The Division will work as a single-player experience, but with a few differences

Lazygamer sits down with Ubisoft at rAge 2015 to discuss how The Division will make its RPG shooting welcoming to players who don't have any friends in tow.

[HairyKnees]

Still in two minds about this game. Looks good though, won't deny that.

[ninsigma]

I'm at the point where I don't care about it anymore. Which sucks because I was so hyped for it!

[pompombrum]

I'm remaining optimistic. They seem to be going about the game the right way, if they can deliver on their vision while simultaneously learning from Destiny's mistakes/shortcomings and successfully implement that, it should be a good game.

[showtimefolks]

for a game that's coming soon there is so much we don't know and not in in a good way. Since being announced the hype has only gone down and the more they show the less interesting i become in it

UBI stop showing your games 3 years before release. but do i have any doubt it will sell well? no doubt at all. UBI will spend millions showing cool gameplay in advertisement to trick the casuals and show words from reviews like one time if the reviewer used the word amazing

since watch dogs and yearly bad games from AC UBI has dropped for me personally

[thereapersson]

I agree, Ubisoft shows their games way too early and then people have either stopped caring (i.e. drops off the radar), or they show them looking amazing, only to have downgraded the game from the original trailer. I'm still remaining hopeful that this game will deliver in some way, because I want Ubisoft to redeem themselves. It's good to hear that gamers like myself can still enjoy the experience solo, so that's a start.

[Thunder_G0d_Bane]

The game does not look good. The hype dissipated cause many realised the same thing.

And it's Ubisoft...... :/

[-Foxtrot]

I'm getting sick of Ubisofts recent "social" approach in their games

Obviously this was announced back when they were doing that and they've learnt now with games like Unity that people like single player experiences but still it's annoying

"or just try what works"

Well there must be examples to givem it is "your" game. It sounds like "We didn't think about it, have fun trying to find the advantages on playing it solo.

This game would have been better as a single player experience. More detail, content and features could have been worked on over the online aspect.

[moonstormer]

i think i will do a mixture of solo and co-op. can't see myself doing any pvp in this game, but will definitely enjoy running around NYC and occasionally teaming up with friends for missions before wandering off to explore as a lone wolf again.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Agreed. They should have stated more about this earlier as its a new IP, we don't all fully get what its trying to do and they need to let us know that.

After its reveal I was like "Cool, so like Fallout?"

They go ghost on us, show us all this PVP, talk about "the dark zone" lol

I want to go all the way lone wolf on this game btw.

[Perjoss]

I'm interested as it looks similar in structure to Destiny and its very different to other Ubisoft games. I was super sceptical when I saw the first 'gameplay demo' a while back, but to be honest it looked great when I saw it running at EGX.

[wsoutlaw87]

Ya I actually like what I have seen so far. Im hoping that it can be what I hoped destiny was going to be; a large rpg with good game play that could be coop and pvp. I really like the idea of pvp in this game when it was talked about being a dark souls like spontaneous encounter type stuff but some people were so afraid of having to play other players they seem to have moved towards a opt in, pvp only dark zones. Doesnt seem a whole lot different than just a separate pvp game mode which is disappointing.

[IPLaYgAeMzDeRp]

All Tom Clancy games do is flop. This game will be a flop too. It will be the "cool" thing to play for a couple weeks then everyone will forget about it as usual. Brings NOTHING new to the table.

[the_dark_one]

"Brings NOTHING new to the table" - can you please give us and example of something new that can be brought to the table? and why does a game always needs to bring something new to be good and enjoyable? (i personally enjoy tom clancy games from splinter cell to ghost recon and rainbow six and im sure many other do to). call of duty, battlefield racing games sports games, they nearly dont bring anything new and are enjoyed by millions of gamers. and you know in this moment there is so much different games out there that the biggest innovation that we see are in the form of indie games, and like so many people say in this website and many others, indie game dont count.

