The Xbox One is one of the most popular home consoles currently on the market and while single-player games with heavy storylines can be a great experience, sometimes it’s nicer to kick off those shoes and hit up a friend for some multiplayer fun. It seems hundreds of others believe so too, but has multiplayer gaming become more popular? Yes.
Multiplayer Games and Modes
While games focusing on single player campaigns have generally dominated the video games industry, the last few years have seen a considerable increase in the number of great multiplayer games being released for the Xbox One. Notable examples include Gears 5, A Way Out, Borderlands 3, Destiny 2, Monster Hunter: World, Star Wars: Battlefront II, The Division 2, Doom Eternal, and so much more.
Multiplayer has always been popular but the release of Epic Games’ Fortnite marked a huge change in the industry. The game popularised Battle Royale gaming and now numerous games feature their own Battle Royale mode which continues to be popular among hundreds of gamers. In fact, a 2019 report from the ESA which surveyed American gamers found that over 60% played online with others
Meanwhile, multiplayer has proven so popular that games focusing on single-player campaigns are now launching online multiplayer modes. While this is nothing new, many more developers have begun investing in the modes to appeal to the large multiplayer audience. For example, Rockstar Games has included multiplayer modes in all of its GTA games, but the multiplayer mode for GTA V, a game which launched back in 2013 for the Xbox 360 and 2014 for the Xbox One, is regarded as the company’s most successful multiplayer modes. The game’s multiplayer mode still has an active player base and new content is added on a regular basis. Similarly, Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption II, a game praised for its deep single-player story, has received its own multiplayer mode. Although not as successful as the multiplayer mode in GTA V, Red Dead Redemption II’s mode has been a huge success too.
As stated, other developers are following similar plans. CD Projekt Red has already announced that it’s upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 video game will have an online component that will launch separately from the main game. The upcoming Marvel’s Avengers game by Square Enix will reportedly also include multiplayer capabilities, and Naughty Dog and Sony Playstation’s The Last Of Us Part 2, although not releasing on Xbox, was initially going to feature a multiplayer mode before it was reportedly cut.
Multiplayer Games Outside Consoles
The rise of multiplayer games has also affected other industries. Many smartphone games released now allow users to play with or against each other, with many being based on battle royale modes. Meanwhile, online casinos games have also begun to learn from the trend, now allowing users to play live-streamed games where they can chat with real dealers and other players (Source: https://www.smartphonecasinos.co.uk/live-casino).
Multiplayer gaming is getting bigger and the biggest reason for this is because it allows people to connect with friends and experience things together. More and more developers are turning towards online and multiplayer gaming, and many believe these types of games and modes will only become bigger with the upcoming new console generation which seem to focus on allowing players to share their experiences. It’s likely that we’ll see more games launch with multiplayer components in the future and we can’t wait to see them.
