EA Turns Its Back on Single-Player Games

[Luk3us 63]

EA Labels President Frank Gibeau boasts that Electronic Arts no longer develops any games as single-player experiences.

 

Electronic Arts has made a lot of noise about the interconnected, digital future of videogames, and how the growth of the industry will come mainly via mobile devices, smart TVs and the cloud. Even so, recent comments by EA Labels President Frank Gibeau in the "Cloud Gaming Prospects for 2012" report are bold, to say the least. As he explains it, the publisher has effectively turned its back on single-player-only experiences, as it moves to make everything connected and online.

 

"We are very proud of the way EA evolved with consumers," Gibeau said. "I have not green lit one game to be developed as a single player experience. Today, all of our games include online applications and digital services that make them live 24/7/365."

 

To be fair to EA, that doesn't mean it's abandoning single-player, just that nothing is being made that can't support a multiplayer component, Facebook tie-in and/or whatever else the company can pile onto it. Thus we end up with things like Dead Space 3, which has evolved from a solo horror experience to a co-op shooter, or the Galactic Readiness gong show of Mass Effect 3, or Dragon Age Legends on Facebook. Single-player is still there, it's just no longer the focus, and won't be in the future.

 

"FIFA is a perfect example - available across 12 different platforms, FIFA fans can check their standings on their mobile device or tablet, manipulate their teams on Facebook or play an immersive game of FIFA on their PC or console. Everything is connected so the user can pick up just where they left off from anywhere," Gibeau explained. "We're deploying similar experiences in our other popular brands over the next year including Madden, Battlefield and SimCity and you'll continue to see more and more of this from EA."

 

http://www.escapistm...le-Player-Games

 

See I try to like EA but they make it very hard these days.

[Nmenth 291]

See I try to like EA but they make it very hard these days.

Indeed. I really hate this "friendship" era the gaming industry is forcing on us now. These days, playing a game by yourself is a sin.

[Doctor Destiny 41]

Simple solution: don't buy EA games. There. Argument done.

[Nmenth 291]

Sadly, EA isn't the only company doing this, they're just the only ones who brag about it.

[AZ-Stalker 88]

I remember a time when SinglePlayer was the core element in most PC games, it was a wonderful time indeed. Hours of solitary fun, diving into virtual worlds and just... having fun.

 

These days, playing a game by yourself is a sin.

If you play an older game with obsolete graphics that you really enjoyed in the past and/or have fond memories of... people send assassins after you. Edited September 6, 2012 by AZ-Stalker

[Sonic 296]

Yeah I read this article, even considered posting this as news but it doesn't mention C&C. In the end this is the way gaming is going, and if so I guess I'll be buying and playing less games in the future.

[Plok 327]

If you play an older game with obsolete graphics that you really enjoyed in the past and/or have fond memories of... people send assassins after you.

Meh. Living as an underdog is awesome.

[PurpleGaga27 40]

I rather retire from gaming entirely when the MP and online games are mostly active when the time comes.

 

Just remember, the indie games are increasing to catch up with commericial games.

[Guest Stevie_K]

I rather retire from gaming entirely when the MP and online games are mostly active when the time comes.

I think it's obvious that the multiplayer experience and multiplayer games are getting stronger and stronger by the day in the global gaming culture. If your'e settled for a future with singleplayer in the spotlight, I'm afraid your'e going to be disappointed.

 

Just remember, the indie games are increasing to catch up with commericial games.

Let's hope so. The commercial part of the industry however are putting much effort into conquering the indie scene.