[The93Sting]

you got rekt mate. lol

[Spotie]

Pretty certain the large number of them says they do the opposite of flop. Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six do well, even if there are missteps along the way. And HAWX was a lot of fun and did well enough for a sequel(wouldn't mind a third one, myself), so I'd say that wasn't a flop, either.

That aside, I agree with the_dark_one: why does it HAVE to bring something new to the table, rather than just bringing something established and doing it REALLY well?

Seems like too many gamers these days are too wrapped up in "new" stuff- gameplay, etc- and don't understand that a well-polished implementation of something old can be just as fun.

[KiwiViper85]

I think the concept of this game is entirely new. How many 3rd person shooter, RPG's, set in a desolate city, co-op with 3 friends, games have you played? Not to mention that short gameplay showed a few new things.

What were the green grenades he threw that attached to his teammate? huh?

[wsoutlaw87]

lol everyone always says these games that are fairly unique bring nothing new or are generic. What do you want them to do? Have food fights while flying on unicorns? What tom clancy games have flopped? I wasnt crazy about the last ghost recon, but the series has been good. The r6 vegas games were some great games. I didnt like the direction of the newest splinter cells but that doesnt make them flops.

[stevansavic89]

another watch dogs flop incoming

[KiwiViper85]

Watch_dogs was awesome.

[PhucSeeker]

It was an ok game. It would be a far better one if the driving weren't so rubbish.

[wsoutlaw87]

why? because it has the same publisher. I didnt really like watch dogs, but with a few improvements and more time to fully flesh out the world like gta had, it could have been a much better game.

[alfcrippinjr]

is this another online game only with no campaign

[Dark_Overlord]

From what I've heard, yes you have to be connected to the internet to play :/ Which automatically makes it a 'no buy' from me.

[_-EDMIX-_]

...its am MMO RPG sooo that is sorta a moot point lol Have you guys not heard of what this game is?

[Roccetarius]

No, it's not an MMO. There's nothing massive about this game, but it's a Multiplayer co-op game such as Destiny is.

The ''MMO'' part came from the Media and gamers thinking of it as such, but it's not correct.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Rocc- https://www.youtube.com/wat...

"online, open-world, rpg" right at the ending bud.

It was known day 1 it was going to be an MMO, though they are not stressing the massive, its a moot point.

Its online only, it runs off servers and they let this be known the very day it was announced on its FIRST DAMN REVEAL!

" it's a Multiplayer co-op "

Its "online, open-world, rpg" as their is single player to be played bud. I have no clue where you heard it was multiplayer and co-op only.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

and

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

and

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Just like in MMO's...you can play and explore by yourself. The Dark zone is the MP area ie PVP..

THE WHOLE GAME is not The Darkzone ie PVP thus...not only multiplayer and co-op.

The "media and gamers" are relaying back what they where very much told about this game the day it was announced.

Once again..."online, open-world, rpg" it runs off servers, clearly base on its massive size, it can be played with many, or alone, you can play PVP in dark zone or go alone or don't go in the dark zone etc.

To say there is nothing massive about this game ignoring its whole world runs off of servers is just humorous.

[JMyers]

Why is online being forced into so many games. Do we have a choice to play offline only and still get a good story experience?

[TimeSkipLuffy]

You can still play other games that Fallout 4 or Uncharted, etc. that doesn't require you to get online for most of the experience.

[Activemessiah]

Do not buy it, best way for to stop doing it.

[Zjet]

Agree 100%

I hate this online only era we are falling into.

I get the connected experience, i get the sharing great, awesome.

This does not preserve these games for the future.

Servers go, game is rendered useless, simple as that.

[WellyUK]

the first damn video of the game showed it as a MP focused game... Your the idiot for thinking it's a SP game. Sadly it looks like your going to get that because it isn't an MMO game like they showed off and looks worse and worse the more I see of it.

