Single player games

[Golfdriver97]

Are developers wrong that single player games are dying?

I personally think they are. They haven't been doing that well, but in my opinion, we haven't had a great deal of good single player games recently being released. Sure, we have had the longer standing series, like Assassin's Creed, God of War, The Witcher, Tomb Raider, etc., but aside from those, most of the ones that have been released, just don't seem to be that great.

We do have a few good ones; I am actually hooked on Hellblade.

This thread was inspired by this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zS2m2R28Wk

What do you all think? Is EA and Xbox right? Wrong?

 

[ArtistJD]

I thought they died a long time ago.

I hardly ever hear people around me talk about them. And, from what I have seen, Multiplayer games are the order of the day, even in PlayStation 4 stalls

 

[the_moesiah]

I play then exclusively but I'm sure I am in the minority these days

 

[JelloBooBoy]

I personnally prefer single player games, miss the Splinter Cell series, Need to make more on the X.

 

[Bill Daugherty]

Playstation has some good single player games on it that have been very successful. Horizon Zero Dawn, Infamous, The Last of Us and God of War come to mind immediately. I wouldn't be gaming if it wasn't for the PS4 cause I feel Xbox has given up on Single Player. I like multiplayer games but I don't like the direction they are taking. When I buy a game I want a full game, I don't want to be nickeled & dimed to death. I use to buy a few titles a month but for the past 2 years I have only bought about 4 games. My X1X is collecting dust. I wish more game companies would finish a story and not leave things unfinished. HZD and TLOU were a complete story if they never have another game you are left satisfied with the conclusion but it is open enough for a sequel at a later time. More game companies need to learn how to do that.

 

[Bill Daugherty]

My son is a big fan of the Splinter Cell series. I've never played one but watched him play several times. That's the beauty of having kids, I can enjoy a game I normally wouldn't play myself by watching them play.

 

[ajj3085]

I thought they died a long time ago.

I hardly ever hear people around me talk about them. And, from what I have seen, Multiplayer games are the order of the day, even in PlayStation 4 stalls

I only play single player games, on the PS4 specifically. Don't know how sales are, but I know games like FO4, Nier: Automata, the Tomb Raiders, I thought had sold very well.

 

[Hirox K]

First, there are faster ways to fill your story needs than playing games. Some people get it from games and some people don't.

I still play single players, just not the story-driven ones.
* I play multi-players too by the way (also not story-driven ones).

I play FPS, TPS, Platformer, Beat-em-up, Action games like Titanfall2, Gears of War or Halo (it has single player and it's not story driven), Terraria, Enter the Gungeon, Lucky's Tale, Ori, Shovel Knight, Momodora, Forza H3, Saints Row, Sonic Mania, Ninja Gaiden, The Surge, Street of Rage, Marvel vs Capcom, Soul Calibur, Wolfenstein, FRU, Cuphead, Quantum Break, Rayman, Panzer Dragoon...

Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, Assassin's Creed and Middle Earth have story, but they are not "that much" story-driven I think.
Well, I beat AC-O, haven't got time for DLC, ME and HZD prob at 30% or 40%, don't think I'm going back cause there's always new games.
TR-reboot @ 30%, TR-RotTR @ 0%. I pre-ordered the 3rd one already, and let's hope I'll have time for it when it's out or else I might skip it again.

Dragon Age Inquisition, Witcher3, Romancing Saga... I get bored quick (I've been gaming 30 years, played tons and tons and I have 2 gamer brothers) and most of the time, I won't come back to these story-driven games once I jump to other games.

Monster Hunter World... same programming as 2G, no. And I don't grind anymore.

I don't really play turn-based games these days (again, I've played too much when I was young). I'll get sleepy in front of the TV hitting A and I don't like not-so-action-HP-monitoring-games. JRPG like Shin Megami Tensei Dx2 or Kododaman, are actually more mobile / portable device friendly imo.

* I don't accept old tech from major devs (mo-cap isn't tech), only indies can win my heart with creativity.

