Comment Publishers, publishers, publishers (Score 2, Interesting) 362
The current environment encourages developers to unnecessarily toss multiplayer into their games without caring about it — or even considering whether anyone will bother playing it. It’s like they're checking an invisible quota box that demands multiplayer's inclusion.
Developers? No. The checking-off box mentality is created by the execs who look at past performance, market research, and all that boring stuff to come up with very specific ideas about what they want in a game. The developers usually have to build what the publisher asks for if they want to get paid.
Of course if you as a developer think you know better you can always strike out on your own, but most that do don't end up making much money. Thems the breaks.