[The93Sting]

Sweet fluffy jesus, why r u mad? and you're calling him an idiot? seriously for just asking a simple question?? maybe he doesn't know like you do about the game so don't be ignorant mate. *sigh*

[JMyers]

@WellyUK
Not sure if this is directed at me. However, you may be fine with your purchase not being available to play when you want, or how you want because of it's online implementation. The question wasn't whether to buy the game or not, it was WHY is this the trend? Servers are unreliable, so online should be AN OPTION rather than compulsory.

Read the question next time before making Derogatory comments.

[RiseofScorpio]

He's been defending SWBF, with the same ridiculous excuse aswell.

[WellyUK]

Next people will be complaining about an MMO not being a SP game... When a game has NEVER shown or been aimed at being a SP game it just becomes laughably stupid when people say it has to have a SP or not have online.

Disagree all you want but it's hilarious how dumb people can be.

It's like people seeing trailer after trailer for Fallout 4 and Witcher 3 and then say it needs a MP and should have MP. It's stupid.

[LemyAtom]

Because people still buy them. I'm guilty because I bought The Crew (though got it massively reduced second hand so Ubi didn't get my money) but I know the day will come where I can no longer play it and that sucks. I didn't realise The Division was always online. That's another game to skip along with the NFS Reboot.

[FlexLuger]

"Why is online being forced into so many games (*?)"

The game is described as an online MMO action RPG.....Pretty sure that sums up what to expect...how do you 'force' online into an MMO?...

Maybe this game simply isnt for you.....

[_-EDMIX-_]

@Flex- agreed. Its like....the whole point just flew past many heads.

Are many not getting that this is a MMO RPG? It lives off of a server, its massively multiplayer online by default to its nature LMFAO!

When will we stop getting MMOs? really now folks..

Never. Single player games exist for that, multiplayer games exist for other concepts.

As to why someone feels they are some how losing a game due to a completely different genre all together is beyond me.

Young gamers be like "Wow bro, Street Fighter doesn't have a open world, not a RPG or a story....bud these fighting only games are really getting annoying and out of hand YOLO"

[FlexLuger]

@EDMIX

"Young gamers be like "Wow bro, Street Fighter doesn't have a open world, not a RPG or a story....bud these fighting only games are really getting annoying and out of hand YOLO"

Man...that sums up their attitudes better than I ever could. Whats next?...people getting mad at racing games for not having a story mode? lol. I have to wonder what vids these kids were watching when the rest of us, clearly know what style of game this is! Its not like UBI havent been telling people about this games online intentions from the very beggining. This was NEVER intended to be s single player experience, so I dont see why these people are crying about it.

[ninsigma]

It's not being forced. There are more games that are story focused than mp focused, heck, rise of the tomb raider has forsaken mp completely!

I prefer sp myself but if all games were to just be sp then we're losing variety in our games. The devs clearly had a vision of a connected experience, nothing wrong with that at all.

Obviously you don't like that vision and that's cool but to force every game to adhere to a notion that all games should have sp is wrong. Just as wrong as it is to say all games should have mp. If it's not for you, then don't buy it.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Agreed. I grow tired of hearing folks crying for one genre to be in all games because they like it.

That is like me going to the movies and screaming out "where are the boobs bro?" as if every film MUST be the way I WANT IT.

I mean....wouldn't it make more sense for me to simply go watch said films as suppose to begging for all films to be what I want?

bruh...

[ninsigma]

Exactly!
I see it as a form of censorship.
We do need more boobs though :p

[JMyers]

You are missing the point completely. Where did anyone suggest that games can't have online or variety? Is where you have to be connected for even single player content, or claims that you can't play offline when you clearly can.

Ubisoft do not have the greatest track record for online services. Imaging buying the game and not being able to play it? Or the services being taken down in the future? This has nothing to do with not supporting this vision. Its about player choice ang giving people options when a game is bought. There is no reason for content that can be played offline to have online requirements forced on to it.

@Zjet below... exactly the point.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@Jmyers- "or claims that you can't play offline when you clearly can."

