The rise of live-service games has soured the gaming industry and caused many to lose hope. After major live-service titles such as Fortnite, League of Legends, and Destiny hit the scene, many developers have tried replicating their success. Unfortunately for the companies, the success has yet to be seen. Very few titles such as Overwatch break through and catch enough attention to stay relevant. Thanks to money-hungry entities such as Ubisoft, Activision, and EA, the industry is now flooded with single-player titles that now offer microtransactions as well. While these corporations try desperately to catch the attention of players everywhere, a study by MIDiA Research shows that consumers are looking for a different type of experience – one that isn’t muddied with microtransactions.
A recent study by MIDiA Research conducted during quarter two of 2023 (April through June) shows that 53% of “all gamers say single player is their preferred way to play.” The percentage that prefers single-player titles increases as the age bracket gets older as well, showing that teenagers and those in their early 20s are the ones who enjoy online PVP the most. This is also the type of game most likely to have microtransactions.
This study reinforces the idea that companies should start focusing more on making a compelling game with a strong story instead of trying to make money via skins, bonus weapons, and emotes. This method works for a few games such as Fortnite but failed miserably when used in games such as BioWare’s Anthem and Arkane Studios’ Redfall.
A key takeaway that I have from this study is that a massive chunk of the consumer base – those who are in their mid-20s and above – prefer titles they can pick up and continue when they have time. They also prefer titles with some PvP aspects to them such as Call of Duty. It is also very difficult to break into the live service industry because it requires a younger audience to break their attention away from a game they are highly engaged in. Because of this, I believe companies should give up on the live-service push and start shifting the focus back to single-player experiences that everyone can enjoy.