But thanks to XPA, I saved some games e.g. Middle Earth, Enter the Gungeon, Lucky's Tale for my NBs, for outdoor gaming. Just trying to utilize my free time. They are all single players of course. After 2016, I kinda dropped PsStore when it comes to multiplats (I value my game lib and saves) and I've re-bought many during sales.

Is SP dying? No and it won't. Market shrank? Compare to ps1/2/3 era, I think so (but games @ that era, except RPGs, don't have much story or lengthy cut scenes XD).

 

[IamSparta]

Not dying, just slowing down. But with everything, the gaps will fill in and this is where indie games have stepped up. As such I have been playing tons of indie games.

In order for AAA single player games to be successful (IE make tons of money), production value needs to increase and it inevitably causes the better AAA single player games to take longer to make. This makes it seem like single player games are dying.

I don't think that the developers are giving up on single player games but rather being much more selective. Nobody wants to spend a great deal of investment to have a game fail. Back in the day when there was only single player games the competition was on a level playing field, but now single player games have to compete against games like Destiny 2, so the THAT single player game better be a good one.

Additionally developers and the production companies would be stupid to abandon a huge amount of single player gamers. Even if a game is multiplayer I play it as a single player experience. I play Sea of Thieves and Destiny with a single player mentality, never interacting with anybody. I have a family and little time and just want to jump in and jump out at my leisure. And as long as developers are pushing for ways to allow for that single player experience, then it is all good.

So basically single player games are not dying. Just evolving. And actually, it is because of the stiff competition and money making potential of multi player games/games as a service that single player games have gotten better. Really, single player games are thriving...even if at a slower pace. I don't know if you would have had the new God of War/Horizon Zero Dawn if the competition wasn't so high. Sony has had to increase production to compete with the multi-plats.

 

[Paul Josephson]

The question isn't are single player games dying. They aren’t. The question is why is Microsoft acting like it MP/online is the only way to make a game. And Sony is just the opposite and only acting like like SP is only game in town. Neither is correct. But, this idea that single player is dying is wrong. Outside of the first party studios, there are plenty of third party SP games coming this year. Much more than I can remember happening last year. Of course, two excellent SP games Far Cry 5 and God of War just dropped but, there are plenty of others on the horizon. Just off the top of my head, there is: Agony, Red Dead Redemption II, Spider-Man, Tomb Raider, Vampyr, Detroit: Become Human, Exodus, We Happy Few, Biomutant, Code Vein, Cyber Punk 2077, Darksiders 3, Left Alive, Ghost of Tshumia.

I think the problem is that for consoles (first party wise) both Microsoft and Sony are taking opposite stances. Microsoft seems to be all about online-multiple-player games and Sony seems to be focused solely on the single-player experience. I think both are foolish endeavors. Just like a variety of games you need a variety of gaming experience. Each type SP or MP/online limits the reach you can attain with your customer base. SP has the one and done problem. Most players will never go back and replay that game. So, their experience is 15-25 hours for most SP games. That SP experience is mostly linear but, it can be quite unique from game to game. Whereas, MP provides a much longer gaming experience. But, can be a repetitive process that can suffer because all the different MP games will essentially provide the same experience in different clothing. Another problem with MP is that even with all the planning it is much more difficult to get that initial balance and experience right. So, games like Sea of Thieves arrives with great expectations but because of so many variables not working it loses its luster quite quickly. An MP experiences need that luster to keep people or get more people involved. You really only have one chance to make an impression (reviewers rarely comeback 6 months later) Contrast that with a game like GOW. A fairly linear SP game has control of the narrative and the experience can be fully scripted. That SP experience is easier to review because it is generally sandboxed, linear.

There are a couple of games to my mind that have done both provide a great SP experience and provide a full MP/online experience as well. Titanfall 2 has an excellent (16 hour) SP experience while providing a well-rounded MP/online experience. Monster Hunter World another great SP experience (25+ hours) while again providing a strong online experience to compliment the SP experience.