If they set their game up to be running on servers for certain reasons, that is up to them. The game day 1 was stated that its "online, open-world, rpg" that is up to them, they are not lying to you, fooling you, misrepresenting the game, falsely advertising etc.

Don't like that? Don't buy it.

Forcing online? You didn't play the whole thing so you don't really know how deep the online component is to the game.

Can it be offline and a single player only game? Yes...but that can be said about any damn MMO title bud, that is not them FORCING it online, that is them MAKING a damn game that is online only.

No one is forcing you to buy it, they are not putting a gun to your head and stating you HAVE to own the game.

I'm sorry but I don't get the claim, I don't get the issue and it just sounds like crying over a title based on something you want, and not what the game is marketing itself to be.

They want their open world to have real people in it to lend to their over all experience of being in such a wasteland, something NPC's can really do as well as real humans can do.

We didn't see enough of it to really know just how much of the concept is dependent on being online. At the end of the day, stop with the entitlement BS, its not your game, you don't own the IP, you don't own the team.

Your acting as if them making online is some deep scheme against you.

Lets say they did make it online and they COULD have made it a single player game that didn't need to be online in certain areas...so? Did you forget its not your company? Your trying to make it sound as if they did some evil thing making it online knowing they could have made it offline. Even if they did, what is it really to you?

Don't like it online, don't buy it. Stop genre begging bud, play games for what they are, not what you want them to be, it just reeks of brat entitlement. Just cause it "can" be made as a offline game, doesn't mean they are making it online out of spite.

Any game can be made to be online only, but any game can also be made to be offline too. You are not owed anything other then the advertised game, they don't owe you a concept they NEVER promised...

[ninsigma]

I get that, but there is no single player content in this game at all. It's an mmo game. You can play solo if you like but it's an mmo game none the less. It's exactly like final fantasy 14 or wow just without the swords. So why complain about a game that's an mp only game for being online all the time??

If you were talking about a game like halo where we couldn't play the campaign without being online then I'd be right there with you, but that's not what the topic is about.

You have a choice...you can choose to not play it if you don't like the model.

Like I said, it's an mmo, simple as that. Complaining about an mmo being online is just silly.

[Spotie]

It's an MMO. How many of those can you play offline?

It's not being forced into the game, but the basic nature of the game. That's why- despite the unfathomable number of agrees your first comment got- it doesn't even make sense to ask this question.

[JMyers]

@Spotie

I am sure although it is marketed as an MMO, there will be content that can be played single player, but require an online connection. I hope I am wrong here. Being an MMO is not an excuse for such design decisions. Fully understand the concept for such games, but building in online, i.e. requring a connection and not being able to play by yourself is a slippery slope.

[fudgenasty21]

ubisoft has been trying to force always online on gamers for years.

[PhucSeeker]

Wanting an offline mode in a game described as an MMO is pretty far-fetched, mate.

[DLConspiracy]

I'm not sure if it's playable offline, because it involves PVP open world. That suggests that it isn't.

I think it's important to have many different types of games and there are so many to choose from these days. I wouldn't say we are being "forced" to play online. There just happens to be a very large number of people who do like to play online and interact with other gamers in an online social atmosphere. For those that don't like online games you can choose from literally hundreds of offline games.

[Zjet]

Except for the fact you have to be connected online to play.....even single player.

Give me the option to play offline Ubisoft and i will buy this game just like did every Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell, End War and all your other games that are offline friendly.

It's not about internet access, nor a subscription its about preserving games to be played for eras.

I can play my Splinter cell Chaos Theory on my original Xbox or the HD collection whenever i want. and for years to come.

As soon as those servers go down or the servers get shut down for Xbox live/PSN to make room for the next generation, my game as well as any future potential fun with my game is rendered useless.

Make an offline mode Ubisoft. This is the same reason i never purchased Destiny.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Yeah, similar to MAG and plenty others.

[Zjet]

Yeah, and i played MAG, solid awesome game loved it, so was SOCOM Confrontation.

