Ubisoft explains why they switched from making games to making live services

[4859]

It's the right thing to do in terms of business.

Thankfully indies will always be a thing. If there were no more traditional single player games I'd just quit gaming.

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Indies were always a thing.

Just before the destruction of the market at the hands of the top publishers for their own easy money, Indies would come out from nowhere and make franchises like elders scrolls and fall out, and baldurs gate, and ultima, and doom.

Instead of retro throwback platformer #153,564,353

 

[Giudecca]

Guys, I don't think Mario Odyssey is considered a GAAS. The Balloon mode was just a tiny one-off something they forgot to add in the base game. There's no DLC or season pass and it doesn't look like there will be.

 

[CountAntonio]

"So we can sell you more useless shit and make money with less effort"

It's sad that the industry is heading this way.

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Rainbow 6 hasn't been filled with useless shit. The For Honor updates also look fantastic and both took plenty of effort.

 

[Deleted member 888]

No, its sad that they have gotten the current generation to buy it without batting an eye. Its sad that they succeeded in normalizing that with their marketing.

Its sad that our successors could not pass the marshmallow test.

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Maybe it is being jaded or maybe playing through Yakuza 0 is just reminding me for all the shit in this industry there is still gold to be found. Plus, no one ever completes their backlog so we all have lots to play while ignoring the gambling simulator games or those Satan himself has made.

 

[4859]

Maybe it is being jaded or maybe playing through Yakuza 0 is just reminding me for all the shit in this industry there is still gold to be found. Plus, no one ever completes their backlog so we all have lots to play while ignoring the gambling simulator games or those Satan himself has made.

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Yeah, theres still good, or to complete your analogy digging peanuts out of giant logs of shitt.

Or an oasis in the middle of the sahara.

I have no backlog. I dont buy games I have no intention of beating simply because there is nothing I actually want to play most of the time. I dont make idle purchases. I have more time and money to spend on games now, than I have had in the past decade. But I just dont, because by and large, its not entertaining. Its busy work design, and it sucks.

I find my island in the giant ocean of shit, play it until Im done, and then im stuck there with a game I already played the hell out of, and nothing but endless miles of shit on the horizon.

 

[Crossing Eden]

No.

X As A Service has a very clear definition of a cloud computing service model, where people buy subscriptions (or continuous monetization) to access an online system. Without the subscription, the service ends.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_a_service

Games As A Service is cloud gaming or subscription based gaming. WoW is GaaS. GamePass is GaaS. PUBG is GaaS. Zelda is NOT GaaS. This is why some of the games you might think are GaaS are not actually called GaaS but called "live games". You could make an argument that Zelda is a live game. I would still not agree with you. Warcraft II: The Tides of Darkness (1995) was not a live game even if it had an expansion pack and an upgraded version in the Dark Saga, much like Zelda got nine months after release. Live games have a commitment of continuous "User engagement", not a singular expansion pack. Splatoon 2 is a live game, it's not a GaaS game however.

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Live games and GaaS are intertwined in the context of modern games. Zelda outright promised live support for several months, we had the plan, it wasn't a surprise. Like I said above, pubs are most doing GaaS but handling it differently. Nintendo included. Sorry that that impedes with the GaaS boogeyman narrative.

 

[Servbot24]

This. If GaaS is the future it's one that can leave me behind. Why can't we live in a future where GaaS and offline traditional single player games are both a thing. Why does it have to be one or the other.

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I do think people really overstate death of single player. I'm positively drowned by critically acclaimed single player games to play right now. Meanwhile all I hear about major GaaS games are complaints.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

That game applies to the context of this thread tho. We can go back and forth about which methods of post launch support we prefer but we can't really exclude devs from the equation because their game go against the "all GaaS are bad" boogeyman.

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Mario Odyssey is not a GaaS game. No one is buying Mario Odyssey expecting a "service" and ongoing support, they are buying it to play the completed base game. Correct me if I completely missed something, but I'm pretty sure Nintendo hasn't announced any paid Mario Odyssey DLC. The fact that Nintendo decided to release a minor, unexpected feature update doesn't suddenly make Mario Odyssey a service.

You'd have a bit more of an argument with Breath of the Wild, since that got a $20 expansion pass. But even then, I think giving BotW a GaaS label is somewhat disingenuous.

