In recent years, the gaming industry has begun to actively develop in the direction of game services, session games, and other projects that are constantly filled with content and engage players for hundreds of hours without the need to create something radically new. However, a study by MIDiA shows that players still play single-player games more often.
As of the second quarter of 2023, 53% of players preferred single-player games. The percentage of people playing single-player games is growing in proportion to the age of the players. The audience under the age of 25 still prefers game services and online projects such as Fortnite or GTA Online, but players aged 25 and older prefer single-player projects.
Interestingly, cooperative “couch” games are also the most popular among the audience aged 16 to 19. PvE games, where players compete against the environment or non-player characters, are the least popular among all age groups.
MIDiA also notes that single-player games are interesting not only for players but also for developers. Many studios that develop AAA projects have tried to enter the market of game services themselves to generate the same revenue as Fortnite, League of Legends, Roblox, and other successful examples. However, they failed.
The biggest problems arose for studios that had always created single-player games and then were forced to create an online project that was later canceled or released, only to fail immediately. For example, The Last of Us Online by Naughty Dog or Hyenas by Creative Assembly, a studio mostly known for Total War strategies, were canceled.
Therefore, the best option for such studios is to continue developing single-player projects. And not only because of the failed attempts to enter the market of game services, but also because this market is already overcrowded. In the current environment, getting players to switch to a new game they don’t know anything about and that their friends aren’t playing yet is no easier than creating those games.
Besides, creating single-player games is a safer solution than trying to develop a new online game for hundreds of hours. Although the development of single-player games is becoming more expensive every year, even more money is needed to support game services. In addition to the primary development, studios will need to allocate millions every year for updates and new content if they want to retain players.
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