The Death of Single-player

Platform Nation: On a fateful frost November afternoon in 2007, everything changed. Call of Duty 4 introduced the trend that, for over three years, developers would follow so closely that something would be neglected. I’m talking about the rise of multiplayer, something that previous Call of Duty had succeeded in doing very well – but not as breakthrough as ‘Modern Warfare’. Counter-Strike was responsible for the true online FPS, Halo seeking to port the experience to consoles and Call of Duty to perfect it.

Single-player has always been the crux of a videogame; it’s what all the ‘massive’ moments have come out of, for me anyway. Bioshock, Shadow of the Colossus, Portal are all just a few singleplayer exclusive titles that pretty much set the standard for us as an expressive medium. But what happened on that cold November day to make it all seem not so worthwhile?

[Nike]

From Platform Nation? Telling us what we already know?

These guys sure know how to convert their drama into hits. Seriously, there are plenty of games like Bad Company 2 that have a good single player game to go with multiplayer. And what does this say about games that are totally focussed on multiplayer like MAG? What about games like Final Fantasy XIII and Alan Wake, which are single player only but aren't the "hot damn" experiences most of us were expecting them to be?

Compelling single player in FPS games is not dead. Borderlands, Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Wolfenstein, Bad Company 2 are good examples. Compelling single-player in games, since the release of CoD4, aren't hard to find either. So stop with the negativity and using CoD as a scapegoat for everything. It's just getting tired.

[Szarky]

"there are plenty of games like Bad Company 2 that have a good single player game to go with multiplayer"

You have to be joking? The single player in BC2 was an absolute joke. Multiplayer on the other hand is totally addicting until you get bored of all the maps.

[spektical]

are you joking? The single player in BC2 was a huge improvement over the first, and was actually worthwhile to play. The last FPS i played that had an engaging story like BC2 was KZ2.

I agree with NIKE, too many "journalists" are using COD as the ruler for all games, which is a huge mistake... this is gaming journalism at its finest.

[GWAVE]

Call of Duty 4 didn't start that trend. The single-player campaign was actually quite good. It was simply short. No, the trend began when players began accepting CRAPPY single-player games because "well, at least it has multiplayer". Halo 2 comes to mind.

[Sm0k3y_Bac0n]

Yep, CoD4 had an amazing story and an amazing MP. Just proves games can be good MP and SP. I do think MP games have worse stories on thw whole because the devs focus on the MP (Bioshock 1 was much better than Bioshock 2 for example.)

[bjornbear]

szarky - the singleplayer isnt an absolute joke, its just "mediocre", don't be so exaggerated.

spektical - im sorry but BC2 single player was no where as insanely intense and immersive as KZ2

as i said, its not HORRIBLE, but its not GOOD, its simply OK, and a nice little addition: i enjoyed my time with it, but don't see myself going back to it just for fun (maybe for m-com stations and weapons)

[theonlylolking]

"Compelling single player in FPS games is not dead. Borderlands, Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Wolfenstein, Bad Company 2 "

The thing is those are the only FPS that try to have a good story.

[sam2236]

"Compelling single player in FPS games is not dead. Borderlands, Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Wolfenstein, Bad Company 2 are good examples."

Tell me Nike, are you new to gaming? Is the PS3/360 your first console because those games you've listed have piss-poor SP and MP. Resistance 2 and Wolfenstein especially.

You have no idea what you're talking about.

BioShock 1 and 2, Metro 2033, Fallout 3 and Condemned are compelling SP FPS games and are 10x more immersive than the shite you've posted.

[Nike]

I'm not new to gaming, unfortunately. The games I listed are some high profile FPS titles that came out AFTER CoD4 (when single-player allegedly died). I forgot to mention The Orange Box. A mistake I regret, but yes, it is one of those packs that has both awesome multiplayer and single player experiences.

Also, it's only my personal opinion when I say Wolfenstein and Resistance 2 had good single player and multiplayer experiences. Note the key word "good". I never said "excellent" or "classic". For me, "good" may as well mean "doesn't suck and I don't feel like I burned my money".

Again, the above titles you listed are a mish mash of games that were released before, after or during CoD 4's era. I agree on BioShock. I love Condemned. Fallout 3 and Metro 2033 were very buggy when I tried them but they were good single player games (not excellent, again). And I would have listed Bioshock 2 but I haven't played it.

Do you want me to name FPS games that I personally feel have excellent SP, regardless of when they were released?

Half Life, Half-Life 2, Portal, Doom, Call of Cthulhu, Condemned 1 & 2, FEAR 1, Shogo: Mobile Armoured Division, Deus Ex, System Shock 2, Duke Nukem 3D, Terra Nova, Thief 1 and 2, Maken X, Blood, Clive Barker's Undying, Aliens vs. Predator (the very first one), Nightfire 007, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay...and I could go on.

Do you want me to name FPS games that I personally feel have excellent SP and MP, regardless of when they were released?

Unreal Tournament, Unreal Tournament 2004, Battlefield 2, Goldeneye 007, Borderlands, Perfect Dark, Half-Life (thanks to the mods created for it). I know this is a short list but there are not many FPS games I consider as having excellent SP and MP.

As you can see, every single game I listed in my first comment, except Borderlands, was eliminated. THAT's how high my standards are and how rich the history of gaming that I've experienced is.

Next time you want to criticize my choice of games, check out the wording and context of my comment first. "Good" doesn't always mean "the best", and "post-CoD4" doesn't mean "of all time".

[crematory]

u standards are very low if u find BFBC2 single player good, bfbc2 single player is lame like hell

[BeaArthur]

"Another article hating on CoD"...good thing you actually read it before you commented. And most of the single player components of the games you mentioned, while enjoyable, were not compelling. And seriously, BFBC 2? The dialogue is entertaining but that is one of the only instances where I felt like the single player was tacked on.