Is Bioshock Infinite a GaaS title because it offered paid additional content? What about Skies of Arcadia, where you could unlock additional content by connecting your Dreamcast to the internet? Or to go even further back, what about Sonic 3, for which Sega sold Sonic & Knuckles as an add-on cartridge that only worked if you owned the base game?

 

[Crossing Eden]

Mario Odyssey is not a GaaS game. No one is buying Mario Odyssey expecting a "service" and ongoing support, they are buying it to play the completed base game. Correct me if I completely missed something, but I'm pretty sure Nintendo hasn't announced any paid Mario Odyssey DLC. The fact that Nintendo decided to release a minor, unexpected feature update doesn't suddenly make Mario Odyssey a service.

You'd have a bit more of an argument with Breath of the Wild, since that got a $20 expansion pass. But even then, I think giving BotW a GaaS label is somewhat disingenuous.

Is Bioshock Infinite a GaaS title because it offered paid additional content? What about Skies of Arcadia, where you could unlock additional content by connecting your Dreamcast to the internet? Or to go even further back, what about Sonic 3, for which Sega sold Sonic & Knuckles as an add-on cartridge that only worked if you owned the base game? Are these GaaS titles? The primary distinction to me is that no one bought Sonic 3 or Mario Odyssey because they expected the game to receive ongoing developer support. You could never connect your Switch to the internet, and Mario Odyssey would be 99% the same experience.

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I meant Nintendo as a whole. They're a Publisher who indulges in their own GaaS method.

 

[Evolution of Metal]

The narrative that has formed that GaaS is bad for games and that everyone hates them is one of the more baffling ones in recent years.

Consumers love GaaS. It's not just a thing publishers like.

I get having different preferences and all... but the numbers speak for themselves.

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To further cement the narrative the service games are the most popular AND the most valuable games.

Blizzard is by far the most liked and respected publisher on PC, yet they only release online service-based games. There isn't a single MTG or LOL player thinking that the game would be perfect if it never received additional balance or content.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

I'm positively drowned by critically acclaimed single player games to play right now.

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Take out indie games, and I'm certainly not.

And while I like indie games a lot—I've been playing the heck out of Celeste—when people lament the decline of single-player, they're referring to AAA and AA titles, which provide a distinctly different experience from what a small indie developer can hope to accomplish.

 

[Servbot24]

Take out indie games, and I'm certainly not.

And while I like indie games a lot—I've been playing the heck out of Celeste—when people lament the decline of single-player, they're referring to AAA and AA titles, which provide a distinctly different experience from what a small indie developer can hope to accomplish.

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It may just be that I don't have much time to play games so I don't get through them very fast, but from last year alone I've got Nier, Prey, Wolfenstein 2, The Evil Within 2 and Resident Evil 7 on my shelf just waiting to be played.

 

[Kin5290]

I do think people really overstate death of single player. I'm positively drowned by critically acclaimed single player games to play right now. Meanwhile all I hear about major GaaS games are complaints.

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Really? I don't remember The Witcher 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Breath of the Wild, or Assassins Creed Origins getting many complaints, and all of these are GaaS.

 

[Servbot24]

Really? I don't remember The Witcher 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Breath of the Wild, or Assassins Creed Origins getting many complaints, and all of these are GaaS.

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I don't get it. :|

 

[Joeyro]

They actually give statistics that back up their direction, why is everyone arguing?
The mass market clearly demands it and they supply.

 

[Crossing Eden]

Take out indie games, and I'm certainly not.

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This isn't even all of the good SP focused titles we got from the AAA space last year. So what're you talking about? If absolutely none of these titles appeal to you then perhaps the issue isn't the state of triple A SP games. As they aren't going away in anyway shape or form.

Really? I don't remember The Witcher 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Breath of the Wild, or Assassins Creed Origins getting many complaints, and all of these are GaaS.

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Some people try to exclude some games from being GaaS because then the angry reddit "all GaaS are bad!1!" narrative wouldn't hold up.

 

[Kin5290]

I don't get it. :|

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All of the games I listed are single player games that were also GaaS, and all are well loved. The Witcher 3 had its famous dozen or so pieces of free DLC, released on a weekly schedule, that eventually grew to encompass gameplay effecting content. Horizon Zero Dawn's developers provided continual support and features after its release, even ignoring its sole expansion. This included QoL improvements like UI tweaks (players were huge fan of the Sell Multiple/Buy Multiple functionality) and gameplay improvements like the New Game Plus mode that was added after launch. Assassins Creed Origins is a GaaS that does microtransactions and lootboxes, but what makes the game a GaaS is its schedule of additional content updates (the Trial of the Gods stuff).

