in the multiplayer sense and are, thus, tailored to play to that strength.
Games like Oblivion, Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Uncharted were created to be great SP games, and met with great success in that regard.
The rise of online play has not led to the death of SP, but the birth of a new type of gaming. SP and MP are not mutually exclusive, neither on a single game level nor an industry wide level.
playstation era started the ball rolling doing what nintendo and sega couldnt with their first couple of consoles,remember the first time you saw ridge racer in the comfort of your living room? tekken?
it was having arcade ports in a cd media that you could easily carry to a friends and all play in your bedroom without having to carry around a fistfull of change to keep topping up an arcade machine.
then came ps2 120mil+ gamers cant be wrong how many ps2 games had online play? hardly any but it was the great graphics at the time the family experience that kept gamers out of the arcades damn developers were even producing arcade games for the ps2,with arcade guns,dance mats etc instead of the actual arcades!
so kewlkat to state online play kept gamers out of the arcades is very very very wrong
online play is ok but its ruining games where reviewerss feel the need to deduct points for not having it wtf? online play should always be a second but well implemented idea single player first all the way
to enjoy an Arcade game right in the comforts of your own home, which came before you were able to play it online and pit yourself against other gamers, which is just a function of consoles that ivolved over time.
Hey part of the home experience just "evovled". I remember playing some of these same games with plenty of friends(if you recall) in your room. Especially lots of two-player fighting games and racers and such but now is it fair to say, not many people do that anymore because of XBL and PSN?
I'll give you that, it took a little while for that aspect to evolve, but eventually that's where it was headed.(Online) Now we are there, and Arcades are somewhat DEAD. Most people play against others online, instead of connecting multiple Xbox's like it was before Online(XBL) really took off.
For the Arcades, Moreso because you could have the same experience at home without spending as much money for REPLAY value. So yeah I didn't go into that in my first post.
Thanks for most of you agreeing with me. I have had experience with this alot before. Imagine if you could not access the online portion of the video game. No online multiplayer, no DLC, no console updates, no achievements, there isn't much left in the game after you take that out.
WIthout high speed, its sad to see that gaming does indeed lose its edge.
Off line play is far more interactive. I enjoy playing off line with 3 buddies. Cod4 is the best so far, although RFOM is great. What are some other offline multiplayer games that have up 2 four players? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Campaigns and story modes get boring anyways. Who can sit there and play them. I'd rather have a mediocre story with an amazing Online Multiplayer anyday. Look at amazing games like Uncharted and Bioshock compared to Gears of War, COD4, and Halo 3. All are awesome games but Uncharted and Bioshock dont exactly sell like the multiplayer games do. For me Single player games will usually be a rental. Unless it is a long time favorite of mine (Resident Evil 5).
If you can't, don't know how, or are tired of online games, then don't freaking buy online games. You have three options in gaming, ether get connected, find some friends, or play by yourself. There are plenty of games both online and off to enjoy, find one. I see comments above like "Imagine if you could not access the online portion of the video game" Ever have a power outage? how about if a tornado destroys your home, how you going to game then?
Every system out there has hundreds of games for it, I'm sure if you look hard enough one just might pop up. This article is arguing against multiplayer, but doesnt take in account those who prefere multiplayer. A hardcore multiplayer gamer just might say SP/campain "is reducing game quality". Good god if you don't like multiplayer, buy a Wii or PS3.
yeah! i love playing Mass Effect online... o wait.... i mean Lost Odyssey ... o wait... umm.. Call of Duty 4, oh no thats on the PS3... i guess 5 on 5 Gears will have to beat Resistances 60 online players. Are you gonna get Metal Gear Solid Online Jason? o wait.... my bad. I'm a lil off today i guess HAHAHA
you fail in so many ways. I guess if i wanted to play with pre-pubescent kids i'd pick up a 360
"o wait... umm.. Call of Duty 4, oh no thats on the PS3... "
last time i checked it's on the 360 and runs better on it. Not to mention on a system with better online, more people to play against, cross game chat, better controller...ahhhh to many advantages to list..i'll let you keep thinking what you think
the multiplayer GTA 4 is looking like it might be rather fun. A 100 hours of SP game play with some multiplayer features tossed in, if it's implemented well then I am down for some MP therapy in GTA 4.
