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Forums - Gaming - [Simple Question] Where would gaming be if online never came to consoles?

jonathanalis on 07 August 2013

multiplayer offline would be more spread, and your friends would go more to your home.

i cant understand why i cant play my f1 2010 in ps3 with 2 player in my own console, only online.
same for many games in ps360.

that's why i like nintendo.



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DevilRising on 07 August 2013

It would be just fine, and arguably, better off, because many developers would still be putting more focus on the single player modes of games, and not putting SO much focus into a myriad of online multiplayer modes.

Online gaming is just fine. But the notion some people seem to have that EVERY game that comes out these days needs to have some kind of online mode, is just dumb.



Mythmaker1 on 07 August 2013
SvennoJ said:
Mythmaker1 said:

Does the Wii not have online multiplayer? I was under the impression that it did.

And while the idea sounds good in theory, disc-based expansions were never very feasible, given the cost in bringing it to market. What's more likely is that more content would be disc-locked, and you would have to buy a code to unlock it, or CD-keys would be used to limit reselling.

More indie games would have disc-based releases, but fewer overall indies would make it to market because of the upfront cost. It's likely most would simply develop for PC, dragging out the process of eventually bringing them to console. As far as gaming magazines...how many are actually left?

As far as AA games go, that strikes me as a little overly optimistic. The trends that are killing AA games started long before those kind of practices became commonplace.

Regarding game shops, I disagree. Game shops aren't being killed by online multiplayer, they're being killed by big-box stores stealing their business.

The Wii has online multiplayer, but I wouldn't call it (much) evolved from the online capabilities of the dreamcast. I don't know anyone personally who has played online on the Wii.

Disc locked content makes no sense at all. Expansions were flourishing before DLC took over. I bought 6 alone for EQ, which is an online game even. Many games had great expansions, AoE, Sims, Half-life, etc.

Gaming magazines are mostly gone because there is no more need for them. If demo discs, extra little games would still need to be distributed physically, they would still exist.

Game shops definitely feel the pinch from digital distribution. If they had expansions and indie games to sell as well that would help. Big box stores can steal their anual big releases, but they don't have the space for all the rest, which is taken away by digital distribution. Plus the pc game market is pretty much gone entirely from retail.

Anyway, I enjoy the ease of digital distribution as well. Love the ease of getting great indie games, and ps+ is definitely putting a dent in my retail buying habits, yes I'm part of the problem too. DLC not so much though, buying an expansion felt a lot more exciting then downloading a tidbit of dlc. Plus that demo disc with a great magazine, much better then waiting hours for 1 demo to download, then worry about HDD space.
As far as online multiplayer, yes it can be fun. It never reaches the heights of splitscreen or lan play for me though. I rather have more focus on games that can be shared in the same room.

It does exist, though. And outside of multiplayer, it provides several important features, primitive though much of it is.

You're right that disc-based expansions did exist, and to a degree still do. However, there's an interesting thing to note: all of the games you mentioned were PC, and none of them were console. Oh, they existed, but very, very few actually made it to market because of the technical and financial hurdles. Those that exist today are something of an anachronism, and are usually only used for really, really substantial material.

You're right in saying that magainzes aren't needed. The thing is putting games in won't help. Because all it will do is hasten the death of actual journalism, since it's being propped up by gimmicks; then, when someone gets in there to undercut them by offering demos without the magazines, and for cheaper, they have no leg to stand on.  It's what's causing dirty magazines to die a slow, painful death to internet porn.

Game shops definitely are feeling the heat from online distribution. But the reason they have to rely so much on pre-owned sales is because big-box stores are taking a lot of their new-game sales away. Digital distribution is a distant second, especially for places like Gamestop that have their own online distribution channels.

It really is hard to conceive of console gaming without online...but without the added convenience you brought up, it would ultimately be a much lesser industry than it is now.



I believe in honesty, civility, generosity, practicality, and impartiality.

SvennoJ on 07 August 2013
Mythmaker1 said:
SvennoJ said:
 

The Wii has online multiplayer, but I wouldn't call it (much) evolved from the online capabilities of the dreamcast. I don't know anyone personally who has played online on the Wii.

Disc locked content makes no sense at all. Expansions were flourishing before DLC took over. I bought 6 alone for EQ, which is an online game even. Many games had great expansions, AoE, Sims, Half-life, etc.

Gaming magazines are mostly gone because there is no more need for them. If demo discs, extra little games would still need to be distributed physically, they would still exist.