GaaS has nothing to do with monetization schemes in particular, just that the developers continue to release new content after release. The actual monetization that many people seem to have a problem with is an indirect result of the actual purpose of GaaS, which is to keep players playing a game for longer periods of time.

 

[Servbot24]

All of the games I listed are single player games that were also GaaS, and all are well loved. The Witcher 3 had its famous dozen or so pieces of free DLC, released on a weekly schedule, that eventually grew to encompass gameplay effecting content. Horizon Zero Dawn's developers provided continual support and features after its release, even ignoring its sole expansion. This included QoL improvements like UI tweaks (players were huge fan of the Sell Multiple/Buy Multiple functionality) and gameplay improvements like the New Game Plus mode that was added after launch. Assassins Creed Origins is a GaaS that does microtransactions and lootboxes, but what makes the game a GaaS is its schedule of additional content updates (the Trial of the Gods stuff).

GaaS has nothing to do with monetization schemes in particular, just that the developers continue to release new content after release. The actual monetization that many people seem to have a problem with is an indirect result of the actual purpose of GaaS, which is to keep players playing a game for longer periods of time.

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I don't think you really get what GaaS is. A game having DLC or getting a patch doesn't make it GaaS.

 

[Deleted member 24550]

Live games and GaaS are intertwined in the context of modern games. Zelda outright promised live support for several months, we had the plan, it wasn't a surprise. Like I said above, pubs are most doing GaaS but handling it differently. Nintendo included. Sorry that that impedes with the GaaS boogeyman narrative.

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Sorry that you have to make stuff up to fit yours.

 

[Kromeo]

That's a very long way of saying $

 

[Crossing Eden]

I don't think you really get what GaaS is. A game having DLC or getting a patch doesn't make it GaaS.

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Live support, (with the aim of making a profit), is what makes them GaaS.

Sorry that you have to make stuff up to fit yours.

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Blame devs not me.

 

[Deleted member 8593]

I remember when publishers tried to divorce the term GaaS from monetization due to the negative connotations and just knew people would lap that shit up.

And here we are.

 

[Servbot24]

Live support, (with the aim of making a profit), is what makes them GaaS.

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I mean by that definition GaaS becomes almost meaningless and this topic is no longer possible to discuss. I guess Dark Souls was GaaS? Because that is clearly not the type of game we're talking about.

 

[Deleted member 24550]

Blame devs not me.

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Which devs? Can you point to me where Miyamoto calls Zelda a Game as a Service?

(Then he would be wrong)
(But I don't think he said it)

 

[Crossing Eden]

I mean by that definitely GaaS becomes almost meaningless and this topic is no longer possible to discuss.

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It's only meaningless if we have to discuss how terrible it is all the time without ever considering that it might not actually be that bad and has had some positive effects on the industry.

Which devs? Can you point to me where Miyamoto calls Zelda a Game as a Service?

(Then he would be wrong)
(But I don't think he said it)

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You could point to the dev of this thread calling titles like AC:Syndicate GaaS.

 

[selo]

Is that real? 15 Euros for a flaming horse?

 

[Uno Venova]

Can I find a definition for GAAS online that supports that every game with DLC fits that description.

I highly doubt we've been getting GAAS games since 2006.

 

[Crossing Eden]

Can I find a definition for GAAS online that supports that every game with DLC fits that description.

I highly doubt we've been getting GAAS games since 2006.

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The way developers handle live support in this day and age is different from before. This is how Ubisoft defines it

We're not just delivering one final product to players anymore; we're providing a whole series of services pre-launch, during launch, and post-launch. Be it new content in the form of DLC and other expansions, special community events, the opportunity to contribute to the development of the game itself during the alpha and beta stages, new tools to create user-generated content, or making improvements to the game based on community feedback, it's about providing players with a global experience, and keeping them engaged so they get the most from the gaming world.

That's what it's about. Triple A games for the most part aren't a one and done deal anymore.

EDIT:The two posts below me are right that this isn't exactly new when you consider PC gaming.

 

[Patapuf]

Can I find a definition for GAAS online that supports that every game with DLC fits that description.

