Xbox Exec Says Single-Player Games Are Dying Because They Make Less Money

Stories about single-player games dying have been circulating the web for years and now, even Xbox is adding its voice to the maelstrom of negativity. According to Shannon Loftis, the head of first-party publishing at Xbox, games that feature story campaigns are not exactly dead yet. However, the future of single-player titles is in peril because they simply don’t make as much money as multiplayer.

Actually, what Loftis said in an interview with GameSpot is that the economics behind single-player games is “complicated”. It would seem that because the desire of gamers for high-quality experiences is growing, the costs of producing such games to meet their demands are similarly rising. Consequently, the current market is incredibly unforgiving, which makes publishers nervous.

"I don't think that it's dead per se," Loftis told the publication in referring to single-player-only games. "I do think the economics of taking a single-player game and telling a very high fidelity multi-hour story get a little more complicated. Gamers want higher fidelity and they want higher resolution graphics."

Basically, the reason why single-player games are at risk of going the way of the Dodo is that publishers are becoming concerned about getting no return on their investments. Looking at the current market, it’s certainly hard to argue with the logic.

There are several examples of single-player titles selling well, with Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wilds, Persona 5, and Horizon: Zero Dawn smashing records this year. Unfortunately, many more titles have been considered commercial failures, including Dishonored 2 and Prey by Arkane Studios.

Loftis doesn’t believe that story-based games are going away for good. However, they might become the minority in the video game industry. In contrast, titles with multiplayer modes or only offer multiplayer gameplay will only grow in number, Windows Central reports. Even examples of single-player games with microtransactions will only become more common.