I love movies that tell stories. That's also why I love games that can tell stories. I remember playing MGS for the first time and thinking, WOW what a mind fluck. Then I see my buddies play my games and skip through the cut-scenes and it ticks me off. Then they piss me off more by asking what they re suppose to do next. I tell them the story that you skipped through just told you what your suppose to do, Dumbass.
Whatever you do just dont half ass it imo. If your Blizzard and can make a great single player and a online experience so good that its being played 10 years later by all means good luck.
A game can be online only or single player only or both but in the end all that matters is if you have a good time.
I agree with the article. Online play has its place and there are few shining examples but in an effort to stick it in every single game they have created poorer games.
Single player is the one mode everyone who buys the game can play. Its the one that should be the primary focus with MP being added only to some games and only if the dev has a good idea of how they are going to make it work. Or they can have a MP game only, but please advertise it as such so people who dont play MP dont end up buying it thinking it may have a decent SP.
The majority of MP games are hardly ever played for long anyway, just the really good ones so why not make a exceptional single player experience so that players will be clamoring for your next game (like bioshock and Mass Effect...and in a way Assassins Creed, if they can again focus on single player and clean up some of the repetativeness).
What's more, is the multiplayer becomes useless after a couple of years for most games. The really good ones, yeah people will be playing them for years. But I think if we only had a handful of games with MP we wouldn't have that problem.
I'm posting this now before reading the full source just to say how I whole-kcuffing-heartedly agree.
Now, after reading it, I have to admit it's a very honest and surprisingly insightful comment on the direction games have been going for a few years now.
Kudos to the guy for his candor and guts to post this great example of what a blogitorial should be.
without reading...
i can tell you
online gaming has been a curse and a blessing.
on one hand...online gaming is a good feature if done correctly
but on the other hand...some devs feel like they can gimp the single player experience and trade it off for a good multiplayer experience
if they're going to half-ass the singleplayer...just scrap it altogether, and release an online only game with a lower price a la Warhawk.
All that "but the multiplayer rocks!!11!" jazz isn't worth sh*t
most people now won't even BUY a game if it doesn't have multiplayer...and some don't even bother with the campaign. and what about those without internet? they suffer
i agree that multiplayer adds replay value, but its still supposed to be an extension of the singleplayer...not the main attraction.
gaming STARTED with great singleplayer, and that shouldn't go ANYWHERE
but with more and more people caring more about multiplayer...and BUYING games strictly for multiplayer...and the multiplayer games getting more sales, playtime, recognition, better reviews.... devs have less and less incentive to give a f*ck about their singleplayer counterparts....
its a losing battle =[
*goes to read article*
================
ha! after reading...i hit the nail on the head.
about CO44 and why some think it has ruined it for other FPS games...
**************************
you can say that for many 3rd-party games.
gamers will continue to buy games, it's just everyone is competing for online (time/replay value/pwnage) now...
What happened to a great and solid CAMPAIGN? seems to me COD4 really aimed at the multi-player.(which is great)But to ruin FPS, No!!
This is exactly what I was talking about yesterday and games getting boring article...where sonorus touched on it, as well.
Great Campaigns and Single Story Modes are lacking and very "short" these days in FPS's. (as well as other gameS) Dev are relying on the Online multi-player for replay value.(nothing wrong with that but I felt like COD4's campaign wasn't anything great.)
***************************** ****
Anyone felt like the WWII Cod's relied a little bit more on the war stories and the history of WWII, through the campaigns. You felt like you were on the "beaches" of Nomandy. Somehow COD4, maybe because sh6t like that is still happening right now, there was no emotional attachment to the Story. That's where multi-player kicked in. Still fun as hell.
Hey I'm not alone we need to get back to solid 1-player modes and stop relying on multi-player for like every game. I think some games shouldn't have multi-player. I know some people that "never" finished a Halo Campaign...can you guess why?
I mean, how many times have you heard, the single player was good but it's the multiplayer side that makes it well worth the purchase. This is for a game that is rooted in single player. I would rather have a good co-op single player game, then have some halfass or same as yester-year multiplayer matches added on to make the value of my purchase worth it. I miss the days of good single player adventure games.
Online functionality has mostly just opened the door to a new type of gaming. There will always be great single player experiences, but some games fare better in the multiplayer sense and are, thus, tailored to play to that strength.
Games like Oblivion, Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Uncharted were created to be great SP games, and met with great success in that regard.
The rise of online play has not led to the death of SP, but the birth of a new type of gaming. SP and MP are not mutually exclusive, neither on a single game level nor an industry wide level.