Lets also not forget that MP has become a pariah for many gamers because the lootbox controversy which has lead games becoming pay to win. Games like Battlefront II. Even though it has a reasonably acceptable SP experience, fails on so many levels with MP.

I personally wish that Microsoft would really provide a good SP (even if it has a large MP element as well) and Sony would provide a good MP game to their arsenal. Neither seems to be happening.

 

[Hirox K]

Is SP dying? No and it won't. Market shrank? Compare to ps1/2/3 era, I think so (but games @ that era, except RPGs, don't have much story or lengthy cut scenes XD).

btw, a lilo off topic but this is the period where Japanese devs (were good at making single player games), console market in Japan, j-dev's global influence start to decline. The cause is quite obvious but... some other time.

 

[PLPW77]

Are single player games dying? I dunno. Ask God of War’s sales. Three million in as many days. I think Microsoft has disconnected with gamers in their quest to push games as a service. And no, third party content doesn’t count. Exclusives are what matter. Microsoft needs to step it up big time this E3 and show actual gamers that spend money in support of their chosen hobby that they’re listening or they’re really gonna be setting themselves up for a bad go of it for the foreseeable future. I’ve been a big time supporter of the Xbox brand since the OG Xbox replaced the Dreamcast as my go to, and for the first time I’m tempted to jump ship because it’s like MS is just set on ignoring what actual gamers are calling for in an effort to lure in cheapskates with programs like Game Pass, but cheapskates aren’t who keep developers afloat, and cheapskates aren’t who buy premium platforms like the X. Microsoft needs to remember the hardcore base, or they’re gonna be gone, off to other platforms where they feel their voices aren’t ignored.

 

[Guest_aotf]

I thought they died a long time ago.

I hardly ever hear people around me talk about them. And, from what I have seen, Multiplayer games are the order of the day, even in PlayStation 4 stalls

What a strange way of looking at things. If people around me don't talk about something, its dead or it doesn't exist?
Out of curiosity I went to see games at Sony's E3 stands. There was a good amount of single player games there.

 

[Guest_aotf]

I personally wish that Microsoft would really provide a good SP (even if it has a large MP element as well) and Sony would provide a good MP game to their arsenal. Neither seems to be happening.

While I agree Sony focus more on single player games and MS focus more on multiplayer games. It really got to be noted that PS4 probably has more exclusives with multiplayer than XB1.

So yes, Sony should focus little more on games with multiplayer but MS should just focus on more games period. ofc more on single player if they want to provide diversity for their customers.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Playstation has some good single player games on it that have been very successful. Horizon Zero Dawn, Infamous, The Last of Us and God of War come to mind immediately. I wouldn't be gaming if it wasn't for the PS4 cause I feel Xbox has given up on Single Player. I like multiplayer games but I don't like the direction they are taking. When I buy a game I want a full game, I don't want to be nickeled & dimed to death. I use to buy a few titles a month but for the past 2 years I have only bought about 4 games. My X1X is collecting dust. I wish more game companies would finish a story and not leave things unfinished. HZD and TLOU were a complete story if they never have another game you are left satisfied with the conclusion but it is open enough for a sequel at a later time. More game companies need to learn how to do that.

It was the list of games you mentioned that made me wonder this. If EA and MS were right, then in theory those games should have flopped. Yet they didn't. So there is some kind of demand for a single player game.

 

[Golfdriver97]

First, there are faster ways to fill your story needs than playing games. Some people get it from games and some people don't.

I still play single players, just not the story-driven ones.
* I play multi-players too by the way (also not story-driven ones).

I play FPS, TPS, Platformer, Beat-em-up, Action games like Titanfall2, Gears of War or Halo (it has single player and it's not story driven), Terraria, Enter the Gungeon, Lucky's Tale, Ori, Shovel Knight, Momodora, Forza H3, Saints Row, Sonic Mania, Ninja Gaiden, The Surge, Street of Rage, Marvel vs Capcom, Soul Calibur, Wolfenstein, FRU, Cuphead, Quantum Break, Rayman, Panzer Dragoon...

Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, Assassin's Creed and Middle Earth have story, but they are not "that much" story-driven I think.
Well, I beat AC-O, haven't got time for DLC, ME and HZD prob at 30% or 40%, don't think I'm going back cause there's always new games.
TR-reboot @ 30%, TR-RotTR @ 0%. I pre-ordered the 3rd one already, and let's hope I'll have time for it when it's out or else I might skip it again.

Dragon Age Inquisition, Witcher3, Romancing Saga... I get bored quick (I've been gaming 30 years, played tons and tons and I have 2 gamer brothers) and most of the time, I won't come back to these story-driven games once I jump to other games.

Monster Hunter World... same programming as 2G, no. And I don't grind anymore.

I don't really play turn-based games these days (again, I've played too much when I was young). I'll get sleepy in front of the TV hitting A and I don't like not-so-action-HP-monitoring-games. JRPG like Shin Megami Tensei Dx2 or Kododaman, are actually more mobile / portable device friendly imo.

* I don't accept old tech from major devs (mo-cap isn't tech), only indies can win my heart with creativity.

But thanks to XPA, I saved some games e.g. Middle Earth, Enter the Gungeon, Lucky's Tale for my NBs, for outdoor gaming. Just trying to utilize my free time. They are all single players of course. After 2016, I kinda dropped PsStore when it comes to multiplats (I value my game lib and saves) and I've re-bought many during sales.

Is SP dying? No and it won't. Market shrank? Compare to ps1/2/3 era, I think so (but games @ that era, except RPGs, don't have much story or lengthy cut scenes XD).

Where you touched on market shrink is what I was confusing with dying. My early days of gaming was way back when the NES was still releasing games. From my point of view, I go from roots of The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros, to SW Battlefront 2.

I think it would be best if we got a lot more combination games like Ghost recon Wildlands, or MH World, where there is a path for both the single player and room to get online with friends.

 

[Guest_aotf]

The major people announcing or talking about the death or problem with single player games are those who are trying to turn games into services.

Those who try to make microtransactions and lootbox in full price games a norm. Those who try to push for fewer games and talk about trying to get players engaged and spend the most amount of time as possible on a game.

I think it should not be about the death of a certain type of game and only make one type of game. For me it should be about diversity, it should not be about trying to look at whatever makes the most money and KILL the rest.

Why talk about killing some type of game? Is it because they are trying to make services a norm? Is it just about communication and part of their marketing?

See most gamers aren't calling for the death of certain type of game. It's mostly the major companies doing it, and they are probably just doing it for financial reasons. I think we as gamers should be united against this. We should support let companies decide for us.
If you like don't like a type of game, don't try to trash it and ask for it's death. That , for me, is just anti-gaming and goes against this industry...

 

[Cboy95]

Somebody tell this to Blizzard.

 

[Aaron V]

Playstation has some good single player games on it that have been very successful. Horizon Zero Dawn, Infamous, The Last of Us and God of War come to mind immediately. I wouldn't be gaming if it wasn't for the PS4 cause I feel Xbox has given up on Single Player. I like multiplayer games but I don't like the direction they are taking. When I buy a game I want a full game, I don't want to be nickeled & dimed to death. I use to buy a few titles a month but for the past 2 years I have only bought about 4 games. My X1X is collecting dust. I wish more game companies would finish a story and not leave things unfinished. HZD and TLOU were a complete story if they never have another game you are left satisfied with the conclusion but it is open enough for a sequel at a later time. More game companies need to learn how to do that.

I love both single and multi-player games. But only 4 In the last 2 years? Seriously you need to play Assassins Creed Syndicate and Origins. They are really great single player games. Also I love when developers add new content which keeps the game fresh and it gets better. Improvements are always welcomed. Look at Minecraft for an example, that game sucked for years, until I found how enjoyable it is 2 years ago.