Right from the nascent stage of video games, most were meant to be human-computer interactive systems which were thus single player by design. However, even some of the oldest games in existence also had the facility to allow multiple players to either play as a team, or play against one another for fun. This is where the single player versus multi-player modes were born.Since the mid 90s, when the internet started getting into the homes of people, the gaming industry took notice of its potential. This is where multi-player gaming really blossomed. Millions of people world wide, united through internet and the love for games could now either join forces or fight against each other. This created a rush to purchase online games worldwide which hasn’t abated even till today.
They Have Come A Long Way!:
With internet speeds improving and other related technology such as processing power also increasing rapidly, the evolution of multi-player gaming has been truly spectacular. However, single-player mode appeals to the instinct of a human being to achieve a goal on their own. We discuss some facets of the single player/Multi-player divide here.
Single Player Vs Multi-player – The Relentless Debate About Which Is Better:
This is a very divisive topic although most people tend to side with single player simply due to quality of game-play and the technical problems faced in multi-player or online mode. Some of these are processing and rendering issues along with instabilities in the internet connection. However, the increasing trends to purchase online games and the growing number of players for MMORPG(Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Game) states that despite the issues (which are being improved on very quickly), more gamers are actually going towards a multi-player world.
What Sales Figures And Gaming Developments Say:
Sales figures for Online RPGs have increased and more and more players tend to Purchase online games in order to challenge themselves against other players. Playing in a group simulates camaraderie and also taking jabs at each other akin to real life interaction. The fascination with multi-player games and the growing trend to purchase online games have even pushed renowned single player games to come out with multi-player versions. One of the most well known examples of this was the Lara Croft Tomb Raider game.
According to ESA (from 2016) Figures:
- 53% of players were playing multi-player video games
- Of which around 6 hours were spent playing games online
- 5 hours were playing spent offline, but with friends and family
- 54% of all gamers stated that playing games helps them connect with their friends either online or in person
- 45% stated that multi-player games helped them spend time with family
These figures as well as others from contemporary and relevant gaming sites keep stating the same fact over and over. Multi-player gaming is the way of the future with single player gaming becoming a specific niche. You may want to pay offline in single-player mode to achieve a specific goal or to figure out a game on your own.
However, the sheer number of people playing online states that multi-player gaming is the winner and will only continue to have a bigger share of the market. Not just that, the same figures also stated that more multi-player games are being released as compared to single player games spurring the tendency to purchase online games rather than physical media.
Source the: NPD Group (2016 figures):
- All sales in the physical format – 26%
- All sales in the Digital format – 74%
This is across all devices, i.e. consoles, PCs, mobiles, hand-held gaming devices, tablets or smart-phones, VR devices and others. A look at the best selling games also proves the dominance of multi-player games.
Some Of The Top Selling Titles Of 2016 Were:
- Battlefield 1
- Tom Clancy’s The Division
- Call of Duty Black Ops III
- Overwatch
- Far Cry Primal
In terms of sales it can thus be said that the tendency to purchase online games that are multi-player by design is on the upswing as well as the number of players joining these games everyday. While in terms of playability many would prefer the graphics and smoothness of single player, the gap is closing fast. Ultimately, multi-player would be the primary mode of the future, although single player will still remain a strong niche.
