machinegames (Wolfenstein) hiring a Network Programmer to make Online Game features

[Nirolak]

In what is probably wholly unsurprising news after how Wolfenstein 2 sold before getting steep price cuts, the next Wolfenstein sounds like it will probably have multiplayer.

I think this leaves Arkane Lyon (specifically Lyon) and maybe Tango as the only ZeniMax studios without open multiplayer jobs.

Bethesda (both for console and mobile titles), ZeniMax Online, Battlecry, Arkane Austin, id (seemingly for multiple projects), and now machinegames all have online/multiplayer postings for comparison.

Network Programmer
Division: MachineGames | Department: Programming | Location: Uppsala , SE

Network Programmer

MachineGames is looking for an excellent Network Programmer to strengthen their growing team.

Responsibilities

-Work with other engineers to architect and refine game systems and online features related to online games (client-server networking optimization, integration with backend services, etc...)

-Debug, monitor, test and optimize networking layer for bandwidth, memory and cpu performance

-Cooperate with other engineers, designers, artists and other personnel to solve cross disciplines issues

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Source: https://jobs.zenimax.com/requisitions/view/1719

 

[Sento]

Sad news.

 

[Dio]

Hope this doesn't affect the SP too much.

 

[Roytheone]

I would actually like coop in those assassination side missions. Would be fun to play through them with a friend and it would not impact the story.

 

[Rezsolution]

To be honest, I've a lot of faith Machinegames will make a good MP mode. It's a shame it had to come to this though.

 

[Stealthy Cockatrice]

Well..as long as it does not affect the singleplayer at all, i guess its good news for some especially if they make the mp like RTCW had.

 

[kadotsu]

It's not like the Wolfenstein gameplay was this transcendent single player experience. I would welcome a co-op campaign.

 

[J.Devesh]

If they make a cooperative multiplayer, it may be a very interesting addition to their new Wolfenstein series.

 

[ActWan]

#SavePlayer1

 

[Zushin]

Hopefully doesn't jeopardise the SP.

 

[Lunchbox]

#SaveSingleplayer

 

[Plumpbiscuit]

Didn't Bethesda make that pandering video about saving single player games? This is why I don't trust AAA companies anymore.

 

[Joeyro]

Didn't Bethesda make that pandering video about saving single player games? This is why I don't trust AAA companies anymore.

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They did it to boost the sales of their struggling single player games.
I respect Bethesda for releasing three AAA single player only games in 2017, because i sincerely don't remember the last time it happened by a third party publisher.

 

[Elfotografoalocado]

Maybe it's for coop campaign. DOOM's multiplayer kinda failed, and nobody bought it for the MP, so I'm not sure Bethesda would make them devote resources to another tacked on multiplayer.

 

[EndlessNever]

About affecting SP like people are saying, the most recent Wolfenstein had no MP and was a significant step down in terms story and generally feedback when getting shot. The locations were also a bit subpar too, so honestly, I can't see MP affecting the SP at all.

 

[Deleted member 24118]

Maybe these MP devs will know how to make competent shooting and feedback.

"Maybe we shouldn't have enemies spawn behind the player and have no indicators when they shoot you."

 

[Deleted member 16876]

I sure hope this doesn't mean Doom would get another MP like 2016. Only way it would work is if they made it more like classic Doom mp but we have Quake for that.

 

[YawZah]

Maybe we will finally get the Wolfenstein Enemy Territory online game the creative director, Jens Matthies, said he wanted to make years ago.
Or it might just be for an online component to the finale chapter in the new series, but that does seem to go directly against what he said about focusing on one aspect.

Can't really speculate about how the future will play out. I'd love to do a sequel. I think it would be a lot of fun to make an Enemy Territory style multiplayer game. But MachineGames will never make both at the same time. We find that the best possible results come from having the whole team focused on a singular experience for the duration of the project.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comme..._jens_matthies_creative_director_for/chdmrsu/

 

[skeezx]

wolfenstein TNO was a breath of fresh air in the age of "tacked on MP" ... but i dunno, SP shooters have made somewhat of a comeback since then. not as prominent as i'd like but it's not like machinehead much less bethesda are the last beacons of hope in this regard.

