The rise of Single Player Gaming

If there is one trend that has defined the rise of online console gaming, it is multiplayer capability. This emerged over the course of a five year period from 2010, as publishers sought to capitalise on the potential of online gameplay and optimise the longevity of traditional, single-player franchises. The trend has begun to reverse in recent times, despite the fact that it has proved integral to the modernisation of the console market.

During the eighth generation of console gaming, the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One integrated online, community gameplay for the very first time. This has helped to underpin the sale of digital titles on a global scale, while also helping traditional video game platforms to compete with freemium app stores and get on with online casino games. While many expected this trend to continue, however, we have instead seen a significant reversal over the course of the last two years.

More specifically, the number of console titles released with multiplayer functionality is actively decreasing, at least according to game industry research firm EEDAR. In 2013, the percentage of games with no multiplayer support rose to an estimated 46%, and while this number is the highest recorded since 2009 it has continued to increase on an incremental scale since.

So what exactly could have prompted this? The primary reason is the drive among developers to replicate a more traditional video gaming experience online, after they have spent years offering multiplayer titles for a new demographic of console players. With the ninth console generation set to be ushered in over the course of the next 18 months, we can therefore expect to see a healthier balance of single and multiplayer titles available in an accessible library.