Game shops definitely feel the pinch from digital distribution. If they had expansions and indie games to sell as well that would help. Big box stores can steal their anual big releases, but they don't have the space for all the rest, which is taken away by digital distribution. Plus the pc game market is pretty much gone entirely from retail.

Anyway, I enjoy the ease of digital distribution as well. Love the ease of getting great indie games, and ps+ is definitely putting a dent in my retail buying habits, yes I'm part of the problem too. DLC not so much though, buying an expansion felt a lot more exciting then downloading a tidbit of dlc. Plus that demo disc with a great magazine, much better then waiting hours for 1 demo to download, then worry about HDD space.
As far as online multiplayer, yes it can be fun. It never reaches the heights of splitscreen or lan play for me though. I rather have more focus on games that can be shared in the same room.

It does exist, though. And outside of multiplayer, it provides several important features, primitive though much of it is.

You're right that disc-based expansions did exist, and to a degree still do. However, there's an interesting thing to note: all of the games you mentioned were PC, and none of them were console. Oh, they existed, but very, very few actually made it to market because of the technical and financial hurdles. Those that exist today are something of an anachronism, and are usually only used for really, really substantial material.

You're right in saying that magainzes aren't needed. The thing is putting games in won't help. Because all it will do is hasten the death of actual journalism, since it's being propped up by gimmicks; then, when someone gets in there to undercut them by offering demos without the magazines, and for cheaper, they have no leg to stand on.  It's what's causing dirty magazines to die a slow, painful death to internet porn.

Game shops definitely are feeling the heat from online distribution. But the reason they have to rely so much on pre-owned sales is because big-box stores are taking a lot of their new-game sales away. Digital distribution is a distant second, especially for places like Gamestop that have their own online distribution channels.

It really is hard to conceive of console gaming without online...but without the added convenience you brought up, it would ultimately be a much lesser industry than it is now.

You're right, I can't remember many console expansions. I have the Dragon age: Awakenings expansion on disc, that's about it. Pre hdd expansions were simply new games on consoles as they couldn't add to or require the previous game to be there I would assume. One could argue that the likes of FF X-2 are comparable to the old disc based expansions on PC.

You write the part about the magazines as if hasn't happened yet, it's exactly what happened. Cheaper demos -> download for free. It was nice though when you could play the demos straight from disc. That doesn't happen anymore anyway, the last demo disc I had was with ps move. What a nightmare, everything had to install first, painfully slow.



SvennoJ on 07 August 2013
papamudd said:
Online capabilities really changed my purchasing decisions this generation. I mostly only buy games that have an online option whether its co-op or competitive. If no online option is available local co-op is something I look for in game. Even still very few games have interested me as single player games as I can get those later used or on sale for a better price than on initial release especially if that single player game can be beat once in less than a week.

Honestly I think there is a better answer to distribution that would only help single player games and the industry and am thoroughly surprised that triple A companies haven't done this as a few smaller companies have for games. EPISODIC RELEASE!

Please no, I hate episodic releases. I'll wait till the whole series is done and reviewed as a whole before buying. Oh and still waiting for HL2:ep3...

I'm the opposite, I stay away from online focused games, not enough substance. My favorite game this year has been Ni No Kuni.



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Alphachris on 07 August 2013

My personal opinion about online gaming is that I don't like it that much and that it had a bad impact on my gaming experience. I simply prefer playing with someone I know who ist in the same room via splitscreen to playing with strangers on the internet.

There are games with an online coop-campaign like Resident Evil 5 that I have played through with my brother. I really liked this feature. But when you can play the campaign only online coop it is a bad thing. This simply means that my wife has to watch me playing with some "stranger" on the internet. I mean, how stupid is this?

Online competitive Multiplayer is so boring to me. I simply have no interest in this and it is NOT adding any replay value to me. I wouldn't mind added online modes if they were not necessary for the platinum trophy. For me, Online multiplayer does not add "replay value"... it adds "wasted time" to my gaming experience.

And the worst thing about it. It feels like I am playing the same game over and over again since years. Deathmathc, Team-Deathmatch, Capture the flag... Every time the same old game. I am sick of this and I stopped buying games from certain Western developers bcause of this online and social gaming craze.

Ultimately I think that US gamers simply have totally different tastes and expectations about gaming. I personally do not like the Way the industry headed in this generation, but I was able to find many excellent games in this generation despite. But I can't say what the new generation will bring. It might get even worse...