The More, the Merrier: Publishers Should Take Note of iGaming Mantra

There has been a lot made of huge video game publishers pushing their developers and studios to create triple-A live service games. There have been relative success stories like No Man’s Sky from developers Hello Games, who were slated at launch but eventually delivered a decent game. However, a lot of the ‘games as a service’ spiel has come from industry titans like Electronic Arts, who have disappointed with hyped-up titles like Anthem and Star Wars Battlefront 2.

While there is a place for these games in the industry, major publishers with the power to create many games without mobile-like monetization schemes have bet on making fewer games, many of which deploy this disliked model, instead. Huge publishers have been seen to take popular or very exciting IPs and beloved game studios, force them down the route of ‘games as a service,’ and ultimately fail to deliver, which has ended in the closure of once-great studios which then caps the chance for fans to play another of their games.

In iGaming, it’s the more, the merrier

The iGaming industry has been forced to be as good as it can be due to the high levels of competition at every level. From online games trying to be more appealing to gamers to game developers wanting to deliver games that players want to play, almost every avenue has been explored by top platforms in order to get ahead.

Some players will commit to games for long periods of time, but when other developers continue to stack libraries with more intriguing slot titles each month, the temptation to try others is warranted and acted upon. The developers also recognize the value in releasing more games as not only does it keep them up with competitors, but it also keeps the scene fresh and exciting, making it more appealing to potential players.

Console game libraries are also betting on large collections

In console gaming, the competition may not be as fierce between platforms as it is in iGaming, but it is starting to get that way for developers and publishers of console games. This is probably most noticeable with the Nintendo Switch’s game library. The Nintendo Switch sales are phenomenal, surpassing 34 million units sold earlier this year despite only launching in 2017. One of its strengths has been betting on its massive game library which currently stands at over 2,400 strong including special editions and some major DLCs.

Nintendo is also publishing a long line of their own games to compete with other developers on their own console to enhance the choice for gamers, which includes at least 12 in 2019 alone. The PlayStation 4 also has an expansive library of over 1,900 games, as does the Xbox One with over 1,700 titles.

These huge game libraries wouldn’t exist if there weren’t a market for them, meaning that players want to see as much diversity in gaming as possible. Many big-name publishers release half-baked live service games for a triple-A price, but due to the games not meeting their lofty expectations in sales early, they often remain poor for anyone unlucky enough to buy the games.

The very nature of live service gaming is to keep players on one game for as long as possible. But with such expansive game libraries and other publishers releasing multiple games, those who focus on triple-A live service gaming are bound to fall short of their expectations most of the time, leading to gamers and studios suffering. As a backup and to regain favor with gamers, these publishers who have turned heel in recent times should put more of an emphasis on creating many varied games each year, just as they do with slots and other games in the iGaming sector.