My take on the growing problem that online modes are sparking in the realms of video gaming, and the threat it poses...Multiplayer- can't live with it, can't without it, eh? Wrong. Or, at least, I hope such a clichéd analogy for this rapidly developing video game fad does not actually ring true, because if that is the case, then the industry may as well be doomed. Yep, you read right: if we don't abandon competitive online modes in the next few years, I believe that video games will begin to fall into an indestructible, dangerous cycle of monotony and staleness. If there's one thing that players shouldn't tolerate, it's a stale video game experience, and yet such an event is occurring across the board as a result of developers being coaxed into shifting their titles into the mainstream market.
Just days ago, Crystal Dynamics announced that Tomb Raider will feature its own multiplayer segment. The reasoning behind this? None, or at least no proper explanation that the developers or publisher Square Enix have been willing to provide since this strange revelation. Even now, the thought of a 'Team Deathmatch' mode in a franchise that's been lauded for its focus on pure single-player platforming sends shivers down my spine, and yet that's exactly what awaits us in two months' time. If the truth behind all of this is that essentially Crystal had finished their project early, only to be informed that an online mode might boost sales and longevity, then such a discussion between publishers and developers could prove a worrisome prelude to future publishers believing it's okay to force creative teams to scale back their vision in favour of adhering to the needs of what this day and age's COD market apparently 'wants' from a video game.
If such a speculative incident as this were an isolated case of an easily-treatable malignation, then the video games industry would have little to worry about. As any self respective player will know, though, that's been by no means the case these past few years. Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, BioShock and Dead Space are all classic examples of franchises that were in no need whatsoever of an online component, and while these series have managed to retain their annual quality in the process, that's not always the case. Certainly, Tomb Raider represents perhaps the biggest step out of line in terms of generic conventions of recent times, marking a highlight moment in a series of unfortunate events that's led us to this point where multiplayer seems like a compulsory addition to a strong single-player package.
Don't misunderstand me, I can see the benefit of online components in annual mainstays such as Call Of Duty, Halo, Battlefield and FIFA. That said, if such beautiful video game outings of recent times as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Batman: Arkham City and Portal 2 could manage without fully-fledged competitive multiplayer components, then this year's Game Of The Year contenders such as Crystal's Tomb Raider sure as hell can. If we don't act soon and kill off this infectious fad of obligatory, ignored multiplayer components in places they aren't needed, then it won't be long before publishers kill off any innovation and creative vision left in the video games industry. Let's not have stunted short campaigns in favour of bizarre competitive gameplay, thanks. In other words, a single-player experience is for life, not just for Christmas.
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