Still a significant single-player market, says Mattes
Prince of Persia producer Ben Mattes says that there are still things developers can only do in single-player games
Ben Mattes, producer of the upcoming Prince of Persia title, disagrees with Phil Harrison's notion that the industry will move away from single-player games.
"I read that, and I don't totally agree," he told Eurogamer.net.
"I know where he's coming from - I certainly see a lot of the industry moving in the direction of more community, more multiplayer, that sort of stuff.
"But in my opinion, there are things you can do in a carefully crafted single-player game - experiences you can create, emotions you can elicit and magnitudes of engaging the player - that you're not going to reproduce in the uncontrolled environment of multiplayer."
Mattes referred to some of the negative aspects of multiplayer games that can turn gamers away.
"For some time yet, there's going to be a market of people who say, 'You know what, pander to me. Suck me into your world and just make me believe. I don't want to be distracted by griefers and high scores, and dealing with the stuff not everybody loves about multiplayer games.'
"I do think there is still a significant market there."
The complete interview with Ben Mattes can be read on our sister site, Eurogamer.net.