 

[forgiventhrice]

At least it seems they are making the 3rd game.

 

[ThereAreFourNaan]

Mild shock.jpg

I'll never play it but it was frankly surprising that Wolf 2 didn't get some kind of tacked on mp.

Maybe we will finally get the Wolfenstein Enemy Territory online game the creative director, Jens Matthies, said he wanted to make years ago.
Or it might just be for an online component to the finale chapter in the new series, but that does seem to go directly against what he said about focusing on one aspect.

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/254kiq/hey_riama_im_jens_matthies_creative_director_for/chdmrsu/

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Jens doesn't ultimately get the final say. When Wolf 2 underperformed you can bet that there was pretty heated debate about how to course correct. Arkane Austin is working on something with online (probably not Prey 2) and adding mp would be a fair compromise for MachineGames to make versus just abandoning the series. The corporate arm wouldn't accept a new plan like " oh we'll do the same thing, except better!"

 

[Synth]

In this particular case it's hard for me to be upset really. Return to Castle Wolfenstein's MP was fantastic and certainly not "tacked on".

 

[Garjon]

Sad but unsurprising, considering the sales. Single player linear games just aren't selling enough, though Bethesda's marketing tactics with regards to this, Prey, Dishonored and Doom deserve to shoulder much of the blame.

I just hope Machine Games don't end up getting stuck making flavour of the month online shooters from now on.

 

[Compsiox]

Wolfenstein 2 was rather disappointing. I can only hope that they'll be able to reproduce the magic that was The New Order.

 

[Zappy]

Wolfenstein 2 was rather disappointing. I can only hope that they'll be able to reproduce the magic that was The New Order.

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I thought it was great. And if they add in some MP it will be great.

 

[Hamster Plugin]

While I love Bethesda's single player promos, they are seriously shooting themselves in the foot with how fast they put their games on sale. Both The New Order and Doom got huge Steam sales only month after release. Even better outside Steam - I got The New Colossus Digital Deluxe for €30 on Gigantti's Black Friday sale only month after release. I would have been pissed if I paid full price!

Consumers are now learning to not pay full price. It's painful to admit, but Nintendo is doing the right thing with their No Sales Ever policy.

 

[Zukkoyaki]

I'm still surprised a company like Bethesda thought they could sell a 10 hour campaign with no multiplayer for $60 in 2017.

 

[catvonpee]

I don't really like online stuff. But a Team Fortress like multiplayer component to Wolfenstein would be GREAT.

 

[BernardoOne]

Didn't Bethesda make that pandering video about saving single player games? This is why I don't trust AAA companies anymore.

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They did. Consumers didn't give a shit and people didn't buy the single player games. No fucking shit they are adding multiplayer. SP people forgot to put the money where their mouth is.

 

[Lost]

Co-Op?

Wouldn't mind that.

 

[Daphne]

Sad news, but if it means we actually get Wolfenstein 3 then so be it. I can see why they may feel they need to do this.

 

[Hope]

So comsumers will get what they deserve, cheap multiplayer-focused games.

 

[Ahasverus]

As long as there is still good SP they can add whatever they want.

 

[Derrick01]

Not unexpected but still sad news. Hopefully it's a separate multiplayer mode that is easily ignored and not something like co-op or forced online bullshit.

 

[nightstalker962]

Wolfenstein 3 #2020 :)

 

[Vinc]

I'm good with that. Hell, if it's Wolfenstein 3 I'd totally check out the MP. Their gunplay is so damn fantastic I tend to want more of it after I finish the campaign, so I'd jump in to MP and try it out.

 

[OldMuffin]

I think could work if they get someone like splash damage to make it, considering their spin off, wolfenstein enemy territories was quite popular at the time. It could be considered a sort of sequel to it. But maybe it would be difficult to work with them considering they are under new management these days and they might not be willing to work together.

