Homework- are single player games a dying breed?

Media Work- Are single player games a dying cause?

Some would argue that single player games are slowly dying out, with the idea of multiplayer online games becoming more of a big thing, there are many reasons why this is to be an in this essay I will explain  my opinions to why this is.

   Firstly, single player games were the originals in gaming history and they were directed at the player controlling one character and going along the story, they were for the one person’s enjoyment. A few examples of games that were single player would be the likes of, super Mario, sonic the hedgehog, Assassins creed, God of war, ninja gaiden an lots more, these games give the player a much better sense that they control the game and a better sense of achievement when they beat it. The problem with multiplayer and online games becoming more popular is there is so much more competitiveness, some would argue this is a good thing an yes I agree it can make playing a game much more interesting but does it not take away the idea of beating a game on your own, where you can get more into the story? With the growth of online and multiplayer games people seem to be enjoying them more as the likes of casual gamers can socialise and talk with friends can be in/play the same game together at the same time, in some respects this is great as the likes of Fifa where you can play in pro clubs and all be in the same team in a 11 vs. 11 match, creating your team and your player, this makes the multiplayer side of gaming really interesting and relaxing way to socialise and play with friends. Another example of where the gaming experience is enhanced is the likes of Borderlands, in this game although it is an option to play on your own, it is much more fun to complete the game with your friends, you can free roam around a map openly and work together to defeat harder enemies, whilst also upgrading your characters abilities, it is multiplayer online games such as these that are now threatening single player games as they are much more enjoyable when more people can play.

    Secondly, in my opinion, multiplayer games sometimes take away the seriousness of a game as when playing a game with friends you can sometimes mess around during the campaign an joke about, but for hard-core gamers this would be a huge annoyance as they prefer to get on with the story of the game and do as best as they can on it, this could be one reason why single player games will survive in today’s market, hard-core gamers will keep them going because of their interest in games and determination to complete it. Another reason why some would argue that single player games are still up there in the marketing industry would be the massive single player titles that simple cannot be forgotten such as, the Assassins Creed franchise, Alan Wake, Rachet and Clank, Skyrim, Oblivion, Deus Ex; Human Revolution, the Fallout franchise, all these games are single player games that were very popular an still are, people still enjoy a good game that they can play alone and really get into, hence the massive list of titles that sold amazingly.  Of course we all like to socialise with our friends and online/multiplayer games are great for this but it could never better in my opinion the idea of doing a game by yourself, for a start you get to control how you play the game for example you may choose one path rather than another and this means you can uncover the story at your own pace, whereas in a group people may spoil it or take a path you didn’t want to take.

   Furthermore, another reason why I think multiplayer games are on the up and coming is because they are beginning to attract a lot more of a wider audience as they are much more sociable, people who maybe never pictured themselves playing video games are now feeling much more comfortable playing multiplayer games because if they are not too good at a game then single player games can be fairly stressful, but on online games a person can really on their team-mates to help them. Although having said that, sometimes online games can prove much more frustrating than single player games as you may find a lot of people online are better than you are so they may always win, this could make a person stop playing a game, no one likes to loose after all.  

   In conclusion, when it comes to do I think single player games are a dying cause, then I unfortunately do think they are losing the battle compared to multiplayer games. Although being someone who enjoys laying single player games, the idea of online multiplayer games sounds too good as more people like to be sociable now a day and these are great ways to keep the competitiveness of games yet have a good time playing the games at the same time. Single player games cannot offer as much enjoyment as online games can anymore as although playing on your own is good, playing as a team is better and much more competitive.

JOE WESTALL