Why do so Many Games have Multiplayer?

[Serendipity]

It seems to be a trend now for developers to include multiplayer/co-op. I know multiplayer is a thing now, but so many games have this feature.

It is done in a way sometimes that it seems the developers have just paid lip service to the single-player feature.

If gamers want multiplayer so much, the developers clearly recognise this, so why not make games purely for multiplayer, co-op etc.

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems to me that with multiplayer all you seem to do is run around a map just shooting the whole time with no goal.

Co-op I admit seems like it could be fun to play with friends helping each other through a mission

[MadZec]

more players + more games sold = profit (quality of the game not needed)

[Tsubame ⭐]

Because many people prefer to play with or against other people.

The part about running about the map is not an issue of multi player vs. single player, is an issue of the gameplay of the games themselves - i.e. you are still going about the map shooting other bots, in single player, in the same or similar games.

There is nothing wrong with multiplayer per se.

A problem may be a game that is mostly single player, and then trying to put in multi player, and then possibly affect the overall quality of single player, or even gear game rules so that multi player can be enticing. Sand box games in particular may have this issue.

[peppermint hollows]

Serendipity の投稿を引用：

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems to me that with multiplayer all you seem to do is run around a map just shooting the whole time with no goal.

"Multiplayer" is not really a genre. Almost any type of game can be multiplayer, if a developer or studio is willing to make it. You are talking about shooters. One of the biggest ongoing multiplayer games is League of Legends, which is a moba. I can't really describe a moba (It stands for Multiplayer online battle arena, it's a somewhat unique genre) but it's not even remotely close to a shooter.

There are multiplayer survival games where the focus is on surviving and base building, like Rust or Valheim. Those are just a few examples of non-shooters that are multiplayer and also very popular.

To answer your other questions: It's pretty simple, there are a few reasons. For one thing, multiplayer games tend to have more replayability, especially player versus player/competitive ones, because every match is different when playing against human players. AI can be predictable and can often be cheesed.

Some people also just have a competitive nature and want to get better against other players. So multiplayer games are their preference. Also, being able to play with friends is something a lot of people value.

Large devs/publishers will follow the money, and the money is in multiplayer games. Multiplayer games provide a lot of advantages for developers, too. There is usually a near infinite amount of content they can provide, in theory. A multiplayer game can always add new characters, maps, weapons, or cosmetics. It can receive balance patches, free content, and seasonal events, all of which drive community engagement - which keeps people playing and talking about the game. Which also keeps people spending. Also, not having to start over by making a sequel and instead just continuing to update the same game likely saves a lot of development time, resources, and money.

You can technically do a lot of these things with singleplayer games, but it doesn't make nearly as much sense to do so because with singleplayer games, people typically have an expectation that the developers will eventually release a sequel to keep up to date with modern graphics and technology. People are also less receptive to microtransactions and paid cosmetic packs in singleplayer games, because it's typically expected that you can earn these things through gameplay. But a lot of modern multiplayer games are following a free to play model of some sort, so people are more willing to accept mtx for cosmetics and such because the game itself is free, and updates almost always are.

[Serendipity]

Thank you all for responding

[Mailer]

If you want to take the more pessimistic approach to this question: in a way multiplayer endorses the idea of micro-transactions and cosmetic purchases, because it's not just you in your world; it's other people being able to see what you bought and spent money on.

And so making a multiplayer game kind of enables more monetization and money to be made that way.

[Sazzouu]

MadZec の投稿を引用：

more players + more games sold = profit (quality of the game not needed)

Hogwarts Legacy would like to have a chat with you

[Mailer]

Sazzouu の投稿を引用：

MadZec の投稿を引用：

more players + more games sold = profit (quality of the game not needed)

Hogwarts Legacy would like to have a chat with you

In their case, it would look something more like this:

popular game branding = more players (word of mouth?) = more games sold = more profit

As we've established with Hogwarts Legacy, having a recognizable brand attached to the game apparently did wonders for it selling.
Indeed, the brand seems to be the dominant factor for drawing sales even to this day.

[Haruspex]

MadZec の投稿を引用：

more players + more games sold = profit (quality of the game not needed)

This is true, but it goes beyond.

With more people playing, they can now pressure each other, whether they realize it or not, to spend more money on microtransactions.
Is your butt getting kicked by other players? Buy that EXP boost, or that weapon, or those consumable items to give yourself an edge.
Do other players have sick looking skins, and you look like a noob with your default skin? Better pony up.
All your friends are having an absolute blast with the exclusive content the battle pass granted them. If you don't buy it too, you're missing out.

We think we're just playing a game, but they're playing us against each other for profit instead. While single-player games can have microtransactions too, there just isn't the same pressure that other people provide.

[peppermint hollows]

8bitbeard の投稿を引用：

MadZec の投稿を引用：

more players + more games sold = profit (quality of the game not needed)

This is true, but it goes beyond.

With more people playing, they can now pressure each other, whether they realize it or not, to spend more money on microtransactions.
Is your butt getting kicked by other players? Buy that EXP boost, or that weapon, or those consumable items to give yourself an edge.
Do other players have sick looking skins, and you look like a noob with your default skin? Better pony up.
All your friends are having an absolute blast with the exclusive content the battle pass granted them. If you don't buy it too, you're missing out.

We think we're just playing a game, but they're playing us against each other for profit instead. While single-player games can have microtransactions too, there just isn't the same pressure that other people provide.

Yep. There are some videos out there from developers or marketing position holders who talk specifically about how psychological tactics like this are employed in games (which applies the most to multiplayer games as well as mobile games which are pretty notorious for their aggressive monetisation). It gives some good insight on to just how deep marketing goes, it's basically its own school of psychology trying to understand what makes people spend the most money.