[BattleAxe]

Socom gave rise to multiplayer way before CoD became the multiplayer heavyweight it is today.

[EvilBlackCat]

OH THE DRAMA!!!

[Nike]

The children! Won't some one think of the children?! :D

@BattleAxe: Unreal Tournament, Quake III and Counterstrike say 'Hi'.

[PrimordialSoupBase]

Call of Duty 4 may have a great sense of style but the game boils down to empty spectacle and incredibly simple firefights. Great it most certainly is not.

The death of Call of Duty style singleplayer design?

Yes please.

[SupaGamer]

I might agree. It seemed like the trend for a while.

[CountDracula]

Don't they mean the death of single player ONLY games? (eventually)

[Jack Klugman]

The death of the single player game will be the end of gaming for me.

[R2D2]

Batman AA was beast and so was God of War 3.

[mastiffchild]

Well, the only REAL worries on that front have not been games like COD4(which had a great SP campaign-it was short but All Ghillied Up would have prolly been the best SP level I played that year!)bnut games like LP2 and Resi5 from Capcom which TOTALLY sacrificed SP quality to accommodate co-op.

The RE series and the first Lost Planet all relied completely(or nearly) on their SP games to make their name yet Capcom trashed both this time out in favour of fashionable co-op. Hopefully they're just learning how to keep both and keep the quality and haven't quite figured it out but I do confess to a little worry over it when a series as respected and dependent on good SP kills it stone dead like the godawful RE5 managed to do.

That apart, however, I feel the MP and SP worlds will balance out as there are still JUST as many people who prefer SP as like MP best and while there's a market for both we'll see both. I'd want to have a good look at things should SP die out but i don't see it as possible-games like Bayonetta, Darksiders, GOW3, HR,AW, Yakuza3/4 as well as those with BOTH SP and MP all say "hi" alongside a gazillion other reasons to think SP is going nowhere bad. I often wonder just where the articles about this stuff come from when there;'s little to suggest the death of trad singe player campaigns at all.

[DarkSpawnClone]

The Death of Single-player,would be the end of gaming for me too i don't watch TV i play games and watch movies,lately all i have been playing is single player games getting bored of online games there all the same,one's I'm getting this year is bfbc2 and Crysis 2(that comes out in nov right ?)not that many games I'm interested in for the rest of the year,going to pick up the force unleashed 2,all i can think of at the moment Oh and GT5 :P,Really really really hoping for Starhawk/Warhawk sequel,the only online only game i really like :P soo fun lol im good at flying >=D...Better Run Better Fear I AM HERE MUHAHAHA!!!

[TheTeam06]

You want an unparalleled single-player experience?

Get a PS3 and play Uncharted 2, God of War III, Heavy Rain and MGS4.

[Spenok]

And the good thing about those titles is 2 of out 4 of them have very good online modes as well ^^

[iMaim]

its funny how the infamous 2 gameplay trailer came out minutes ago and this article gets approved.

[AliTheBrit19]

I go from one single player to another, enjoying the plot driven experiences

Multiplayer is just there to kill time, and play in-between the next single player.

[NateNater]

Someone should write an article about the death of Offline Split Screen. That's more important than this.

[Focker-420]

Not if Kratos has anything to say about it.

[bjornbear]

not to mention the number of stupid kids in here (and around the world) that only RENT a game if it has no multiplayer

wtf is that? thats an insult to the gaming culture.

with exceptions of MP based games (BF:BC2 focuses on MP, not SP, and the SP in it is NO WHERE NEAR the SP of other FPS's you mentioned) single player is still the most important aspect of ANY game.

if you think SP is a secondary aspect of gaming whereas MP is the only important aspect of any game, you're a newcomer to real gaming! >_<

[vickers500]

"single player is still the most important aspect of ANY game."

Says who? Are you an authority on gaming? Because, you do know that games are purely subjective, don't you? Who the hell are you to tell me what SHOULD be important for ME?

"if you think SP is a secondary aspect of gaming whereas MP is the only important aspect of any game, you're a newcomer to real gaming! >_<"

I personally think both aspects are equally as important, because I have a wide appreciation for gaming. I don't limit myself to one mode of play. Just because you don't like something, doesn't mean it's not important.

"not to mention the number of stupid kids in here (and around the world) that only RENT a game if it has no multiplayer"

Why would someone pay 65$ for something they are only going to play once, and have NO guarantee they will like it anyway? I haven't rented a game in 7 years and I buy all mine, but I can see where they are coming from.

[Eclipticus]

Alan Wake, Bioshock, Assassins Creed, Riddick, Fallout, Elders Scrolls, Silent hill. God of War. All great single player games. All different too.
There are too many online MP games, that all look and feel the same.

The focus on MP games more often than not neglects the story, without the story there is less of an attachment.

[Redempteur]

"This is why singleplayer must die."

NO

let me play my great action games ( yakuza 3 , oboro muramasa , no more heroes , god of war 3 , bayonnetta )

And my rpgs ( list quite long )

What about my adventure games ?

no seriously multiplayer is a joke ...taking ressources when it could be used for improving story is the most cases

(assasin creed brother hood is the example and uncharted is the esception)

[LCS_Furious_Dre]

Single Player will never die as long as SONY lives to fight another day

[PS3Freak]

LONG LIVE SINGLE PLAYER!

[DarkSpawnClone]

They make take our online But, they will never take OUR SINGLE PLAYER!!!!

[v_1]

The death of singleplayer came about when Counter-Strike came out. But apparently nobody knows how competitive it is and how many people played it.

[gumgum99]

Companies like Nintendo and Sony will ensure that the Single-Player mode will never die.