Why too much focus on online multiplayer and achievements?

[kenzibit]

Thought I spread the news here and add my voice to it too cuz it's also a bothering concern to me.

I'm really hating the growing trend of not adding or taking out split-screen multi-player in current and upcoming games. I hate that when my friends come over we can't play Battlefield 4 together online or off. Why do they make it where we either have to take turns playing with strangers or he has to drive to his house to be able to play with me? That's stupid. Ryse looks interesting to me but I rarely, if ever, play games alone and I'm pretty sure that the multi-player modes for that game are online only. So I would be in the same situation with that game. So even though it looks fun I most likely won't be buying it.

I'm really gonna miss logging on to Xbox Live with 3 guests and playing 4 player split-screen in an online match like you could on Halo. I was hoping with the next generation that this feature would increase, like 6 player split-screen online or something, but instead it is slowly disappearing altogether.
Does anybody have or know of a list of Xbox One games that will support split-screen multi-player, especially split-screen online? (Adam Hamilla)


My biggest complaint is too much focus on online multiplayer, at least on the current generation. Seriously why did almost every game need an online multiplayer function of some kind? In fact a lot of games suffered because of online multiplayer integration. Anyways, why is Local Multiplayer a thing of the past? Do they not think gamers have friends around them at a particular time?
(Justin Hickman)


I think it's high time we come together to make this known to game developers or bodies responsible for multiplayer gaming. Tooo much emphasis on Online multiplayer and even games that don't need multiplayer are getting multiplayer (eg: Tomb Raider)....sounds stupid to me. They all going online just to make money by releasing expensive DLCs not knowing they bringing the value of the game down. They need to know this.

Online achievements are just stupid to me. I always leave them if they demand too much timing....don't have that much time. It should be gotten rid of or made earning them a better way. I really love BF4....it has reasonable achievements that can really make you say you've played and enjoyed the game. JUST WAIT AND SEE, COD GHOST WILL BRING OVERWHELMING AND STUPID ONLINE ACHIEVEMENTS FOR US////SOMETHING LIKE PRESTIGE 5 TIMES....IT'S INSANE CUZ WE ARE GAMERS ALRIGHT BUT WE ALSO WORK AT DIFFERENT PLACES.

Second thing is internet connection for online gamining. I for one in my home have an unlimited 12mb/s internet connection and can choose when to go online.....but the thing is I can't think of myself only, atleast there might be people else where with no internet connections but yet buy the game for the love they have for it. Now making part of the game strictly online by a developer wouldn't be fair enough to that person and as time goes on, the person might loos their love for the game. We are different people in different situations and game developers must know and develop games to suit us all.

Is any game developer or gaming body here? you can please tell us why the too much focus and emphasis on online multiplayer and achievements?

 

[BIGPADDY]

I'm with you on games not using split screen or co-op with a family and friends.

It hard to find two player games to play with my bro apart from COD and fighters.

Would love to have battlefield 4 with split screen or co-op or what I loved to play on the PS2 was space invaders that was a great co-op game!

 

[Pete]

It's a matter of economics. Even though split screen gaming is fun, not a huge amount of people do it, and when they do, they're more likely to be casual gamers (Kinect sports, etc). Having to add code for a relatively small percentage of gamers is too much of a resource overhead at a time when most development studios are running extremely tight on budgets.

Online achievements? For BF4/COD type games, most of the sales are for multiplayer gamers. The single player campaign games for those last typically less than 10 hours of gameplay. Personally, I don't play these kinds of games in multiplayer, so I lose out on all of those achievements. But, online is where the cash-cow is there, so those guys rightly get awarded for their gameplay there.

 

[ncxcstud]

I think online multiplayer has become the focus for a few reasons.

1) The majority of gamers are not kids anymore. Most gamers are between the ages of 25-35+. Most of us have jobs, families, etc... I live in Michigan, my best friends that I play games with live in Texas and Pennsylvania. Those are the guys I play with, but getting us altogether in the same house hasn't happened since we were in college. I'd venture a guess that a great majority of other gamers are the same as well.

2) From what I can tell, the more advanced a game becomes (graphics, ai, etc....) the more difficult it is to make the game run - essentially - two distinct versions of itself at the same time. With many games that offer off-line co-op or multiplayer there is usually a distinct visual downgrade. The more effects they put into the game to make it look fantastic - the more they potentially have to take out when 2-4 versions of the game are running at the same time.

3) Screen real estate - I'm past the point that in the particular games that I enjoy (mostly FPS and TPS) where I want my screen split into different sections. I really don't like it. Obviously that is a personal preference of mine and others may not share that feeling. But, my eyes aren't nearly as sharp to catch everything in a screen 1/4 the size of what its intended to be. I'd never want my 40-inch gaming TV to be split among anymore than 2 screens, let alone SIX that the OP would like to see. That's just crazy.

4) Making a game online dependent is another attempt to keep the disc in the tray. That's what devs want. They don't want you selling the game back after you're done with the campaign or giving it to a friend. They want you online. When you're online, you're more likely to purchase any DLC that comes to 'refresh' the game to keep you there. Also, the more you play the game they easier it will be to transition you to the (inevitable) sequel.

Of course, there will ALWAYS be off-line multiplayer in sports games and fighting games since it's relatively 'easy' to assign control of the screen to more players without giving up screen real estate or downgrading the graphical quality/ai...