Take Two: News of Single Player Games' Death Is Greatly Exaggerated

[Raevenlord]

With so many games either a) adding a tacked-on multiplayer component with lootboxes or other monetization ingredients; and b) single-player games turning into multiplayer experiences (look no further than the expected Fallout 76's always-on multiplayer approach, of which I'm still reeling from), it's the little things, the little draughts of single player respect that keep us lone gaming wolves sane. Take Two, publishers of the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2 (and a company best known for its affiliation with single-player experiences, thankfully), has said that single player games are going nowhere.

In an interview with Venture Beat, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick voiced his support for single-player experiences as anchors for player engagement with all aspects of a game - including its multiplayer components, or paving the way for online-only efforts such as GTA Online, the most lucrative title ever in the history of entertainment. Zelnick said that "(...) there are also people saying that it won't work if it's not a free-to-play battle royale. People really are saying that, and not even tongue-in-cheek. I don't buy that. Single-player, in my opinion, is not dead, not even close. Companies that feel like they'll just avoid the hard work of building a story and characters and go right to where the money is in multiplayer, I don't think that's going to work. I'd be surprised.



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[Basard]

I don't know why anybody would want to leave the multiplayer community of toxic bastards and be alone for even a minute.

 

[BluesFanUK]

I wish online multiplayer would burn and die.

When I was growing up it was four controllers on the N64 playing Mario Kart/Goldeneye.

Nowadays everything is multiplayer, even forced trophies on PS. Hate it.

Fallout 76 is now off my radar simply for the fact it's leaning towards online play. Jog on Bethesda.

 

[AltCapwn]

I wish online multiplayer would burn and die.

When I was growing up it was four controllers on the N64 playing Mario Kart/Goldeneye.

Nowadays everything is multiplayer, even forced trophies on PS. Hate it.

Fallout 76 is now off my radar simply for the fact it's leaning towards online play. Jog on Bethesda.

I respect Bethesda to try and create an online game themselves. I mean, imagine you could play Skyrim with a friend, that would have been sick! But unfortunately, it's a MP ONLY title so it kinds of sucks.

 

[Siskods9]

I have zero interest in any type of multiplayer games (and no interest in VR either)

Been a PC enthusiast and PC builder since 1994 and I'm in it for the immersive single player gaming experience. The genre doesn't matter to me, FPS, Third person, RTS, RPG, Beat'em up, Open world or Linear story, its all good so long as there is an immersive single player experience.

 

[Joss]

It's the first time I hear about single player gaming demise; I put it alongside the desktop computer fading.

 

[DRDNA]

the more I race online the more i spend time in Single player mode.......

 

[dj-electric]

Single player games company: Single player games are great and not dying

Shocking.

 

[dozenfury]

I'm not sure what started the talk of SP games dying. There have been plenty of SP hits lately, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Hellblade, etc. And there are many hits that are primarily SP with a small MP component kind of as an bonus (Far Cry 5 for example). I'd also add that I think the #'s of people that don't like to play MP games at all due to the toxicity, social anxiety, or just personal preference are going up.

MP games have gotten a major boost lately both from the popularity of streaming (since streamers more often tend to stream MP games than SP ones), and from the rise of the battle royale genre. But I think that's more just evened the field between SP and MP games. It's certainly not killing SP gaming off or going to.

For whatever reason there is a tendency for people to think in binary, that either all games must be SP or MP and one of them is the inevitable final evolution of gaming. Games are like movies or music, or any other entertainment, where there are all different kinds for people's preference or mood.

Also, whenever this kind of talk comes up it reminds me of the "console gaming is dying" or "PC gaming is dying" articles in magazines that I could post from 15 years ago, that were obviously 100% wrong.

 

[enxo218]

take two?...I'm still waiting for bl3...waiting.......still
I know that they aren't the makers its just my rant over a long awaited installment in a great series that did mp and sp right

 

[TheOne]

Sadly it seems the only place to consistently still get a good SP game is PS4, also don't forget Bethesda's whole #SavePlayer1 campaign, and just how little that meant with their first major title after being their first Online game, also tired of this "as a service".

 

[AsRock]

I was interested in getting Red Dead 2 when it was released but already started to show they going screw people over by not letting people upgrade what they buy, yes if i heard correctly if you buy the standard edition their be missing in game things and if you want they you will need to re-buy the game as i understand it.

These are not the people who can really say SP games are not dead, only company's who make solid SP games can reallly say this, Looking at you CDPR and Larian Studio's.

This is more like a cry we still exist.

 

[Fx]

MP and SP both have their own unique pros and cons. I do both and always will. I play MP when I need to a fix for my competitive spirit. I play SP when I want to disconnect and chill out. I even mark my steam status as offline when I do this. I own far more SP titles than I do MP, but I don't jump ship very often on MP titles either.

 

[djisas]

take two?...I'm still waiting for bl3...waiting.......still
I know that they aren't the makers its just my rant over a long awaited installment in a great series that did mp and sp right

Borderlands 2 is a game done right, massive single player campaign that you can opt to play alone, with a bunch of friends or complete random strangers...
With almost 10 years, it still retains a strong player base...

Now, where's BL3 anyway...

 

[DRDNA]

PC gaming also will never die, what may and will change is what the computer is like for gaming.....forever up until its all said and done.

 

[Vayra86]

I respect Bethesda to try and create an online game themselves. I mean, imagine you could play Skyrim with a friend, that would have been sick! But unfortunately, it's a MP ONLY title so it kinds of sucks.

I would respect Bethesda for Fallout 76 as well if it wasn't such an obviously LAZY attempt at it. Engine, netcode... its like they're tacking all sorts of crap together to come out with something that *might* work. If there is one company that should count its blessings with single player experiences it is this one...

Regardless... the bloke is correct in everything he's quoted for up there. Up to and including the use of single player to guide players into a MP environment. In fact, there many games that do both simultaneously ie. The Division, Diablo 3...

 

[Prima.Vera]

There will ALWAYS be small indie companies that will develop exclusevly for SP mode. And I'm good with that. Some of the game are remarkably good.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I wish online multiplayer would burn and die.
When I was growing up it was four controllers on the N64 playing Mario Kart/Goldeneye.
Nowadays everything is multiplayer, even forced trophies on PS. Hate it.
Fallout 76 is now off my radar simply for the fact it's leaning towards online play. Jog on Bethesda.

I agree with you on every point. I loved and deeply miss LAN parties. It was great to get a bunch of friend together for a weekend and have a blast actually socializing and hanging. 4 Xbox, 16 player halo parties, Command & Conquer tournaments, Quake 1, 2 & 3 and so on. Oh yeah..

I personally have played anything seriously online since W.O.W. in 2013. Tried a few thing out here and there. Just no love for it.