14 DAY TRIAL // Gamers and industry representatives were surprised to hear that God of War: Ascension, the latest installment in the action trilogy, will have a multiplayer mode, but a couple of analysts aren’t exactly sure that this major change will actually result in better sales or a better experience.
God of War: Ascension was finally revealed to the world earlier this week, with Sony and its Santa Monica studio presenting an array of details and features about the new game, including the fact that it will have, for the first time in the series, a multiplayer mode.
[admark=1]While this is quite surprising, precedents have already appeared, as many games that were focused on single-player experiences received multiplayer modes, including Uncharted.
According to Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, the move is interesting, but might not result in better sales.
"It's an interesting move, and something I think gamers will like, but it's odd to see it in a third-person game, and especially odd because it's not a shooter. I think GoW fans will love it, but am not sure it will move the needle on sales," Pachter told GamesIndustry.
On the other hand, EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich believes that multiplayer can result in better sales, but only if it’s implemented in an adequate way.
"EEDAR has run numerous studies on the impact on multiplayer on game sales. We have found that when executed properly, multiplayer does have a positive impact on initial and long-term sales," Divnich said. "The pitfall that is common, however, is for developers to simply tack on a multiplayer component thinking it will be the silver bullet solution to long-term sales and a reduction in used sales."
The analyst is confident that Sony’s Santa Monica studio can pull off such a big feature for Ascension, so the move might prove to be successful in terms of sales and quality.
"In the case of God of War, we are confident that the Santa Monica Studio recognizes the common pitfalls. As a studio with a great pedigree, I am sure any multiplayer component will be additive to the God of War experience and not simply a tacked on feature," he added.
What do you think? Is God of War: Ascension’s multiplayer mode a worthy feature or should the studio focus on its story?