 

[Nateo]

Hey this might not be sad news. If they can bring back a Wolf ET like experience on top of their great singleplayer experience that'd be wild.

 

[medyej]

I remember people celebrating when TNO was proudly single player only, ignorant of the fact that this series had two of the best multiplayer team shooters ever made (RtCW and Enemy Territory), so I imagine those same people are now dissapointed. I see good potential for it, but it might be too late to revive that style of multiplayer gameplay after they abandoned it for a decade.

 

[Nirolak]

Mild shock.jpg

I'll never play it but it was frankly surprising that Wolf 2 didn't get some kind of tacked on mp.



Jens doesn't ultimately get the final say. When Wolf 2 underperformed you can bet that there was pretty heated debate about how to course correct. Arkane Austin is working on something with online (probably not Prey 2) and adding mp would be a fair compromise for MachineGames to make versus just abandoning the series. The corporate arm wouldn't accept a new plan like " oh we'll do the same thing, except better!"

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I am pretty curious to see what they do with Dishonored given that one also struggled, but they've had no online postings, and their jobs are clear they're making a stealth action game, so the strategy there seems to be "Let's try again." thus far.

 

[Zukkoyaki]

I am pretty curious to see what they do with Dishonored given that one also struggled, but they've had no online postings, and their jobs are clear they're making a stealth action game, so the strategy there seems to be "Let's try again." thus far.

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My guess is they're going fully open world with it rather than dedicated sections.

 

[Nirolak]

My guess is they're going fully open world with it rather than dedicated sections.

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Yeah, that would probably be a reasonable adjustment relative to the market, especially if they can simultaneously up the length of the game dramatically that way.

The series does seem to move a lot of copies in the end, just with average sale price being their main issue.

 

[Hopping_Mad]

RTCW not only had superb singleplayer, but also superb multiplayer. Either machinegames ups their game or they can continue to flounder.

 

[YawZah]

I remember people celebrating when TNO was proudly single player only, ignorant of the fact that this series had two of the best multiplayer team shooters ever made (RtCW and Enemy Territory), so I imagine those same people are now dissapointed. I see good potential for it, but it might be too late to revive that style of multiplayer gameplay after they abandoned it for a decade.

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A new Wolfenstein Enemy Territory would be absolutely amazing. I doubt it would be free to play like the original. But as long as the core focus is on precise shooting and team based combat while solving objectives I'd be in for sure.

 

[HeisenbergWW62]

I'm not too worried about this. Will probably Ben like Doom where there's a separate multiplayer in addition to an awesome single player

 

[Gabriel Hall]

I'd love a BJ & Anya co-op mode, actually. How awesome would it be to play as a Nazi-slaughtering married couple?

 

[HStallion]

Its odd but I rarely think many games need MP if its not in the original design for them but I could totally see a Wolfenstein game with the kind of combat the series had that would make a great MP game. Make it more arena style with weapon drops around the map. Keep all the mechanics from the leaning, the dual wielding, the sliding, the stealth and design the maps smartly to make for a meaty gameplay experience that allows for all different play styles and you'd have an awesome game. This isn't even getting into how much fun co-op could be in such a game.

 

[Host Samurai]

Lame. Why put in MP when nobody will play it after a few weeks? Phoning in unnecessary MP modes is so last gen.

 

[Synth]

Lame. Why put in MP when nobody will play it after a few weeks? Phoning in unnecessary MP modes is so last gen.

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Then maybe just don't phone it in? Why do people always just assume a MP mode has to be phoned in (or that nobody will play it). Are you at all aware of Wolfenstein's multiplayer legacy?

Sometimes I feel like you people would celebrate a Halo or Gears game losing its multiplayer.

 

[Host Samurai]

Then maybe just don't phone it in? Why do people always just assume a MP mode has to be phoned in (or that nobody will play it). Are you at all aware of Wolfenstein's multiplayer legacy?

Sometimes I feel like you people would celebrate a Halo or Gears game losing its multiplayer.

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We assume because that's been the case for most games last generation. There are countless examples of games that are SP first and MP second and it has rarely produced a good result.