While browsing the net, I came across a few articles about how the single player is dying. That there is no room in the gaming world for those who don’t play multiplayer, especially with games like Battlefield and Call of Duty.
With the recent release of Battlefield 3 many wondered why people would even bother to play the campaign alone. A game like Battlefield was created to be played online and online alone (some people say). With a story that runs only around five hours long, how can anyone get their sixty dollars worth out of something so short and with (perhaps) a weak story and linear gameplay.
Even games that focus more on the story are starting to branch off into the multiplayer scene. Take Mass Effect 3 for instance. Two installments already under their belt and now with the third game, they’re bringing multiplayer into the mix.
Can a solo gamer thrive in a multiplayer world? Even though Mass Effect 3 will have multiplayer that doesn’t mean anything has been taken from the heart of the game. Games like Enslaved, Dragon Age and the upcoming Skyrim game are all about the single player. Even Halo, Battlefield, Call of Duty, Forza 4, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 all can be enjoyable without having to go online to play with others. However the point still stands: why pay sixty dollars for only five hours of campaign? The answer is pretty simple and a tad selfish some might say. It doesn’t matter to anyone else but you. Who really cares if you don’t like playing online? The multiplayer community is a large one and it won’t miss you. If you only like playing the campaign of any game, then good for you; you are doing it right. You are enjoying a game without the influence of the masses. You are enjoying a game and it doesn’t matter what other people say because you like the game simply because you do.
Yes, game companies will focus more on the multiplayer aspect of games, however I don’t believe single player games are dead. Gaming companies won’t completely alienate those who like to play solo. There will always be games for solo players as long as we keep buying and playing them.