All they needed to do, add AI bots, play offline even if they are stupid. Game now lives on.

This is why i love the Call of Duty series lately. Bots...split screen....

Gives the game life well after 'death' per se

[Steptoe]

Single player is dying. Thanks to all these greedy pubs who want us connected all of the time. It's happening already. Slowly, but it's happening all the same.

[Zjet]

It is in some respects defiantly.

I do wonder if we will see a resurgence soon, especially considering the attention things like Metal Gear Solid V, and Fallout 4 are having on the industry.

One can only hope. Nintendo may even fall victim to this soon sadly.

Nintendo can easily print money, just put Pokemon red and blue on the virtual console...done

[WellyUK]

ah yes SP is dying because a game that was shown from the first trailer that it was a multiplayer focused game. What is wrong with you people? are you 100% stupid?

They aren't dying when the game isn't a SP game in the first place...

There are plenty of SP games coming and have come out. Witcher 3, Fallout 4, Bloodborne, Batman AK, Just Cause 3, AC and Deus Ex.

[Steptoe]

i was talking about games in general. The trend is happening whether you like it or not. Just cause you think different doesn't mean it's not happening. This is the route they want us to go down. If it was up to the pubs they'd have us playing mobile type games where your constantly buying stuff just to play the game. Thats why you get Forbes and the like telling us console gaming is dead. They want to slowly get us used to it so it's second nature. If you can't see that then go play on your iphone.

[_-EDMIX-_]

? You have a state to prove we are getting less? Lat I recall, we getting single player based games at the same rate that we are even getting MMO, multiplayer only etc.

This game is a MMO RPG....it was NEVER a single player, nothing was lost to you bud, it wasn't made to be that.

[Gh05t]

"Thanks to all these greedy pubs who want us connected all of the time"

Is it happening because publishers want it... or consumers want it? If no one wanted it, no one would buy it, and then no one would make it. So either people want it, or they are so freaking incapable of self control that they buy products they hate. If that's the case there are a lot bigger problems than gaming to worry about.

"Just cause you think different doesn't mean it's not happening."

Couldn't the same be said for, just because you think different doesn't mean it IS happening?

"If you can't see that then go play on your iphone."

Since when is playing on a mobile phone a bad thing? That is a nice tiny computer running in the palm of my hands. I would rather have games on it than not. Not to mention not every game running on a mobile phone is some huge conspiracy to suck every penny from someone. Also I have emulators that allow me to take all those awesome SP experiences from past console generations (The ones you claim we are moving away from) with me WHEREVER I go. Yeah that sounds terrible.

Online play was a great evolution in gaming. It has kept me in touch with people I would never really speak to again but we can come together from anywhere we have a connection and play some games, I have also met people I would have never met and created friendships that would have never happened if it were not for online play... Yeah thats the worst thing EVER!

Always online is offering benefits in this game that may or may not be worth it but you know what... At least they are trying. If it works then obviously the market has spoken and likes it. And it it fails than maybe they will try something else. But the whole concept of not having a loading screen, lobbies, and seamlessly run in and out of EVP/PVP experiences on a console is not something I'm going to hate on.

In this day and age where making a game has become easier than ever you are still worried about big publishers pushing people around... They push sheep, who buy into everything, since it appears you aren't a sheep than why are you worried? There will always be die hard SP experiences even if they come from indie developers.

Things change and grow, this is one of those things, and quiet frankly no one is forcing you to change or grow with it. And if you think there is a HUGE undeserving of SP experiences that the market is crying for might I suggest downloading any of the FREE game engines and start making buckets of money yourself. Otherwise realize you are now in the minority and although it sucks because you don't get as many games as you would like doesn't mean that its not how life and business work.

[DLConspiracy]

Why are so many people in this thread scared of games going away from single player? Online games are not a trend they have been being made for decades along side more than enough offline single player games. The only trend I am seeing is the one where people are afraid of online games suddenly.

