Nik Wood writes on why he thinks that the internet has had a negative effect on gaming.
Companies, particularly public companies like Microsoft, need to grow.
i mean its pretty simple, they spent close to 30 billion in acquiring activision, they thought they'd make it bk no problem, and that didnt happen.
its just shit that because of MS's miscalculation alot of people lost their jobs.
They are going to use AI for a large portion of the game development process. Upper management need bonuses and the shareholders need more money. So, people will lose their jobs.
They shouldn't have bought any studios. Some is okay...but they went on a shopping spree...stupid
The better question is why did Microsoft buy publishers for a service they were subsidizing they knew couldn't support.
And why are so many websites trying to make people feel sorry for Microsoft instead of truly criticizing the fact they are closing studios and killing jobs that would have been fine if Microsoft themselves hadn't gotten involved.
Quit feeling sorry for Microsoft and start feeling sorry for the industry and the all the gamers who are actually losing out.
THIS IS MICROSOFTS FAULT.
The first thing that happens after any major acquisition or merger is a consolidation of the whole new portfolio, which includes cutting any excess, bloat or portfolios that don't fit the larger MO of the big boy. So far, it's been par for the course with Microsoft and that's why gamers have been so against this acquisition. Tango Gameworks is the beginning. You think Microsoft wants to pay to keep small timers like Ninja Theory in business?
There is absolutely zero evidence to suggest that Microsoft will improve any of these studios, but plenty to suggest that they will get rid of what they don't need and hold onto the IP. The real agenda of the acquisition was always to acquire The Elder Scrolls, Diablo, Fallout, Call of Duty, Candy Crush etc. that will create millions in passive revenue stream for Microsoft regardless of where the games release. Microsoft simply wants their cut.
Because of Games Pass Microsoft has no interest in investing in new IP which is risky and requires creative talent they can neither nurture nor manage. Game Pass has also not grown in the way Microsoft expected it to, even post acquisitions. Therefore the logical thing to do, without serious money makers to release, is to cut as much cost as possible.
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"Games are released with terrible bugs that are eventually sorted out by updates, that require… an internet connection."
^^^
Only valid point in the whole article, the relatively few other arguments he gives just make him sound whiny.
I personally play very little online with the exception of a little BF or COD here and there. I used to do the mmo thing too for awhile until I wised up and got sick of the amount of time and money you have to sink into them.
But my point is, even though I'm not much of an online gamer myself I've never felt that online gaming was (in any significant way) harming the industry, let alone any the games that I like. Not sure how this guy gets that impression...
Now, I'm mainly a single-player (or on-the-couch multiplayer) gamer, so keep that in mind...
Online gaming is the future. Sure, some things need to change. Some things need to grow and evolve. But think about Demon's/Dark Souls. Those games could be played completely solo, but you would still feel the influence of other players. Star Wars Old Republic is an MMO, yes, but it can also be played - more or less - solo and you can experience a halfway decent story. I anticipate Guild Wars 2 will also be much the same way.
The problem is World of Warcraft. Because it's such a success, everyone imitates it, but WoW is a 7-year-old game. It's ancient. The online game model needs to evolve beyond WoW instead of copying it.
Online gaming changes the reasons why we play a video game. It is for competitive reasons followed by the emerging cooperative mode. In either case online is social based. It creates an environment of immediate gratification using one's primitive emotions of dominance over another. I, for one, play online but prefer single player or co-op campaign mode that follows a storyline. It can cause impatience, which is a huge detriment to the single player mode.
Online will cause the destruction of ownership and the destruction of the meaning of a name. Games get chopped up, rehashed, and repackaged. My biggest hope for online this generation was that the consoles could do it better than the PC. Consoles were always a representation of stability over technology until they all went online.
I don't appreciate being mislead into thinking the games I purchased digitally are mine. No matter which way they slice it the terms and conditions say otherwise. Since when does the terms "buy", "own", or "ownership" NOT mean what the dictionary defines them as? Yet that is what is stated in PS3/360 terms. They are basically telling you that they have the right to mislead you by having a buy button. I could go on and on about the issues with online based gaming but I won't. I'd be here for quite awhile.
MP games will sell more because you can't borrow friends' copies to play against them. You have to buy new ones. And most people can't wait for a price drop or buy it used because the community might die out, so they sell lots of copies right from launch.
@Nitrowolf
"Good and Evil didn't have Online.
If you have an issue with online play then at least use a game that is actually online play."
"games back in the 80's -90's weren't full of 3D models and all worked on a 2D plane."
Good and Evil was a rare example of the need for online patches in an offline gaming world. Yet I can't name much else. So, I ask, is having online the solution to bugged games or is it the problem? In my experience, there are more bugged video games on release now that they have in the past
The PS1and PS2 were on a 3D plane and had no online systems in place. I can't name a video game on these systems (aside from G&E) that had noticeable bugs like we do today.
Note: Read some of my other posts here and you'll see I have many issues with online gaming.