Square Enix - Games as a Service

OnlySP reports that Square Enix wants to provide future titles as an ongoing service:

Square Enix to Focus on “Games as a Service” Model for Future Titles

Square Enix has outlined plans to focus on ensuring long-term engagement from fans for future projects.

The new strategy was revealed as part of the publisher’s 2017 Annual Report. The relevant section lumps together the “Games as a Service” model and multiplayer as areas on which efforts will be focused. However, the report does not conflate the two concepts, instead mentioning both as design principles intended to “place a strong emphasis on longer-term user engagement.” As such, the company plans to “develop games designed not to be played once after launch but that customers can play more and enjoy longer.”

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Thanks Farflame!

More information.

Service and not full payonce2own videogame = milking scam.

Yeah… Square, you really want to go bankrupt, aren't you?! After the backlash from HITMAN episodic release, the baclash from Deus Ex: Mankind Divided in-game micro-transactions and the whole pre-order debacle, after the Rise of Tomb Raider scandal and so on, you still come out with this c..p.

But, hey, Square isn't the only one. Ubi and EA have their idea of games as a service, with Ubi applying it in games like The Crew, The Division, Rainbow Six: Siege and For Honor, while EA will introduce it in Anthem.

Gaming industry or how to commit financial suicide 101.

Originally Posted by wolfsrain
while EA will introduce it in Anthem.

They have been doing it for years with Battlefields games and their MMOs… Anthem is introducing nothing.

Originally Posted by azarhal
They have been doing it for years with Battlefields games and their MMOs… Anthem is introducing nothing.

Yes, but they were doing only on the MP part. With Anthem they are going for the SP, too. Anyways, what it matters is the fact that they will do it and the only thing we can do is to vote with our wallets. Though i can see plenty of kids asking for ma and dad to support this kind of behaviour.

Originally Posted by wolfsrain
plenty of kids begging, crying and screaming for ma and dad to support this kind of behaviour.

Sorry. Had to.

And Square Enix knows it. The same thing made Nintendo successful.

@joxer sadly…it's the truth and nothing but the truth. Still, thanks for bringing a smile upon my tired face

Yup, getting tired of this "must always be online" to play a single player game - what nonsense. I have the game Hitman, and admittedly, its a good game, but its pretty annoying to always connect with their server when playing it. And Rockstar games also does this with GTA V. I will only put up with it if the game is exceptional and something that I really want, like the highly anticipated Red Dead Redemption 2. Otherwise, forget about it.

Just another one to put on my list of "never buy from". They will be in such stellar company like Electronic Arts, Origin, and ubijunk. Congrats!

A thread full of people passing GaaS.

In a way, I think it's a good thing - this sort of behavior from big publishers creates opportunities for new companies to come in and offer people what they actually want. CDPR/GOG being the prime example.

Game as service = full control of the publisher over it = better DRM.

Well, I'll happily return to board games, then.
At least tzhose can't be used as services.

And, by the way, the German board games fair is at the end of October anyway …

Now is the time for the rise of the indies! The big guys are forgetting that the indies are increasingly capable of an AAA standard. We can always go elsewhere…

The new strategy was revealed as part of the publisher’s 2017 Annual Report. The relevant section lumps together the “Games as a Service” model and multiplayer as areas on which efforts will be focused.

Oh just fuck off with this already.

Like Carnifex said I vote with my wallet and companies that do this do not get my business, but there are alot of people who just want what they want and are not adverse to being used in this manner. The question becomes who is in the majority?

Originally Posted by Terry
Like Carnifex said I vote with my wallet and companies that do this do not get my business, but there are alot of people who just want what they want and are not adverse to being used in this manner. The question becomes who is in the majority?

Indeed. This is something I've wondered about for a while.

I, too, vote with my wallet. Lately (past few years), I've noticed my tendency to primarily purchase indie titles almost entirely. In many ways, they feel like games that big name studios used to make where attention to detail, love, and care was commonplace. Not to say they don't exist in AAA titles too, but they certainly seem much more common with indies and/or those without a publisher.

Games as a service will likely be the future. In reality this is already the case with Steam. If Steam goes down you have no more games.

It will simply be the same thing.

In the corporate world, the same thing is happening with DaaS and PCaaS and SaaS.
http://www8.hp.com/uk/en/services/daas.html
http://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/landingpage/pc-as-service/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_as_a_service

Indeed, and when (or perhaps if) that day comes, I will happily retire from gaming and appreciates the memories I've built. Or resort to playing my favorite titles a thousand times over until I die.

That is why I prefer great old games over steam. The good thing about older games is they tend not to take up a lot of hard drive space, so you can really cram a bunch on a decent sized drive.