Commentary: Selling Segments

In an episode of Extra Credits, the idea for reducing the price of games took an interesting approach: selling the singleplayer campaign of a game for $35 with the option of buying multiplayer for $20. It’s a unique thought, but why not go one step further?

Instead of making multiplayer an add-on to a singleplayer game, why not give players the option to buy each separately? What if you could buy the multiplayer of Call of Duty or Battlefield for $30 – $40 and then be able to pay for singleplayer?

Source: http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-4/3030-35533/
If someone wants to play as Master Chief, let them do it for $30 or less. If they want a good old Red vs. Blue battle, sell it to them for the same price. Letting people choose what they want might lead to more business.

I know a lot of people who play Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Halo solely for the multiplayer. The singleplayer campaign often doesn’t matter to them, so why should they have to pay for it? And on the flip side, some people enjoy Halo’s story but have no interest in multiplayer. Why can’t they pay less for content they don’t want?

Now of course this idea could lead to lost revenue for a game. Developers would put in millions of dollars into creating both experiences, but then a lot of people would only pay for one.

Source: http://www.skbbgaming.6f.sk/?page_id=15
And it’s not like pure multiplayer doesn’t sell. Team Fortress 2 is one of the most successful pure multiplayer games in video game history, even before it became free-to-play.

But I’d imagine that segmented games would sell more than a full package would. I could see more people buying lower priced halves of a game, leading to a wider audience and increased profit.

There might be better ways to decrease the price of games, and this wouldn’t apply to genres that rarely/never have multiplayer, but it’s something to consider.

A Look Ahead: “God of War: Ascension”

There’s very little to say about the upcoming God of War: Ascension’s singleplayer story. The trailers have shown that the game will stay true to the series’ roots with hardcore, gory combat, jaw-dropping set pieces, gigantic boss battles, and of course one pissed off Kratos.

Source: http://www.gamersyde.com/pop_images_god_of_war_ascension-18963-1.html

But that’s really all I can do to describe the story. The trailers don’t detail much about singleplayer. They’re a little ambiguous. And those few that do talk about singleplayer mainly show off the combat. It seems that Santa Monica is more interested in showing off the multiplayer, which looks intense and exciting.

The Multiplayer Like a Boss trailer gives a good impression of what the multiplayer will be like. It seems less like the tacked-on feature that some people viewed it originally, and more like the game’s main selling point.

And for a game centered on challenging, violent combat, the multiplayer looks willing and able to provide, while at the same time not being one-note. If the trailers are to be believed, Ascension’s multiplayer will focus players around teamwork, rather than pure fighting skill.

Source: http://gamerant.com/god-of-war-ascension-multiplayer-video-details-benk-146091/
One of the many ways you’ll be able to brutally kill your opponents.

Your team will have to work together and complete objectives to gain favor with your team’s god – Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, or Ares – and ultimately win the match. You’ll be racking up points through killing other players, opening chests around the map, battling neutral monsters such as Polyphemus, and more.

Source: http://godofwar.wikia.com/wiki/Multiplayer
While earning points through exploration and combat, you’ll have to deal with titans or other monsters. And killing them rewards you with a massive amount of points.

This is great to see. Multiplayer should always be open to players of all skill levels and various play styles. If they keep it balanced and continue to add on depth and original ideas, then I can see Ascension’s multiplayer being the greatest innovation to the franchise in years.