Cognition Dissemination: Bethesda’s #SavePlayer1 Campaign Has Hit Some Hitches
The future of single-player games at the AAA development level started looking dire last year. This happened shortly after EA cancelled the “Ragtag” Star Wars game being directed by Amy Hennig, and shuttered Visceral Games. One of the few single-player-focused games EA had in development was suddenly gone, along with a developer known almost entirely for single-player experiences. It was also hinted that the Star Wars game being developed in place of this will be a live service game, similar to games like Anthem and Destiny, which require online connections. The news set off a firestorm of speculation and editorials about the future of solo experiences, including one from yours truly.
To take advantage of the dire scenario for the future of AAA game releases for those who enjoy playing games by themselves, Bethesda launched the #SavePlayer1 campaign during The Game Awards last year. The campaign, starring actress Lynda Carter of all people, assured their audience how they’d continue providing experiences with a single-player focus, regardless of the direction competitors like EA, Activision, and Ubisoft were venturing in. They had the catalogue to make those claims believable, too, as Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and The Evil Within 2 released around that time.
So, it’s a shame this campaign has run into some issues, as Bethesda’s expanding their horizons to explore multiplayer ventures. One of the biggest upcoming examples is Fallout: 76, an online multiplayer action RPG teased like a single-player installment before its official reveal at E3. The game emphasizes cooperative teamwork to fight enemies, complete quests, and fend off other players who want to cause trouble. While it’s possible to venture through the game alone, it still requires playing in the same world as others.
Another key example is Wolfenstein: Youngblood, a follow-up to the aforementioned The New Colossus that will take place 19 years after that game’s ending. Here, the controllable characters will be Jessica and Sophia Blazkowicz, the twin daughters of mainstay protagonist BJ Blazkowicz. As implied, this will be a two-player co-op game where each player controls the two sisters, though the AI will control the other character for solo players. This game will apparently serve as a prequel to the third Wolfenstein game, though whether that will be a single-player game is currently anyone’s guess, assuming it happens at all.
There was also unfortunate news from Arkane Studios’ Richard Bare, who spoke to VG247 at QuakeCon 2018. Arkane is known for the Dishonored series these days, single-player stealth-based experiences that take place in the industrial city of Dunwall during either the late 1800s or early 1900s. Bare admitted the series is resting for now, and the developer wants for their next game to retain the fundamentals of an immersive sim while including multiplayer elements. The experiment could be similar to The Crossing, a cancelled game whose concept involved the player controlling a protagonist, while other players tried to impede their path along the way. The next project won’t literally resemble that, he claimed, but could take cues from it. Nevertheless, it sure sounds like they’re drifting away from strictly single-player experiences.
Doom Eternal also counts, albeit to a lesser extent. While its single-player campaign will remain a focus, resources are also being dedicated towards the “Invasions” multiplayer mode. This will let players invade the single-player campaigns of others as demons, to try and take out the main character. The mode is being handled internally at developer id Software, contrary to the last game’s multiplayer mode, which was outsourced to Certain Affinity. Eternal will also have a more traditional multiplayer mode, though that’s yet to be detailed.
To be fair, Bethesda does have several upcoming games that will have a single-player focus. Among them is Starfield, a single-player RPG set in a new universe announced with nothing but a teaser at E3. It will likely be a next-generation console title. There’s also a new Elder Scrolls game in development, and given how the previous single-player-focused game sold (even when remastered), it would be a surprise if this wasn’t. Rage 2 is also coming next year, a strictly single-player after with an open world that will have no multiplayer due to its size. Doom Eternal also counts here, unless something changes in the development process.
Despite those contrary examples and the campaign, Bethesda has absolutely whittled down the number of single-player-focused games. But it’s tough to blame them. Dishonored 2 didn’t sell as well as the first game, and between that franchise taking a rest along with Square Enix’s Deus Ex, it’s a rough time for single-player narrative-driven experiences with a sizable budget behind them. Wolfenstein II also put up disappointing numbers, along with The Evil Within 2. It shows why the next Wolfenstein game will be a co-op experience. But what Tango Gameworks, the developer of the latter title, is doing at the moment remains to be seen. Perhaps they’ll reconsider Zwei, the concept for a co-op vampire-hunting action game that starred a man and woman strapped together.
Anyone who still enjoys good single-player experiences will still have several options in the future. But they seem to be dwindling at the AAA level, thanks to resources being directed to more live service games (which can also be single-player, notably). Anyone worried about this predicament should make friends with indie developers, and hope the market for B-tier titles can be revived.
About The Author
Geoff
News Editor | Geoff is some nerd who writes for a blog and thinks he's knowledgeable. He write a lot about video games, but is capable of writing about other subjects, too. Twitter
