21 Jul, 2011
There are plenty of games out there these days that feature online multiplayer matches. Does every single title need it? No, they don’t. There are some games that could have had great single player campaigns, but developers opted to throw in multiplayer just for the hell of it. We can’t think of a better example than BioShock 2. That was just silly.
While Gearbox Software and members of Human Head Studios have already stated their stand against unncessary multiplayer modes, Bethesda Softworks is the latest powerhouse to join the party. In an interview with Edge, Bethesda’s VP of Marketing Pete Hines said developers who don’t need it should just leave it alone. “Just drop it,” said Hines, “don’t bother…it’ll make for a worse game.”
Because of the wild successes of multiplayer games like Call of Duty: Black Ops and Halo: Reach, it makes sense from a marketing standpoint to toss it in just to watch the numbers go up. The demand is pretty high too, but Hines is resistant to the idea of including multiplayer in everything. “[People ask us] for a game like Skyrim or Prey 2, why doesn’t it have multiplayer?” said Hines. “Well, our question is always the opposite when we talk to the developer. If you’re doing multiplayer, why are you doing multiplayer? What are you trying to accomplish?
“If you’re doing it just to check a box or because every other publisher says you’ve got to have a multiplayer, then just drop it, don’t bother, it’s a waste of time, a giant distraction, and it’ll make for a worse overall game.”
While some players may complain bitterly about the lack of multiplayer in such titles, a strong 15 to 20 hour single-player campaign (and possibly longer with extra side quests) that have gamers replaying games would be just as successful as triple-A multiplayer titles. After all, it’s all about the amount of fun that can be squeezed out of a single game. Tacking on the extra stuff just for the sake of tacking it on isn’t going to help anyone. Hines couldn’t agree more. “We want the best game possible,” he said. “If that’s a single-player game that’s 15 to 20 hours, then make that! Don’t waste your time on features that don’t make the game better.”
Does this mean Bethesda simply doesn’t understand marketing? No. In fact, Bethesda is curious why nobody else is resisting the idea of passing over big marketing features. “Why, when we’re willing to do that, aren’t other publishers willing to do it?” asked Hines.
Back in an April interview with Eurogamer, Prey 2‘s project lead Chris Reinhart expressed similar sentiments. Not only is it bad for the game, but it’s bad for the player too. “If you’re going to do multiplayer, do something else that fits with your style of game, and something that’s going to be really fun, that’s going to get people to play together in this game,” said Reinhart. “I would want to make sure developers put their focus in the right place and area. Taking and watering down both single-player and multiplayer is not good for the developer. It’s not good for the publisher. It’s not good for the game player.”
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim takes us to the land of dragons November 11th on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Via Edge.
Recent Comments