I highly doubt we've been getting GAAS games since 2006.

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On PC GaaS have been present for even longer than that.

Blizzard, Valve and the Asian MMO industry paved the way. The mobile industry latched on immediately. Consoles are just a bit LTTP.

 

[BernardoOne]

Can I find a definition for GAAS online that supports that every game with DLC fits that description.

I highly doubt we've been getting GAAS games since 2006.

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Team Fortress 2 came out in 2007. GaaS has been a thing for quite a while on PC.

 

[Gonzalo]

So what about SP focused games like AC:Origins and Breath of the Wild?

Spoiler

both of which have higher player retention than any other game in their respective franchise

You seem to have been so busy playing pre-2006 games that you missed the shift in game design for SP titles.

Spoiler

It's about more player agency

...........Ok, please stop talking about games you haven't played.

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Stop using spoilers like that!

 

[Deleted member 24550]

You could point to the dev of this thread calling titles like AC:Syndicate GaaS.

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Where exactly? I'm sure you know Ubisoft better than I do, but I can't find it. I haven't played Syndicate so I don't know the extent of the service, but it doesn't seem to fit the ..As a service moniker to me. Methinks the dev is spouting buzzwords he doesn't understand in that case.

 

[Deleted member 24550]

Can I find a definition for GAAS online that supports that every game with DLC fits that description.

I highly doubt we've been getting GAAS games since 2006.

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Surely you mean 1992.
I think computer science history books need to be rewritten regarding SaaS and PaaS just so we can defend game companies.

 

[Servbot24]

It's only meaningless if we have to discuss how terrible it is all the time without ever considering that it might not actually be that bad and has had some positive effects on the industry.

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You can't define words based on how you want conversations to go though. If you feel people give GaaS a bad rap, don't just change the definition of the word GaaS to include things they like. Educate them on things GaaS can potentially do that is positive.

 

[4859]

This isn't even all of the good SP focused titles we got from the AAA space last year. So what're you talking about? If absolutely none of these titles appeal to you then perhaps the issue isn't the state of triple A SP games. As they aren't going away in anyway shape or form.


Some people try to exclude some games from being GaaS because then the angry reddit "all GaaS are bad!1!" narrative wouldn't hold up.

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Those are some pretty dang good games on that list. 9 really good games, most of which appeal to me.

Though ubisoft doesnt consider most of them AAA as we saw. But thats cool, I dont give a toot what ubisoft claims its appropriated term is. Heres the thing though.

1994

• January - Mega Man X is released in the US.
• February 2 — Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega, Mega Drive/Genesis), introduces Knuckles the Echidna.
• February 23 - Super Street Fighter II Turbo (Arcade), introduces Akuma.
• March 15 - Mega Man 6 is released in the US.
• March 19 — Super Metroid (SNES), distributed on a 24-megabit cartridge (the largest of its time), called the "best game of all time" by Electronic Gaming Monthly in 2002.
• March 27 - Origin releases Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger, based both around space simulation gameplay and an interactive movie with big-name actors. It's one of the most expensive games developed, with a budget of $4 million USD.
• April 2 - Square Co. releases Final Fantasy VI (then known as Final Fantasy III in North America) for the SNES on April 2 in Japan and October 11 in North America.
• May 3 — Epic MegaGames releases Jazz Jackrabbit, a console-style "animal with attitude" platformer.
• June 2 - Sir-Tech releases turn-based tactics game Jagged Alliance, the first installment of Jagged Alliance series.
• July — LucasArts releases TIE Fighter.
• July 5 — Capcom releases Darkstalkers.
• July 15 — Acclaim Entertainment and Mirage releases the fighting game Rise of the Robots.
• August 2 — Shiny Entertainment releases Earthworm Jim.
• August 25 — SNK Playmore releases The King of Fighters.
• August 27 — Nintendo releases Mother 2 for the Super Famicom in Japan, which was released almost a year later in North America on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as EarthBound. EarthBound also introduces Ness.
• August 31 - Electronic Arts releases The Need for Speed for the 3DO, which begins the most successful racing game franchise of all time.
• September - MicroProse releases Master of Magic.
• September 9 — The Super NES version of Mortal Kombat 2 is released with all blood and fatalities left intact, the first major release on any Nintendo console at that point to have such content.
• September 22 — Origin Systems releases Looking Glass Studios' System Shock.
• October — Killer Instinct (Rare), the first arcade machine with an internal hard disk.
• October 10 — id Software releases Doom II and Dave D. Taylor creates a Linux port of the original Doom, becoming the first major game for the new operating system.
• October 17[2] — Sonic & Knuckles is released. It allows a player to connect previous Sonic games to the cartridge, making Knuckles playable in them.
• October 25 — MicroProse releases UFO: Enemy Unknown and the Strategy Game of the Year Master of Orion.
• November — Sega releases the 32X add-on in Europe and the US alongside Doom and Star Wars Arcade.
• November 21 — Nintendo releases Rare's Donkey Kong Country (SNES), featuring 3D pre-rendered graphics. It also introduces Diddy Kong.
• November 23 — Blizzard Entertainment releases the real-time strategy game Warcraft, which spawns a franchise and influences many later games.
• November 23 — Sierra On-Line releases the computer adventure game King's Quest VII: The Princeless Bride, the first in the series to use "SVGA" graphics.
• December 9 — Namco releases its first 3D fighting game Tekken to arcades.
• December 10 — Nintendo releases Wario's Woods, the last official game to be released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in North America before Nintendo would officially discontinue production of the console.
• December 16 - Mega Man X2 is released in Japan.
• December 21 — Bungie releases Marathon, one of the earliest original (non-ported) first-person shooters for the Macintosh.
• December 24 — Heretic is released by id Software. It the first in Raven Software's Heretic/Hexen series and also the first game bundled with DWANGO, one of the earliest online multiplayer services
• Maxis releases SimCity 2000, sequel to the popular SimCity.
• Sega releases the Daytona USA racing game in arcades.
• Sensible Software releases Sensible World of Soccer, regarded as the best Amiga game of all time by British Amiga magazine Amiga Power.

