Re: Single Player FTW

On 10/8/2024 8:16 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

  A recent study reported that most gamers prefer single-player! Take
that, multiplayer nerds! ;-)
 Of course, the reality is that, if you look into the study, the
single-player advantage is minimal; it's along the lines of 53% to 47%
in favor of single-player. And the breakdown is predictible; the old
fogies like the single-player, whilst the brats go for the online
stuff. Honestly, the study doesn't really tell us anything that we
didn't already know.
 Still, for years publishers parroted the line that multiplayer was the
only way to profitablity, and strictly single-player games (or even
single-player modes) were often given short-shrift. There have been
numerous reports of attempts by developers to push forward
single-player games that have been shot down by publishers, who told
the devs that single-player games 'just don't sell'.  And why not?
Multiplayer games sold tremendously well, and you could attach all
sorts of live-service features onto the games to rake in even more
money
     [that the audience of the games trended younger, less sophisticated
     and less discriminating probably didn't hurt either]
 But what this study shows is that there is a huge market --over half
the gaming population-- that has a clear preference for single-player
experiences. There's also a lot of proof that single-player games _do_
sell (see "Wukung" or "Baldurs Gate 3" for recent examples), and an
equal number of examples of high-profile multiplayer games _not_
selling (see "Concord", for instance). The deciding factor isn't
multiplayer versus single-player; it's whether the game is good or
not. Good games sell, bad ones don't.

Correction:  Baldur's Gate 3 can be played online multiplayer like a real D&D game with the computer as DM - possibly even like NWN with a real DM/Level Designer.
I'm to understand the makers just put out a modding kit and someone leaked/hacked a way to actually change the levels (which apparently involved changing one bit, seems like someone left that in the game on purpose.)
But there's multiplayer and there's multiplayer.  It's a single player offline game at its heart. I'm fine with that.
The multiplayer games I like aren't hardcore multiplayer ones.  I don't like the time and commitment level (generally) required for MMOs with raids (and grinding or p2w.) I don't usually much care for competitive multiplayer like Fortnight or other MMO FPS' (though I did play about a 6 month stint of Counterstrike with a friend and strangers.)
What I do like are things like Dark souls/ER where you just get summoned to another's game or summon yourself, only for the time commitment of trying to get to and defeat 1 boss.  It's generally not a lot of time commitment (though some areas can be.)  There are the invasions which I don't care for, but grudgingly accept too.
Vermintide, Warframe and it's like where you make a small squad to play PVE for one mission.  You can get further into those and end game seems a bit much in that regard in Warframe (also with grinding eventually.)
EDF with both online multiplayer and local split screen.
If you want to talk about old-school multiplayer, I even played Master of Magic online 1-on-1 at least one time (with a mod to do so) and it and other games hot seat with friends at my place or their's many a time.
--
-Justisaur
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