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EA REFUSES to Publish Single-Player Games?

Charicific

PkMn Trainer
505
Posts
12
Years
"What I said was [about not greenlighting] anything that [doesn't have] an online service. You can have a very deep single-player game but it has to have an ongoing content plan for keeping customers engaged beyond what's on the initial disc. I'm not saying deathmatch must come to Mirror's Edge."
He added that games are to be thought of as services now, and went on to say that you, "need to have a social experience where you're part of a large community." EA knows what you need better than you do, after all.]
Electronic Arts' games label boss Frank Gibeau has revealed that he's not let any solely single-player games pass through his gates, ensuring that absolutely every single title the company publishes has an online component.
"We are very proud of the way EA evolved with consumers," he said. "I have not green lit one game to be developed as a singleplayer experience. Today, all of our games include online applications and digital services that make them live 24/7/365.
"One of our biggest growth opportunities is Play4Free titles that allow customers to play at no cost and make purchases via microtransactions. We see this as a huge opportunity, and one that's powered by our hybrid cloud model."
With co-op coming to Dead Space 3 and multiplayer rumored for Dragon Age 3, it seems that the idea of solo-oriented experiences is now dead to EA. As is variety, it seems. The inexorable march towards videogames becoming one indistinguishable mass of grey sludge continues.
[Via Superannuation]
Alright let me start by saying, I HATE, HATE, AND HATE this company, I wish it burns in hell in worst possible ways. Seriously? Not only did they DESTROY many lovable titles with this approach, but now, they are PROMOTING it and are PROUD of it. Moreover they are forcing this sick policy of theirs on previous successful titles. What they did to Simcity 2013 was TOO much, but this...this is crossing the line.

What are your views on online gaming? I personally find it excellent to add Multiplayer option, but not for it to be the focus and core of the game and such that there is no such thing as OFFLINE/Single Player modes. Not only does multiplayer go wrong when you don't have desired people to play with, but also it can drastically limit gameplay features. Moreover, we all know that this "FORCED Online" behavior they exhibit is just part of their cursed DRM issue.

What are your thoughts people :( Will they even succeed with this approach? Are you actually happy about this, because tons of people aren't. Online should never be the CORE! It should be OPTIONAL! That's what I say!
 

Arsenic

[div=font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Kaushan script
3,201
Posts
12
Years
They were voted #1 worst company over bank of america for a reason...
 

Sydian

fake your death.
33,379
Posts
16
Years
Luckily, I don't play any EA games, looking at my library haha. The only one I see is relatively old now so it's not hurt by this. Anyway though, that's not a wise move really. Some of us have no friends and wanna play games by ourselves, EA. LORD. Why don't you understand?! But in all seriousness, it really isn't a move for the better. I kinda can't wait to see them suffer, really.
 

tinix

PearlShipper & C Programmer
86
Posts
14
Years
Well Blizzard Entertainment also partially did this with Startcraft II and Diablo III. You are forced to login to play singleplayer, but on the other hand I think they did this so the games cannot be pirated and we still have solid single player experience...
 

Ω Ruby and α Sapphire

Guest
0
Posts
I do agree EA is a pathetic company, but they do release some quality titles like FIFA and 'thier' (actually only ones that Criterion are involved in) NFS games.
 

Charicific

PkMn Trainer
505
Posts
12
Years
The fact that it's Anti-Piracy still doesn't clear our issue. The thing is, I have NOTHING to do with your personal problem against pirates. I don't have to suffer from a low quality product (anticipated to be good) just because you have your own problem. I am a customer who supposedly paid for something worth the money. What's worse is that, they want me to play however THEY want. B.S!
 

Oryx

CoquettishCat
13,184
Posts
13
Years
  • Age 31
  • Seen Jan 30, 2015
I do agree EA is a pathetic company, but they do release some quality titles like FIFA and 'thier' (actually only ones that Criterion are involved in) NFS games.

And this, my friends, is why EA will get away with whatever they want to do. Because people will talk about how horrible they are, and then buy their games anyway. Gamers are miserable at voting with their wallets because they want the games.
 
145
Posts
11
Years
  • Seen May 30, 2013
Even though I enjoy online play once in a while, it's pretty idiotic to expect gamers to always play online. But seriously, it seems like they're aren't even trying to hide their "corrupt evil company" status. I mean, games are now services instead of products? With this and Capcom announcing that they'll cut-corners in their development cycle, I really doubt there may be a future to much of the video game industry.
 