Well thats a fluke. Lets try another year

1993:
February LucasArts X-Wing PC
February Nintendo Star Fox SNES The first game to use the new Super FX chip
March Nintendo Kirby's Adventure NES Introduced Kirby's ability to take on the powers of enemies he has eaten, which would go on to become a staple of the franchise
April Virgin Interactive The 7th Guest PC Sold over two million copies and was widely regarded as one of three "killer apps" that accelerated the sales of CD-ROM drives (other two being Myst & Doom[7] [page 129]). Bill Gates also called The 7th Guest "the new standard in interactive entertainment"
June LucasArts Maniac Mansion II: Day of the tentacle PC -
June Nintendo The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Game Boy The best-selling handheld game in the series
June Electronic Arts Syndicate PC -
July Nintendo Super Mario All-Stars SNES -
August Square Secret of Mana SNES Second "Action Role-Playing Game" after Final Fantasy Adventure
August Activision Return to Zork PC -
September MicroProse Master of Orion PC -
September Sega Sonic CD PC
September Broderbund Myst PC One of '93's key games, with lots of interesting facts[8] including that (until The Sims took the top spot with 6.3 million games sold in 2002) Myst was the best-selling PC title on record, with 6 million units sold since its launch. To date, the franchise has sold over 12 million units.
November LucasArts Sam & Max Hit the Road PC -
November Capcom Mega Man 6 NES -
November Virgin Disney's Aladdin Genesis Crowned "Genesis Game of The Year" at the Electronic Gaming Awards (aka the Arcade Awards aka the Arkies) voted on by the public[9]
November Nintendo Clay fighter SNES Thought of as a parody of Street Fighter & Mortal Kombat, but actually wasn't, and was re-released to the Wii.
November Sega Sonic The Hedgehog Spinball Genesis -
December Sierra Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers PC -
December Id Software Doom PC One of the greatest - and most influential - games of all time.
December Capcom Mega Man X SNES -

Huh.

