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EA waves goodbye to single-player only games

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There’s a really interesting interview with head of the EA Games label Frank Gibeau over on Develop. Gibeau oversees all of the development companies under EA Games’ umbrella; companies like Visceral Games and the recently signed Insomniac and Respawn.

In the interview, Gibeau provides insight into EA Games’ new approach to dealing with development studios, which involves fostering a sense of autonomy and freedom of creative expression. In other words, Gibeau is giving developers free-reign in how they put together their projects, but within reason. One specific aspect of games that Gibeau will insist on (although he prefers to say he “inspires”) is an inter-connected experience. Reading between the lines: the days of single-player only EA games are gone.

But don’t panic just yet! They have been for a while if you think about it. According to Gibeau, all of the bigwigs over at EA Games are “very comfortable moving the discussion towards how we make connected gameplay – be it co-operative or multiplayer or online services – as opposed to fire-and-forget, packaged goods only, single-player, 25-hours-and you’re out. I think that model is finished. Online is where the innovation, and the action, is at.”

Naturally, shortly after this interview went live, the internet erupted with that typical “gamer entitlement” attitude; responses like “go to hell” and “what a tard” could be seen filling up comment posts on various websites. I’m not really sure why. As far as I can see, Gibeau is not saying that from here on out the only EA games you’ll play will be ones that require you to be online and playing with others. He is saying that from here on out all EA games will ship with online integration of some kind built in. That’s already been happening; he’s merely reiterated it as an ongoing business model for EA.

Look at the Cerberus Network for Mass Effect 2: that was an “online service” for a completely single-player game. It worked as a means of getting news, DLC and updates to gamers across the planet. For an online service that is integrated a little more, look at Autolog in Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit. That is an online service that greatly adds to the overall experience of the game. It’s also a feature that isn’t compulsory in order to play the game.

In the interview, Gibeau has merely verbalised what EA has been doing for a while now. We will still get EA published single-player games, but some of them might contain multiplayer features, like Dead Space 2 is going to.

Source: Develop [via Eurogamer]

Last Updated: December 9, 2010

3 Comments

  1. Yeah he didn’t say that single player games are dead, I think he means that from now on single player games will be more integrated with DLC and things like that instead of just releasing a game at retail and being done with it. My opinion anyway.

    Reply

  2. Rez

    December 9, 2010 at 16:28

    I don’t mind adding a multiplayer component to single player. Ubisoft did an awesome job with the AC:B MP.

    I just hope they do not do it at the expense of the single player experience.

    However given EA’s online pass system I am willing to bet they will make you pay extra for the multiplayer section since games prices are pretty much fixed unless EA decides you getting two games and you need to pay double price with no option of only buying the SP campaign.

    I think most people who have xbox gold accounts don’t mind paying for access to all multiplayer, at least I don’t. But if EA is going to charge extra for multiplayer for every single game after purchase people are going to think twice about buying the multiplayer portion unless it is really good.

    Which could mean that the multiplayer part could et even better or EA will go for quantity rather than quality and hope that enough people will buy the multiplayer portion before realise how badly it really is or offer a ridiculous number of easy to get achievements for the achievement whores out there.

    In summary this can go really well or really really badly.

    Reply

  3. Luna

    December 10, 2010 at 19:10

    Rez, not only do you have a great name, but seriously, you nailed every point I was going to make.

    Take NFS:HP, awesome online intergration, but if you want it – and don’t even want to play live online against others – you have to have a new copy or pay for it. This is only their way of sucking more money from you, not a way to innovate.

    Reply

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