Blog: "One Month after Amnesia's release"

[mattwestwick]

Minecraft appeals to the lowest common denominator of gamers. Its simple and doesn't end. Effective.
Also it was plugged on the TF2 homepage so that no doubt doubled its sales.

Thats just the way it is with TF2 players. Give them a free hat for buying a game and its a hit. Until recently TF2 had been updated for free over the last 3 years and the money the fanbase saved could be aquired by advertising other steam titles to them and giving them some shiny pixels in return.

I'm sure frictional have no intention of building a cult and implementing microtransactions to maintain a following.

However the economy of games is evolving rapidly towards this style of business and people no longer trust themselves to buy one-off titles with no multiplayer. It's not a pretty concept but it is becoming the norm and consumers are almost fully conditioned towards this method. Gaming is not a solitary pursuit anymore and people are more open to spending time on games with others for social interaction.

The best comparison I can make is with Bioshock. I followed this title through development and originally it was intended to be a hardcore survival horror very similar to Amnesia. Also it was much more akin to the original system shock series style. Emotionally draining as well as mentally taxing.

Once the developers i.e. Ken Levine came under pressure from the publisher they were forced to dumb it down siginificantly and resort to a largley run-and-gun type shooter, straying far away from the dark and visceral style it was intended to be. Naturally this was done to appeal to as many console gamers as possible and in my opinion took much away from the game I was expecting. Most of the enjoyment I recieved was from my own imagination and anticipation of the original concept coming to fruition.

If anything the game was popular because of the original elements such as moral choice and self-degredation in the pursuit of power. The FPS elements were added purely to appeal to the COD, Medal of Honor regulars upon which the deeper aspects of the story would pass over their heads; but still give a cheap thrill from blasting a bad guy.

Bioshock 2 which many would agree was mediocre, was developed largely under the people who pulled Bioshock towards a mass-marketable product. And as such, became more of a mindless shooter than before, tacking on poor multiplayer, and losing much of the trust in its fanbase.

Fortunately the publisher realised this and reinstated the original creators to work on the newest title. The reason for the series' longevity is the original elements that stayed true to the creators vision.Sure, adding marketable draws sold some extra copies but at the expense of fans expectations and the valuable content within the games.

So whats my point? I wanted to give an example of how sticking to your ethos is what keeps people returning and that selling out will only work once.

On a positive side. I believe that games like amnesia will persist due to the quality of its experience. I could only recommend greater integration into the steam system as this is where the future of gaming is at. And Gabe Newell is all for cheap exhilirating games that provide a bang for your buck. But you need to provide some source of longevity without degrading the style or value of the single game. The level editor tool is excellent but requires some expertise and effort (unlike minecraft) which would dissuade people from using it.

Multiplayer or co-op is not out of the question. In fact if frictional could master this within the style of their games it would be truly groundbreaking and give a reason for people to keep playing. Not that I have the expertise but generally it is easier to prevent piracy at least over the online aspect of a game. Something like the multiplayer modes in the original Alien vs Predator, (and not like F.E.A.R. whatever number it was, which had crappy co-op modes) would be amazing in the worlds Frictional create. With custom scenarios like they already have, but streamable for online users to connect to and engage in. Think Dungeons and Dragons.

If you wanted multiplayer to succede with Amnesia for example. You would have to maintain the emotional experience of the solitary gamer. i.e. restrict voice or text communication after the initial setup. Metaphorically speaking: the game host is the miniature game developer and the other player is "The Player".
Or simply design such that other online players appear to mimic what we might expect from an NPC but have the emotional connection and value of a real person (since they are real, just brought into a fictional world). Yourself and your fellow gamers would have to be limited with your communication options to achieve this.
Just an idea.

The best way to get the most out of a singleplayer game is to allow the community to mod and adapt it themselves, like Half-Life 1+2. If you can provide a flexible starting point, the users can create the content and spread the involvement themselves. All this without forcing them into leveling up, grinding, or paying a monthly fee.

I could go on for hours but if anyone wants to understand what I mean just listen to some of gabe newell's speeches, the man knows where the future lies for games. Myself, I know where it has been.

Regards,
Matt