Sony has suggested that most of the PlayStation users prefer to play games offline, especially single-player games, rather than online.
In a leaked internal presentation that was discovered by Vice, Sony detailed why they wanted to make Activities for the PS5. The important tidbit in this presentation is how much they value single-player experiences for their console users.
In the opening of the presentation, Sony lists some games like Grand Theft Auto V and Black Ops 3 which have an online component and dominate in sales. “Everyone knows single player is dying, ” reads the opening note.
In the next slide, Sony shares its internal tracking data which appears to showcase the opposite picture. According to their data, “Single player is thriving” and more PlayStation users are now playing offline than they do online.
Sony has stressed the importance of single-player games in the past as well. Almost majority of their blockbuster releases in the past few years have been single-player focused games including The Last of Us Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima, and Days Gone. Ghost of Tsushima did get a post-launch update that added a multiplayer mode, but it launched as a single-player game.
Currently, Naughty Dog is working on the multiplayer mode for The Last of Us Part 2 but aside from that, the major upcoming PS5 exclusives are mostly single-player with God of War: Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West, and Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart offering a single-player adventure.
Maybe people don’t feel like paying $15 / month for laggy game servers too? Could that be a factor that single player is free? Most computer games are free to play online. This is the main problem with console games, they are just money pits compared to PC. That is why real gamers play PC and consoles are relegated to primarily casual gamers playing single player or just throwing money at an online game addiction.
Maybe people don’t feel like paying $15 / month for laggy game servers too? Could that be a factor that single player is free? Most computer games are free to play online. This is the main problem with console games, they are just money pits compared to PC. That is why real gamers play PC and consoles are relegated to primarily casual gamers playing single player or just throwing money at an online game addiction.
I pay $2.50 a month for PSN (easy to find 12 months for $29.99 via 3rd party sites) and have no lag to speak of over cable internet. It also seems like you wrap an unhealthy amount of your ego around being a “real gamer”.