1995:
January 1 Battle Arena Toshinden PS1 Tamsoft/SCEA one of the first fully 3D fighting games
January 13 Bust-a-Move SNES Taito
February 15 Star Wars: Dark Forces DOS LucasArts The first in a successful series of Star Wars-based first-person shooters.
February 16 Ristar SMD Sonic Team/Sega a platform game
February 24 Front Mission SNES G-Craft\Squaresoft
March 10 Panzer Dragoon Sat Team Andromeda\Sega
March 11 Chrono Trigger SNES Square
March 14 Mario's Picross GB Jupiter\Nintendo the first installment in a series of Mario-themed Picross titles released in the mid-1990s.
March 17 Descent DOS Parallax Software Portal rendering with texture-mapped polygons, polygonal enemies, and six degrees of freedom.
March 21 Kirby's Dream Land 2 GB HAL Laboratory\Nintendo an installment in the Kirby series.
March 24 Mega Man 7 SNES Capcom
April 15 Mortal Kombat 3 Arcade
April 27 Jumping Flash! PS1 Exact/SCEA
April 28 Super Bomberman 3 SNES Hudson Soft first game in the Super Bomberman series to not get an American release; final game in the series released outside Japan.
April 30 Full Throttle DOS, Win, Mac LucasArts graphical adventure
May 25 Light Crusader SMD Treasure\Sega
May King Arthur & the Knights of Justice SNES Enix
June 5 EarthBound SNES Ape, Inc./Nintendo is localized for US audiences, garnering a cult following in the US.
June 5 Street Fighter Alpha Arcade Capcom
June 7 Flight Unlimited DOS, Win95 Looking Glass Studios
July 21 Castlevania: Dracula X SNES Konami Port of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.
July 24 MechWarrior 2 DOS Activision
July 25 The King of Fighters '95 Arcade SNK second installment in the King of Fighters series.
July 31 Phantasmagoria Sierra Online a controversial point-and-click adventure game
August 5 Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island SNES A critically acclaimed platformer.
August 31 Command & Conquer DOS, Mac Westwood Studios One of the first popular real-time strategy games, it spawned a franchise.
August 31 Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest DOS New World Computing the first game in the popular turn-based strategy game franchise
August Comix Zone SMD Sega A beat 'em up game heavily inspired by comic books.
August Tekken 2 Arcade Namco
September 1 Rayman PS1, Sat, Jag Ubisoft The first game in the popular series.
October 6 Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together SNES Quest Corporation
October 20 Terranigma SNES Quintet
October 27 Panel de Pon SNES Intelligent Systems\Nintendo released in America under the name "Tetris Attack", featuring a Yoshi's Island theme.
October 31 Destruction Derby PS1 Reflections Interactive\Psygnosis
October 31 I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream DOS, Mac Cyberdreams an adaptation of writer Harlan Ellison's short story, won Computer Gaming World's award for "Best Graphic Adventure Game" of the year.
October 31 Star Wars: TIE Fighter (Collector's CD-ROM) Win, Mac LucasArts
October Time Crisis Arcade Namco
November 5 Twisted Metal PS1 SingleTrac/Sony Computer Entertainment Started longest running PlayStation franchise, popular vehicular combat series.
November 21 Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest SNES Rareware/Nintendo
November 24 Battle Arena Toshinden 2 PS1, Arcade Tamsoft\Capcom
November 24 Marathon 2: Durandal Mac Bungie
November 30 The Dig DOS, Mac LucasArts adventure game.
December Worms Ami Team17 an artillery video game and the first game in the Worms series
December Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium SMD Sega localization of the 1993 Japanese game to North America, December 8 EU.
December Time Crisis Arcade Namco the first game in the popular light-gun series Time Crisis.
December 1 Mega Man X3 SNES Capcom
December 9 Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation SNES Heartbeat\Enix
December 9 Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness DOS, Mac Blizzard sequel to their initial real-time strategy title, and a far more popular title.
December 15 Tales of Phantasia SNES Namco the first in the Tales series.
December 15 Suikoden PS1 Konami debut of the Suikoden series
December 15 Brain Dead 13 DOS ReadySoft An "FMV adventure" game.
December 22 Final Fight 3 SNES Capcom
December 31 The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery DOS, Win, Mac Sierra On-Line Adventure game; sequel to Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers.
December 31 King's Field II PS1 From Software first game in the King's Field series to eventually be released outside Japan; renamed simply "King's Field" in NTSC-U/C and PAL regions when released there in 1996.

