Whether you like it or not, Games-as-a-Service is not going away anytime soon. The ability to keep players for multiplayer games engaged through ongoing content updates over a long period of time, is just too lucrative for developers and publishers. When done right, GaaS can be a great thing. But a lot of publishers seem to make the mistake of trying to support a game for as long as it prints money. Now unless your game is incredibly popular and versatile like Minecraft or Fortnite, that's not going to happen. It's a reason why many GaaS titles die in popularity within a year or so. Nintendo seems to have found a pretty tasteful approach to its multiplayer and service titles, particularly regarding Splatoon 2. Like its predecessor on the Wii U, Splatoon 2 started out with only modest amounts of content, before more weapons, arenas, and gear were made available for free, along with Free Splatfest events and a $20 single-player game called "Octo-Expansion" which added Octolings to the mix upon completion. Nintendo supported the game with new content for 2 years up until last weekend, where the game held its final Splatfest, with Team Chaos coming out as the Victor, and a "Thank You" Video giving the game a heartfelt send-off. While we won't see any more updates for Splatoon 2 (aside from minor balance updates), the game's servers will still be up and available. If your going to end content support for a live service title, you may as well end it with a bang.
The point is that Nintendo supports their multiplayer titles for only a couple years before ending them, and moving on to something else. I'd say it's a rather tasteful way to approach most GaaS titles. It keeps the game fresh for a few years after release, but it also makes sure the game has a proper conclusion, making sure the game feels honest, and non-exploitative. It also frees the player from loot boxes and aggressive micro-transactions, while also freeing the developers up to eventually work on other projects like a sequel or something completely different. I think more Service games should take notes from Splatoon 2 regarding length and handling of support. Extending the life of a game just enough to keep people playing for a few more years, but also knowing when the game has truly finished, and giving it a proper conclusion.