ShinyUmbreon189

VLONE coming soon
1,461
Posts
12
Years
Well actually look at what EA accomplished in the last say 5 to 7 years. There hasn't been a good NFS game since Carbon or before that Most Wanted. They quit making quality ones after that. NFS Carbon and Most Wanted were both single player but at the same time had split screen. As another frachise, look at Madden for example. They haven't made a good madden game since let me say Madden 2007 or so? I honestly lost all respect for EA a long time ago and would not care if they went out of business. The only accomplisments they got is Battlefield and they are the developers they just own Frostbite. When EA falls to the ground no more NFS, no more Madden, and no more Battlefield.

I think their doing it for money cuz they are EASILY the greediest gaming company on the planet. They know people play online so therefore people are gonna buy their games. Gamers will keep buying their crap cuz they like the series. Let's take Madden 13 for example. It's the last game they released and I looked at the features for game play it has and I'd say about 90% of it is about online. They really didn't do nothing new except in the last 2 or 3 Madden games take out probably the best selling game mode in the game. Which is superstar mode. Their only in it for cheese and as long as people don't start realizing their gonna keep selling their crap. Please 2K bring back 2K Football and put these fools out of business.
 
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Karma Police

Arrest this man
1,855
Posts
12
Years
  • Age 26
  • Seen Jul 7, 2023
**** EA, really. They're the creator of so many crappy ideas like Day one DLC and this "Free to Play/Pay to Win" policies of theirs. What's worse is how they've been dominating in the media making stupid statements like "F2P is the future", which may have been acceptable until their CEO told the people how it would work (the whole "clip finishes, pay for it in battle" thing)

But this, wow. It's one thing doing something stupid but being proud of it? I don't buy EA games anyways (not even Fifa ever since I got my PS3). For me, as a gamer, I've ALWAYS valued single player over multiplayer. Most of my games that I have are those which have a quality single player campaign (except for Black Ops). Before March this year, I never even PLAYED online, yet I found all my games enjoyable. Screw Ea, I don't buy their games anyways, as long as they keep their hands off the other studios in the industry I'm fine with them digging their own graves.
 

Arcanine

There is no "-tina"
24,271
Posts
20
Years
Over the last few years I've become more of a online/multiplayer person over a single player person. But saying "It must have online or we won't publish it" is really stupid. Some games don't need online to be good, or to last longer then what's on the disc. People will like the game even less if it has some stupid tacked on online part to it. Take Skyrim for example, that game was awesome... and it was single player. Don't tack on some stupid arena thing to make it "online" just keep it single player and go on with your life.
 

Keitaro

Urashima
582
Posts
20
Years
I think their doing it for money cuz they are EASILY the greediest gaming company on the planet. They know people play online so therefore people are gonna buy their games. Gamers will keep buying their crap cuz they like the series. Let's take Madden 13 for example. It's the last game they released and I looked at the features for game play it has and I'd say about 90% of it is about online. They really didn't do nothing new except in the last 2 or 3 Madden games take out probably the best selling game mode in the game. Which is superstar mode. Their only in it for cheese and as long as people don't start realizing their gonna keep selling their crap. Please 2K bring back 2K Football and put these fools out of business.

It really is hard for 2kSports to compete with EA's Madden franchise, when EA owns the sole rights to the NFL. I'm sure they can produce a superior game then what the Madden franchise has to offer, however without the NFL backing them it really is a huge task to market it. And I really I don't see them ever letting go of the NFL rights. ESPN NFL 2K5 is the last football game I ever purchased personally.

As for the exclusive multi-player ordeal, I can't say its the worst thing EA has done over the years, not the brightest though. It makes me wonder if they'll continue to to shut down older versions of sports games online, like they've done in the past such as NHL10, in order to force people to buy newer versions of games in order to enjoy the online features? The whole ordeal feels messy, but its their company and realistically its the consumers actions at the checkout that speak to them, not their words. They're a business and they'll do whatever they feel is best.
 

Fenrir Reki

Guardian of Destruction
2,073
Posts
15
Years
Different game companies have their approaches to what they feel is the best way to handle publishing their titles, and this is obviously not a smart move by EA.

If they are worried about people buying and constantly playing the game, then you just need to spend lots of time trying to create a good quality game that you know will last for a long time. That also means not rushing the completion of the game. It doesn't need multiplayer or some kind of online component to be a successful game, because there are plenty of amazing single player titles out there that have absolutely no online component at all. Take a look at older generation titles from consoles like the N64, PS2, Gamecube, or Xbox, there lots of examples on simplistic single player games that had many sales and became successful.

However if this is what EA intends to do then let them have their own way. If it ends up working out for them and they make a profit, then good for them. But if they start losing profit, then it's an immediate signal that they should just stop right away and start publishing single player games.
 
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