So, recently it has become a bit of a necessity within the gaming community for every new title to be released with multiplayer content if it is to withstand the test of time. A lot of games that are meant to be focused on their campaign modes, have included some form of multiplayer element so that they can gain a piece of that pie as well. Titles such as Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, The Last Of Us, Final Fantasy XV, Grand Theft Auto V, Rise Of The Tomb Raider and others are games that have a clear-cut beginning and an ending, but there's also an online mode.
And then there's the constantly new games that are entering the arena. Games that are specifically multiplayer-only, like Overwatch, Fortnite and Player Unknown's BattleGrounds (or PUBG, as it is more commonly known). Games that continuously keep popping up and competing with one another for who will attract the most attention and fans. One can make the claim that there are other titles in this category as well, such as Minecraft or World Of Warcraft, but that would be grossly mistaken. For a multiplayer title to build such a dedicated fanbase, it should withstand the test of time and both the aforementioned titles have done so.
Why could it be that gamers are attracted to these specific sorts of entertainment, no one can truly say. However one argument could be that they feel they can get their money's worth out of them, when compared to even the most massive single-player game experience, which could set them back $70 and last them only 50-60 hours at the most, maybe over 100 if the player is what is known within the community as a "completionist". So it's almost like they're dishing out around $1 per hour of story. Not the most ideal of scenarios.
Another could be that they actually want to play with their friends and don't have the time to physically meet up with them during the week. In our day, time can be a valuable thing since responsibilities begin early, with schools and different lessons becoming more and more necessary for one to eventually survive in today's business market. With this in mind, it makes a lot of sense how kids might turn to some online game that they can play with a friend or two without even having to get dressed or leave the comfort of their bedroom. It's ideal. This can be said twice as much for adults, who have even more burdens and responsibilities, trying to juggle work, family and fun.
A final scenario as to why gamers are turning more and more towards multiplayer could even be monetization. Or in clearer terms, the exploitation of the current trends. With so many new streaming platforms available to them, players have begun to take their hobby more professionally than ever before. They see which game is popular through social media, quickly purchase it and make their online accounts and immediately begin streaming. Of course, even the online streaming industry has become a literal war-zone, despite still being in its infancy, so a streamer will have to provide quality content if he's to actually gain any attention. In other words, he'll not only have to stream the game, but he'll have to be good at it. Which is something quite difficult, with the trends changing so rapidly.
But is it a correct opinion for the online community to outweigh the single-player title inclined community by that much? Are these quick-consumption type of games really the best thing the industry has to offer? Is it right to say that "multiplayer is better than single player, any day of the week"? Well, no, it isn't. And here's why.
First of all, a mutliplayer title will offer the same experience repeatedly. Like microwaving the same food every day. Eventually you'll get sick of eating pizza if you have it all the time. Whereas single-player games will give you unique experiences, new locations, incredible stories and memorable characters.
Secondly, you have a lot to gain by investing some time in a story-driven title, especially the most modern ones. They often contain complex characters and interesting scenarios, from which players can actually learn a thing or two. They are literal experiences that may even include some morals or life-lessons. Infinitely more educational than the "lets-kill-everyone" types of environments most multiplayer titles include.
The third is the community. What's that? There is no community in single-player titles? Yes, that's my point. The fact is that a lot of younger players tend to use the anonymity provided by the random match-ups in online games to their advantage, in order to bring out their most hideous selves. In what seems to be a competition for who's gonna come up with the most clever insult, the people responsible for these online communities do their best to keep the slander to a minimum, but there will always be some form of online bullying. Even if it's in the form of kicking someone out of a random group because he's "underleveled" (his level is low so the rest of the party thinks he might hold them back). Yes, even that can be considered bullying. But a single-player title doesn't have any of that hassle. You can play at your own pace, at any level you want and at whatever speed, without anyone telling you anything.
The fourth is the sheer volume of single-player titles that are just so rewarding. Games like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, The Last Of Us, NieR: Automata, Persona 5, Horizon Zero Dawn, Far Cry 5, Super Mario Odyssey, Grand Theft Auto V, The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, God Of War, Monster Hunter World, Shadow Of the Colossus, Sea Of Thieves, and so many more that have either already been released or are yet to come, make single-player gaming what it is. An incredible adventure that always has something new to show us. All these developers are now bringing their best and it's such a shame that people are choosing to ignore it just so they can teabag their mates and post it on YouTube.
