More and more major publishers are shifting to “games as a service” titles like Destiny. Now Square Enix is on board.
In a statement to investors, the president of the Japanese publisher Square Enix, Yousuke Matsuda, reiterated the direction his company will take.
Square Enix will increasingly focus on multiplayer and online experiences. Single-player will become less important.
The days of single-player being the most important are over
The days of single-player games being the focus and multiplayer modes playing second fiddle are over. Multiplayer players have taken the lead. Today, it is standard for games to be designed for long-term play. Streaming is becoming increasingly important as well. Matsuda stated this in a statement to investors.
Experts point to the new multiplayer mode for Final Fantasy XV as an example of Square Enix’s new direction. They also expect a significant online component in the new shooter Left Alive.
With the current statements, the Final Fantasy publisher reaffirms a statement made in May. At that time, they had already announced that they would increasingly focus on the “games as a service” model in the future.
Games as a service – the pseudo-MMOs of modern times
Thus, Square Enix is following a trend that has been observable for years. The trend towards “games as a service.”
While single-player games dominated earlier, which received DLCs or expansions but were primarily relevant at their release, today the distribution model has become popular, which MMOs, MMORPGs, and MOBAs have relied on for more than 20 years.
Games are released, maintained with expansions and updates, and funded through microtransactions or other methods. The launch itself is no longer the deciding factor, but the lifespan of these titles is significantly longer.
The games then receive expansions and new content and remain relevant for years.
These games no longer rely on a strong single-player story, as that comes to an end eventually, but on multiplayer elements, character progression, and attractive gameplay that remains interesting even after several playthroughs.
Long-term motivation is the focus.
No genre – but the distribution model unites the new hot games
Examples of this development include diverse titles such as:
- Grand Theft Auto Online
- LoL
- Overwatch
- the FIFA series
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
- or Destiny.
These games generate a lot of revenue even years after their release. Apparently, even the last single-player giants in gaming like Square Enix want to shift.
Other publishers like Ubisoft have also signaled clearly that they want to move more towards “games as a service.” It was already a surprise that Assassin’s Creed Origins would not focus as much on online modes as had been thought. However, Skull & Bones fully focuses on multiplayer.
It is assumed that future blockbuster titles like Anthem, Red Dead Redemption 2, or Borderlands 3 will fully embrace online play.
More background on the term can be found here:
