In one of the coolest moves within the last two years, a developer has decided not to slap an MP component into its shooter. In a recent conversation with Eurogamer at a Tokyo event, Platinum Games' Shinji Mikami confirmed that Vanquish would not have a competitive online component for fear of stripping down the title.
"Vanquish is very intense, full of action. There are just so many things going on," Mikami told Eurogamer. "When you take that into a multiplayer environment, then you have to realistically consider shaving a lot of things off and putting them into your multiplayer environment." He added that it's all about balance. Platinum plans to go for details and visuals and don't want to bother with keeping MP on that level.
No multiplayer modes for Vanquish [Eurogamer]
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Contest:
4:00 AM on 03.06.2010
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I'm going to play it regardless. Bayonetta was awesome, and I'm willing to give them more money so long as they can continue to satisfy my need for awesome.
I never really understood this tactic, though. Sell me on what's in the game, asshole. Don't try to tell me it's good because it's missing shit you think I want. OK, you were up front, it has no multi-player, which means I'll have to turn to my MYRIAD other shooters to scratch that itch. Got it. Whatever. Can we get back to the part where you're showing me the features, and over-the-top action you've now mentioned three times?
Developers who are not Valve or Blizzard cannot afford to ship games "when it's done." Given limited time, manpower, and budget, there is only so much a developer can do and thus any time and effort spent on a multiplayer portion of a game comes at the expense of the singleplayer portion. Or vice-versa. The developers who can make both shine given limited development time and manpower are few and far between.
Because they need to set the weapons, gagdets, abilities etc to be balanced for a multiplayer mode. Also they would need more time to make it if they would want to have the "normal" single player as they thought of + the multi part. Oh and thats plus money for them.
Nice move, i like it when devs think of what would be the best for a title than think of what would suit their needs (and publisher needs) more :)
It's okay to not like Valve! You're wrong, but it's okay! I'm just using them as an example of a developer so financially secure that they can avoid setting deadlines or upper limits on their budget.
But think of it this way: you have a staff of 50 and a deadline of a year and a half. Any time those staff take to design, code, produce assets, and test and balance for a multiplayer portion is time they could have spent doing the same for a singleplayer portion. Sure, you could split staff into singleplayer and multiplayer teams, but then you're basically running two concurrent productions with a lot of redundancy. It's always a balancing act, and I think it's a good idea to focus on one or the other - especially if your game's core design doesn't lend itself equally well to both portions, which sounds like it is the case with Vanquish. Games like Modern Warfare 2 manage both because a lot of assets and balance can be taken from one portion and dropped directly into the other, though again, you have to independently test each portion and write a lot of unique code for each side.
ME2 anyone?
Not like every game needs multiplayer anyway, we're not exactly short on options for that.
It's ridiculous how games that don't even attempt to add a multiplayer feature get higher-rated than games that at least try even if it doesn't end up being great.
Anyways, back to the story at hand... Um, ok... If you have to "shave things off" for multiplayer, then just do it. You can still have the same unshaven single-player experience you're aiming for.
C'mon Japan, just admit that the reason you don't put multiplayer in most of your games is cause you feel like you're too good to use a feature that was made standard by westerners.
Oh and @Brad Nicholson: Since when is removing a standard feature a cool move? The only time removing a standard feature worked in a cool way was when MadWorld removed color.
I think this is a brilliant move. It shows Platinum wants to distance Vanquish from every other shooter on the market.
Besides, knowing the humor those guys have, I can't see this game taking itself too seriously. I'm sure the whole team is well aware of how the main character looks like a Master Chief clone.
@x1251:
"Not only is it lacking a wee bit 'o research- but giving praise to shitty developers like Valve is just laughable."
I'd find this laughable if it didn't have so much inherent idiocy, just because they haven't developed for PS3 yet you call them shitty? they haven't developed for Wii either and you don't see me bitch-- ah of course, i have a PC, X360 and DS too but now i remember you probably only have a PS3, so when they release a kickass PS3 only game (as suspected from their recruitment of PS3 developers) will they still be shitty?.
About multiplayer, well that sucks because its a FPS, and most FPS fun is at multiplayer mode. So they better make a supreme kick ass story and great action game to make up for that.
Example of unpolished single player/multiplayer: Alien Vs Predator.
Example of good single player only: Bioshock
Example of good multiplayer only: MAG
i rest my case.
I want them to throw everything at me in the single player.
Just give me online leaderboards and thats all the multiplayer I need.
Sorry Mikami, as much as I love your previous work. We live in a global village. For games, especially if you don't want them to become bargain bin fodder, having multiplayer options is a better move, especially with the likes of Live and PSN being much more robust now.
I really get the impression that Mikami has no idea how to go about a multiplayer mode, while his Vanquish design obviously takes influence from the Gears of War/Halo etc, for the single player. And in a very japanese way, they won't seek outside help that have experience in this area, to help them, therefore avoiding it is better. That's not good at all, or progressive for japanese developement. At least Koei Tecmo are attempting to address these issues with Quantum Theory. But if Mikami doesn't want more of our money, that's their loss. I also feel each game's option for a possible multiplayer, should be based on the core game design merits, not on whether its an extra or not. If done well, single and multiplay all work out. A game with multiplayer is a gift that keeps on giving.
Sure, I like a single player game, but also like a game I can keep playing and not have to sell. Bayonetta is excellent, but also already gracing bargain bins for half the price. There's no doubt that it could have had DLC added on to it, but multiplayer doesn't suit its game design (something Dante's Inferno may soon change with its own, a first for such a game genre, I think).
@Edgy
AvP is unbalanced because of trying to shoehorn three very different races into the game to play as, IMO. If it were just focused on the marines, team play and modes etc, it would have had more focus and less bullshit. On top of that, this is Rebellion we are talking about, who's last game was Rogue Warrior. Go figure. I agree about Bioshock (but you dev point is a shot in the dark, that differs dev to dev), but Bioshock 2 isn't any less of a game because of its multiplayer, but more so its single player mode, which isn't as good as it could have been. There are plenty of games that do both modes well (Bad Company 2, a recent example). I would have much rather been a random topsider venturing into Rapture (like the guy seeking his daughter) than a prototype big daddy. There's no guarantee that Bioshock 2 would have been better with more focus, because its also a sequel, without deep Ken Levine help.
Variables play their part, but every star in such skies is different.
Oh alright, here, ask yourself this one: would letting go of a multiplayer mode in Bioshock 2 and focusing those resources/time into the main campaign and it's flaws would have made a better game?; after all even when Rey Gutierrez qualified it with a "7(good)" he also gave this final statement:
"The multiplayer can be fun, but it can easily come off as gimmicky. The designers borrowed a lot of elements from other games, but gamers recognized the world of Rapture for its fresh art direction and storytelling, not for following the standard. Itʼs not fresh or new, just a different coat of paint. BioShock 2's multiplayer doesn't bring anything new, but it's a nice distraction from the campaign. If you're playing BioShock 2 for its multiplayer and not its narrative, then you're doing it wrong. Think of it as nice-to-have bonus materials in the pocket of a DVD you've been waiting for. You will enjoy it and it does add some value, but I doubt you'll often come back to it"
I hope you won't say that 2K doesn't know how to make games on this case too.
Also, what's with all the Master Chief comparisons I've seen lately when concerning this game? People in badass armor/robot suits have been eponymous in Japanese and Western media for years, if not decades.
Also, BioShock2 multiplayer is fun as hell. Its basically Modern Warfare without the shitty camping killstreakfags. Read: FUN. I defy you to try being the big daddy in a Capture The Sister match and tell me its not fun.
For the life of me, I will never understand why people like you even bother. What is the fucking point of your existence? To make Hunter Thompson look bad?
Keep trolling, you worthless excuse for a gamer.