All articles tagged with #live service games
ESRB says it won’t follow PEGI’s Europe-wide rating overhaul, arguing that including money-related features in ratings would confuse parents; PEGI will reclassify live-service games and some legacy titles starting June, with examples like EA Sports FC 27 potentially moving from PEGI 3 to 16 and Pokémon Pokopia from 3 to 7.
Industry analysis argues that live-service games are treated as instant-profit investments, with Highguard’s swift demise after a Tencent-backed launch despite 2 million players; Marathon offers promise but profitability remains uncertain, underscoring a broader pattern where investor pressure and the time-to-kill metric drive whether a game survives or fails.
Marathon arrives as a litmus test for the current live-service era: a polished extraction shooter from Bungie, set against a market of shuttered studios and dwindling forecasts for ongoing, monetized online titles. While it showcases Bungie’s precise gunplay, distinctive worldbuilding, and variety of runner shells, critics warn about the genre’s content treadmill and mixed monetization, questioning whether Marathon—or Sony’s gamble on Bungie—can break the cycle of cancellations and layoffs that has defined the industry lately.
Amazon Game Studios and Glowmade are shutting down the online co-op dungeon-crawler King of Meat, with servers slated to go offline on April 9, 2026; refunds will be issued via the platform where players purchased the game, and existing content will remain playable until shutdown. The move highlights the fragility of live-service titles despite heavy marketing, following other closures in the space.
Kotaku reports Horizon Zero Dawn 3 isn’t likely soon, with Guerrilla Games prioritizing the multiplayer Horizon Hunters Gathering and moving staff from HZD3 to the online project; a true Aloy adventure could be 3–5 years out (potentially a PS6 era), as Sony leans into live-service and transmedia expansions rather than rushing a mainline sequel.
Eurogamer’s feature argues that the industry is too quick to condemn live-service games, highlighting players’ and developers’ nuances: some titles succeed with player-focused design (examples like Warframe and Helldivers 2) while others lean into predatory monetization. Highguard’s launch intensifies the debate about whether criticism is fair or merely cynical, urging readers to give new live-service games a fair chance amid economic pressures and media-driven outrage.
Ubisoft has launched a major reset, canceling six games (including Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake), closing two studios (Stockholm and Halifax) and delaying seven titles to focus on open-world, live-service games; shares fell about 33% on the news as the company pursues sustainable growth amid rising development costs, with Vantage Studios tasked to turn its big franchises into annual brands.
While 'Battlefield 6' saw a significant drop in Steam players from its launch peak, 'ARC Raiders' has maintained a high player base, indicating strong ongoing interest in the latter compared to the declining popularity of the former.
Dispatch is an episodic superhero game from AdHoc Studio that offers a TV-like experience with each episode designed for a single gaming session, providing a satisfying and well-calibrated narrative that respects players' time, contrasting with the endless grind of live-service games.
Hermen Hulst, CEO of PlayStation Studios, emphasized the importance of early and cost-effective failure detection in game development, citing lessons learned from the Concord game's failure and implementing stricter testing processes to improve quality and variety in future releases.
Sony's failure with the short-lived live-service shooter Concord led to increased oversight and testing in development, as Sony aims to improve future projects and diversify player experiences, despite challenges with upcoming titles like Bungie's Marathon.
Sony's PlayStation boss Herman Hulst defends the company's ongoing push into live service games despite past failures like Concord, emphasizing that failures lead to better testing and understanding, and highlighting a focus on diverse player experiences rather than solely on the number of releases.
Sony's PS5 boss Hermen Hulst emphasizes quality over quantity in live service games, implementing rigorous testing and fostering diverse player experiences. The company is also focusing on creating IP with cross-media potential, aiming to build brands that support both gaming and broader entertainment ventures, while learning from past failures like Concord.
A year after its release, Sony's Concord is considered the worst video game launch of all time due to its disastrous player count, massive financial loss, and quick shutdown, marking a significant failure in the industry and raising questions about Sony's judgment in its live-service game strategy.
Sony's game developer Jade Raymond's project Fairgame$ has reportedly been canceled, highlighting Sony's struggles with its shift to live service games, criticized by analyst Michael Pachter who also claims Sony has lost its way in managing its gaming strategy.