I also must disagree Mr Edward Stern despite enjoying Spash Damage's games. The fact of the matter is it's not whether or not you prefer one or the other. It's whether either 'mode' actually 'meshes' well with each other.

I "get" what he means, games like Guild Wars, Phantasy Star Online or Diablo but there's often a good reason for divorcing the single player from the multiplayer since often you loose a good bit of the narrative from the single player. That's not suggesting co-op is out of the question, at times anyway, but there's a huge difference between say playing Baldur's Gate 2 with friends and playing it with yourself.

For the most part games with both single and multi-player, are really only focused on one or the other, with the other more or less just tacked on.(not always the case I know)I can see where this has potential being able to have you friends or any random stranger join you on your quest, but I feel you should always have the option to play solo.

I prefer to play solo, but I would like to see how Stern's Idea pan out.

It depends what he's talking about I don't think I know fully what context this quote is from. If it's anything like Demon's Souls, then I'm all for it. That game is unique you don't have to engage in MP if you don't want to other than to keep out evil players. It's ultimately up to you. Those evil souls by the way have half life, so you should be able to beat them. Plus they add a unique aspect an enemy with a human brain. Something different unique something to put you on edge. Yet are in now way more dangerous than anything else in the game, in fact the opposite.

You don't have to invite players, in fact you can "Summon" help. It's basically giving typical NPC roles a human brain. It's up to you how far you want it to go. If all you want to do is read little tips by other players then so be it.

I understand what he is saying but at the same time it's not in the vein of a typical SP/MP game. It's something more unique. It would ultimately depend on how well it was implemented.

I love cut-scenes and getting emotionally involved in my games (when story is a focus) but every time I've tried doing co-op online it just feels like multiplayer with bots, you loose so much of the immersion, "hey guys stop chatting so I can hear the cinema...". Like Matthew I really don't want people ruining my gaming experience. For me playing a big epic game I've been looking forward to for a year and just spent $60 on is the same as watching a big epic film I've been looking forward to for the first time, I look forward to experiencing it with friends later, but that first time it's all me and you better not talk lol!

Opting for one format in lieu of another as an industry-wide standard is NOT the way to go. For some games it works well (Gears of War 1 & 2, Left4Dead, Saints Row2), for others it needs work (Fable II, Resident Evil 5?-opinion here-no attacks needed), while with a select few it’s atrocious and forced (Bionic Commando, The Incredible Hulk –what the fuck was that!?!?, Dark Sector).
The Single-player theme has existed for quite a long time and many of us are avid gamers as a result of great single-player experiences. Now that we have consoles that can connect us to one another, a new format has emerged. I am quite excited by the prospect of experiencing “certain types” of games with others online, but that’s not for everyone nor is it ideal for every game. Some titles benefit from the traditional one-player approach and that should be respected, but online multi-player is here to stay and I for one am glad for that fact.
If it fits the theme and story of the game, why not open up the experience to multiple players? Games like Lost Planet II are going do well as a result of buddying-up not to mention counless sports and fighting titles. I don’t think it should be forced or slapped on, but when multiplayer is done correctly, it can be a collective gestalt. Some games that feature one central protagonist should probably remain single-player events (Darksiders, GoWIII, and certain RPGs) and I don’t think fans of this particular game style should fear that single-player games will become a thing of the past….they will endure as long as you purchase them. There really is enough room for everyone to be satisfied…...we just have to make certain that developers understand there are multiple interests and gaming styles…after all it wasn’t that long ago that the death of 2D was announced and now its back because of gamers speaking with their wallets.

The only multiplayer I do is COD4 and I like how they're seperate. I agree that it's cool what they're trying to do but that isn't how every game should be in my opinion.

You know what I like, not having a bloated executable just so I have the choice in game between multi and single-player. Optimizing the launched game for whatever you are doing with it is a quality thing, not a laziness thing.

I know with Bioshock 2 they managed to integrate a multiplayer without it being "tacked on", that they gave it it's own storyline inside the main one. But with a game like Uncharted 2, why they decided to add a multiplayer that has nothing to do with the main storyline or characters, that's just there for people to run around and shoot each other ad nauseum like a million other shooter multiplayer games is beyond me. For that matter you could say the same about just about all multiplayer aspects to shooter games. 10 minutes into any Deathmatch feels like every other Deathmatch ever created.

@MotoRobo I think his point is a more dynamic fluid real life experience. Where the actions of multiple people determine the story, difficulty, and overall experience.

People have only dabbled in this area. Mostly a MMO experience so far has been the only thing to come close. A few games have tried. Realistically it's hard to control these kinds of interactions, the technology doesn't yet exist to move this from a MMO sphere to the more console oriented solo sphere.

I personally have a few ideas, but I'm not a game developer. Frankly with the tech we have, what he says could be done. It's just the application and technique used.

the guys a tit and perhaps doesn't believe in value for money

BREAKING NEWS - Brink developer believes integrated player gaming is the future.

COMING SOON - The Pope's take on Catholicism, what bears think about the woods.

I'll ALWAYS prefer a great Single Player experience over Multiplayer any day. If I have to be in multiplayer to fully enjoy the game (ala L4D) I tend to not enjoy it.

That said, are those in-game graphics for Brink? If they are...wow.

(prob from the PC build though =( )

It really depends on the game. As others have said, sometimes the single player story is a set up for how multiplayer plays out. For other games like Sacred 2 or Borderlands, story isn't usually as important... it can't be for those games because it would be rare to find several people all at the same point in the story.

I don't really game online, unless its with/against friends or doing a coop campaign with them, so I think that keeping them separate is for the best. It allows people to play how they want and when they want, not just when their friends or clan are online... or when the servers are working... etc.

Keeping them separate also adds to the feeling that you're getting your moneys worth. You play through a solid campaign, and when you find a robust coop/multiplayer component you can really feel like you made the right choice in purchasing the title and that may be the difference from playing it over and over again... and hell, it might be the difference in suggesting it to friends and fellow gamers too.

Lumping the two together would not just feel lazy on the devs part, but it would keep me from buying most of those titles.

yeh im disagreeing mostly. i agree on changing controls for different modes in teh game is stupid (dont know which games do that anyways) but i kinda want my single player done by me. i wouldnt mind the option of a co-op mode that is basically the single player but with friends or something like that, but i dont feel its necesarry to just mash everything up

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