Since the success of live-service titles like Fortnite, it seems like almost every gaming studio wants to get a slice of the pie. PlayStation is exploring multiple live-service experiences with its many IPs, GTA Online is constantly raking in millions, battle royale games seem to be everywhere, and studios like Ubisoft have been trying to get live-service games off the ground for years. While these types of games can work, the sheer number of titles out there could negatively impact the success of the genre; after all, there's only so much time someone can devote to a Battle Pass, frequent seasonal models, and so forth.
Live-service games live or die on the number of players willing to support them. Once a player base dies off, online games are forced to shut their doors. Server closures are a major part of modern gaming, but they seem to have gotten even more prevalent in recent years. All these online titles cannot coexist, and the industry may want to change direction to avoid a costly mistake.
There Can Only Be So Many Live-Service Games
Live-service games see players from all over come together for some type of online experience, and while some big titles like Fortnite have established their staying power, many others get left to the wayside. This is a result of the year-round release cycles for new video games, as all titles vie for a player's attention, but single-player games don't starve off and die without it, at least as quickly. To retain that player base, Live-service games are consistently updated with new content to keep players coming back for more, and they are often filled to the brim with things to buy. They are a great way to connect with other players, mess around with friends, or just have fun competing with people from all over the world.
There is nothing inherently wrong with live-service games, and many of them have found remarkable success. Many players love playing with others in a game they know will be supported for the forseeable future. If the money continues to roll in, these studios will keep these games alive. Games like League of Legends and GTA Online have been around for over a decade, and they are showing no signs of slowing down.
The current problem with live-service games, however, is that there are way too many of them, some cost way too much, and there are only so many hours in the day. A lot of live-service titles want players to log in frequently to stay up to date on the latest content, but a lot of gamers do not have time to devote to multiple titles. They will focus on a select few games instead and may never touch the new ones. Unless the game is critically acclaimed, it will struggle to convince players to make the jump, especially if they have already sunk years into other ones. Releasing so many live-service games gives players a lot of options, but it also means that the general live-service playerbase is fragmented. This, in turn, causes the games to cannibalize each other and helps end the new ones before they even get a chance to succeed.
If live-service games cannot attract an audience then they will close, and that seems to be happening a lot recently. Apex Legends Mobile, Battlefield Mobile, Rumbleverse, CrossfireX, and Knockout City have already shut down in 2023. Most of these games have not been out for that long, but the live-service audience was not willing to move over to them. This will only become more prevalent as the years go by, and that does not seem very sustainable in the long run.