Those who bought DMC at launch: Why?

[Alphachris]

Why is mulitplayer or non-linear a benefit per se? I had to grind through some multiplayer to get some Platinum trophies and through all this years of the PS3 I still have the feeling that almost every multiplayer is the same old game with just a minor tweak. Ok, you can play multiplayer modes until they shut down the server. But why should I suppose that all these hours are being fun? For me, I am done with multiplayer. There is absolutely no fun left and with games like Tomb Raider or God of War 4, which I would have bought anyway I am now having doubts if they are worth it now. Competitive online multiplayer has become a big letdown.

For the developer, it is a great thing. You can just make use of the EA business model. Offering yearly sequels with almost no change... and instead of putting much work in creating a serious story, characters and worlds you can just ignore that all. A online multiplayer game has no need of a narrative. It's the "scripted reality" version of a computer game. Cheap to make and not offering much depth.

The same goes with linearity. Pretty much all games that I remember from the last 15 years were games with a strong linear story. I can tell you many details about them and I still know what they were about. Sandbox games however offer not much depth, just gameplay. What was Nico Bellic actually doing in Liberty City. Why was your character even in Prison at the start of the game in Oblivion? You just can't tell a thrilling story in a non-linear game...

So to answer your question. I buy these sort of games BECAUSE they are linear singleplayer games lasting "only" 10 hours. A game should end before it gets repetitive and without a strong story like in a JRPG it just won't last 20-30 hours. Heavenly Sword is among one of the best games that I bought in this generation.