For someone like me, that grew up with a Super NES, a game will always be about its story. That's how you get invested in it and that's how you decide if you want to continue with it or not. And there are specific exceptions to online gaming such as the incredible Final Fantasy XIV that I feel necessary to include. However, it will always remain an unbreakable rule that single player titles can provide the type of experience and entertainment in gaming that no multiplayer title ever could.
And then there's the constantly new games that are entering the arena. Games that are specifically multiplayer-only, like Overwatch, Fortnite and Player Unknown's BattleGrounds (or PUBG, as it is more commonly known). Games that continuously keep popping up and competing with one another for who will attract the most attention and fans. One can make the claim that there are other titles in this category as well, such as Minecraft or World Of Warcraft, but that would be grossly mistaken. For a multiplayer title to build such a dedicated fanbase, it should withstand the test of time and both the aforementioned titles have done so.
Why could it be that gamers are attracted to these specific sorts of entertainment, no one can truly say. However one argument could be that they feel they can get their money's worth out of them, when compared to even the most massive single-player game experience, which could set them back $70 and last them only 50-60 hours at the most, maybe over 100 if the player is what is known within the community as a "completionist". So it's almost like they're dishing out around $1 per hour of story. Not the most ideal of scenarios.
Another could be that they actually want to play with their friends and don't have the time to physically meet up with them during the week. In our day, time can be a valuable thing since responsibilities begin early, with schools and different lessons becoming more and more necessary for one to eventually survive in today's business market. With this in mind, it makes a lot of sense how kids might turn to some online game that they can play with a friend or two without even having to get dressed or leave the comfort of their bedroom. It's ideal. This can be said twice as much for adults, who have even more burdens and responsibilities, trying to juggle work, family and fun.
A final scenario as to why gamers are turning more and more towards multiplayer could even be monetization. Or in clearer terms, the exploitation of the current trends. With so many new streaming platforms available to them, players have begun to take their hobby more professionally than ever before. They see which game is popular through social media, quickly purchase it and make their online accounts and immediately begin streaming. Of course, even the online streaming industry has become a literal war-zone, despite still being in its infancy, so a streamer will have to provide quality content if he's to actually gain any attention. In other words, he'll not only have to stream the game, but he'll have to be good at it. Which is something quite difficult, with the trends changing so rapidly.
But is it a correct opinion for the online community to outweigh the single-player title inclined community by that much? Are these quick-consumption type of games really the best thing the industry has to offer? Is it right to say that "multiplayer is better than single player, any day of the week"? Well, no, it isn't. And here's why.
First of all, a mutliplayer title will offer the same experience repeatedly. Like microwaving the same food every day. Eventually you'll get sick of eating pizza if you have it all the time. Whereas single-player games will give you unique experiences, new locations, incredible stories and memorable characters.
Secondly, you have a lot to gain by investing some time in a story-driven title, especially the most modern ones. They often contain complex characters and interesting scenarios, from which players can actually learn a thing or two. They are literal experiences that may even include some morals or life-lessons. Infinitely more educational than the "lets-kill-everyone" types of environments most multiplayer titles include.
The third is the community. What's that? There is no community in single-player titles? Yes, that's my point. The fact is that a lot of younger players tend to use the anonymity provided by the random match-ups in online games to their advantage, in order to bring out their most hideous selves. In what seems to be a competition for who's gonna come up with the most clever insult, the people responsible for these online communities do their best to keep the slander to a minimum, but there will always be some form of online bullying. Even if it's in the form of kicking someone out of a random group because he's "underleveled" (his level is low so the rest of the party thinks he might hold them back). Yes, even that can be considered bullying. But a single-player title doesn't have any of that hassle. You can play at your own pace, at any level you want and at whatever speed, without anyone telling you anything.
The fourth is the sheer volume of single-player titles that are just so rewarding. Games like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, The Last Of Us, NieR: Automata, Persona 5, Horizon Zero Dawn, Far Cry 5, Super Mario Odyssey, Grand Theft Auto V, The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, God Of War, Monster Hunter World, Shadow Of the Colossus, Sea Of Thieves, and so many more that have either already been released or are yet to come, make single-player gaming what it is. An incredible adventure that always has something new to show us. All these developers are now bringing their best and it's such a shame that people are choosing to ignore it just so they can teabag their mates and post it on YouTube.
For someone like me, that grew up with a Super NES, a game will always be about its story. That's how you get invested in it and that's how you decide if you want to continue with it or not. And there are specific exceptions to online gaming such as the incredible Final Fantasy XIV that I feel necessary to include. However, it will always remain an unbreakable rule that single player titles can provide the type of experience and entertainment in gaming that no multiplayer title ever could.
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