Ubisoft’s Ben Mattes has said that single player games allow developers to create unique experiences for the player that aren’t achievable in more multiplayer-orientated games.
The Prince of Persia producer was responding to comments from Phil Harrison, who suggested that unconnected single player titles are likely to be replaced in favour of community-heavy multiplayer experiences to accommodate the direction the industry is currently taking.
“I read that, and I don’t totally agree,” he told Eurogamer. “I know where he’s coming from – I certainly see a lot of the industry moving in the direction of more community, more multiplayer, that sort of stuff.”
“But in my opinion, there are things you can do in a carefully crafted single-player game – experiences you can create, emotions you can elicit and magnitudes of engaging the player – that you’re not going to reproduce in the uncontrolled environment of multiplayer.”
Mattes stated his belief that the single player market is still significant enough to warrant interest, noting some consumers favour a solo experience over multiplayer-heavy titles, going as far to say that some don’t want to be "distracted" by elements of the later.
“For some time yet, there’s going to be a market of people who say, ‘You know what, pander to me,” added Mattes.
“Suck me into your world and just make me believe. I don’t want to be distracted by griefers and high scores, and dealing with the stuff not everybody loves about multiplayer games.’ I do think there is still a significant market there."