As long as there is a story to tell people will be able to play single player offline games. Games have stories and plenty of creative people who want to tell them. Some games have no online. Some have no single player. Some have both. It's nice to have options.

[neocores]

Wanted it since day one. But i lost hope after the many delays and so on and so on... Now we got wildlands and idk.

[Kalebninja]

When people complain an MMO is online only... No s**t it is.

[ninsigma]

Could be that these types of games haven't really been on consoles before so console only gamers haven't had much exposure to them. So when they start popping up it's like "whoa! No way dude! Stop forcing things on me!".
In reality there's loads of these games and it's no good trying to stop devs from making such games if that's what they wish because the more variety the better.

[Roccetarius]

It's not an MMO, but still complaining about a game that was meant to be online only from the start is silly.

[Kalebninja]

If your online in a big open world where you interact with many other players and NPCs that's definitely an mmo.

[Roccetarius]

@kalebninja There's nothing massive about the game, at all. It's a co-op MP game such as Destiny, which is not an MMO either. MOG is correct, MMO is not. That extra M means a lot more than just participating with players and NPC's in a world.

The genre has been muddled over the years, so it's understandable you didn't know.

[bananaboats]

Been hyped since I first saw the reveal and i'm still excited for this. I guess it helps when you have friends who are excited for it as well. Beta in December is gonna be great and hopefully it doesn't get pushed back any further.

[dms5223]

I don't really understand all the hate associated with an "always online" game. My console is never disconnected from the Internet. I guess one could argue that the games servers / console servers can go down but how often does that really happen?

Is everyone also upset their console of choice didn't come with a floppy drive? I think it's time to move forward...

[ninsigma]

I think the hate is coming from people who don't like to play multiplayer games. Which is fair enough, but they should play single player games and not not complain a multiplayer game is multiplayer focused

[DLConspiracy]

Servers do go down... BUT I have found that a lot of PC gamers make servers to keep them up. Battlefront 2 can still be played on PC even though the servers have been long shut down. Gamers find a way.

[Donjune]

Some many children on this site! You get to choose what games you want to purchase, no one is making you do a dam thing!

[Yui_Suzumiya]

But Ubisoft has a gun to my teddy bear :(

[fudgenasty21]

the difference is your forced to have a internet connection at all times and have ps plus or xbox gold. and for those 2 reasons I'm not getting it

[_-EDMIX-_]

forced to play a game that states its a online, open world rpg? LMFAO!

Sooooooo you do know its an online game right? Do you not get how strange that sounds? No one is forcing you to do jack either you don't need to buy it.

[fudgenasty21]

i was simply stating the difference between a real single player game and this.never said i was forced to play it either. just that you need internet. the thing that sounds strange to me is your stupid reply. its like you didn't even really read it.

[Zjet]

The problem is, that people love the look of the game, the theme, the gameplay, the story.

Why can't this be available as an offline experience or splitscreen co-op offline experience for people who want to enjoy it?

I don't like the look of the Division because its an online co-op game, i like Tom Clancy games, i like the theme, i like the mechanics.

so do a lot of others who sadly won't play it.

I love Bungie, i love Halo, i wanted to play Destiny, however as its online only i don't want to invest in an experience that can be taken away from me.

Servers go down, The Division is demoted to a shiney coaster my friend.

[the_mack_attack3]

Going to be one of them games that will be either amazing or made for the bin. You just know there will be no middle ground.

[SynestheticRoar]

Hope UBIsoft doesn't F-this one up.

[Germany7]

Games like The Division, Destiny, Evolve and The Crew are not made for single-player gamers at all.
Well, we still have another options.

[fitfox]

theres a single player mode! yes!

[Yui_Suzumiya]

When I first saw this I thought it'd be a mixture of The Last of Us and Fallout. I may still give it a shot at some point.. Maybe.

[HmongAmerican]

This game scream single player campaign so much. Add on single player or no buy.

[Grown Folks Talk]

This will tide my friends and I over until Ghost Recon.