OzGamer wrote:I purchased Cuphead last night. I started playing it and my internet dropped out, I couldn't continue. The game requires online activity to play. This morning, my internet connection was fine, but Xbox Live was down temporarily. I still couldn't play it. Games requiring you to be online are a hassle.
This.
I still think a big issue is that the internet is an essential utility these days, but doesn't have the availability or reliability of an essential utility.
Gaming these days treats internet connectivity like it treats, say, electricity, i.e. everyone gets the same electricity, outages are rare, etc. But not everyone has access to the same internet speeds and reliability, even if they can afford it.
Games are purposely designed to ‘influence’ you into being online at every possible moment, to the point it impacts your ability to use it - let alone play it - offline. And they’re purposely designed to manipulate gamers into being online - because that’s where they can sell you extra content, that’s where your friends can see you playing a game they may or may not have. It increases product awareness.
Let’s also not forget how the internet has affected games themselves. The online experience often gets prioritised over the offline experience. Developers can rush a game out that’s buggy and patch them later. Developers can intentionally release games with less content so they can sell you extra later on. Then there’s microtransactions, loot boxes and pay to win or at least be competitive.
Games are so heavily monetised these days and I think that’s as much of an issue for me. Especially when monetising receives equal, if not greater focus, over actual game development, e.g. surely GTA V online will have ate into RockStar’s development on GTA VI.
The internet allows them to exploit this, which is why they don’t want to make it seem like being offline is an option.