TBC****

 

[4859]

1996:
January 26 Guardian Heroes Sat Treasure (company)/Sega a beat-em-up game developed by Treasure
January 26 Mystaria: The Realms of Lore Sat Micro Cabin/Sega a tactical RPG
January 29 Duke Nukem 3D DOS 3D Realms/GT Interactive a popular first person shooter
January 31 Mega Man X3 SNES Capcom third X installment in popular Mega Man franchise.
February 9 Bahamut Lagoon SNES SquareSoft Tactical RPG spin-off in the Final Fantasy series, before Final Fantasy Tactics.
February 23 Front Mission: Gun Hazard SNES SquareSoft Sequel to strategy Super Famicom RPG Front Mission.
February 27 Pokémon Red and Green GB Nintendo launched a wildly popular game series
February 29 Civilization II Win MicroProse acclaimed sequel to the highly influential 1991 4X game
February 29 Rise 2: Resurrection Win, Sat, PS1 Mirage/ Acclaim Entertainment the sequel to the fighting game, Rise of the Robots.
February 29 Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri DOS Looking Glass Studios critically acclaimed FPS
February 29 Zork: Nemesis Win Activision 11th game in the Zork series, employing 360-degree views of environment
March 9 Super Mario RPG SNES SquareSoft/Nintendo unprecedented crossover game which paired a renowned RPG developer with a popular platforming mascot, beginning a long-running series of Mario RPGs
March 21 Kirby Super Star SNES HAL Labs/Nintendo considered to be one of the best games in the Kirby franchise.
March 22 Resident Evil PS1 Capcom one of the foundational games in the survival horror genre, for a time it held the record for best-selling PlayStation game
March 22 Panzer Dragoon II Zwei Sat Team Andromeda/Sega an acclaimed rail shooter
March 29 Dragon Ball Z: Hyper Dimension SNES TOSE/Bandai the last Super Famicom game in the Dragon Ball Z franchise.
April 20 Barbie Fashion Designer Win Digital Domain Inc./Mattel Media The game's strong sales sparked a renewed interest in developing games targeting girls.
May 14 Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu SNES Intelligent Systems/Nintendo the fourth game in the popular Fire Emblem series.
May 24 Metal Slug Neo SNK the first in the Metal Slug series that proved popular in the arcades.
May 31 Final Doom DOS id Software Despite the name, it would be followed less than a year later by Doom 64.
May 31 Kirby's Block Ball GB HAL Labs/Nintendo Breakout-inspired game in popular Kirby franchise
June 22 Quake DOS id Software advanced 3D graphics technology and started a franchise that has sold more than 4 million games
June 23 Super Mario 64 N64 Nintendo One of two Nintendo 64 U.S. launch games.[2] An archetype for nearly every 3D platformer which followed it, from the day of release it was widely hailed as one of the greatest games of all time.
June 27 Shining Wisdom Sat Camelot Software Planning/Sega Action adventure game in the Shining series
June 30 Triple Play 97 PS1, Win EA Sports The critically praised first Triple Play game.
July 5 NiGHTS into Dreams... Sat Sega The advertising campaign features the rebirth of the Sega Saturn; August 21 (US)
July 19 Star Ocean SNES tri-ace/Enix the first game in the Star Ocean series.
July 25 The King of Fighters '96 Neo, NeoCD, Sat SNK an entry in the popular King of Fighters series.
July 26 Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade Edition Sat, PS1 Taito Corporation/Acclaim The first home versions of the popular arcade puzzle game.
July 31 Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh DOS, Win Sierra On-Line a controversial sequel to the controversial Phantasmagoria.
July 31 Virtua Fighter Kids Sat, Arcade Sega AM2 a spin-off in the Virtua Fighter series
August 25 Tekken 2 PS1 Namco the second game in the popular fighting game series Tekken
August 31 The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall Win Bethesda Softworks an evolution of the sandbox RPG started with The Elder Scrolls: Arena
August 31 Die Hard Trilogy Win, PS1, Sat Probe Entertainment/Fox Interactive 3 original games in 1 disk, each based off a different movie in the series.
August 31 Tetris Attack SNES, GB Intelligent Systems/Nintendo first release of the popular Panel de Pon series in the US.
August 31 Madden NFL 97 SMD, PS1, Win, SNES, Sat, GB EA Sports/Electronic Arts The first Madden game on gen 5 platforms.
August 31 Jumping Flash! 2 PS1 Exact (company)/SCEA sequel to the PlayStation European launch game.
August 31 Beyond the Beyond PS1 Camelot Software Planning/SCEA The first traditional Japanese-style RPG for the PlayStation
August 31 Jet Moto PS1 SingleTrac/SCEA A jet ski racing game
September Virtua Fighter 3 Arcade Sega AM2 A fighting game considered to have the most technically impressive graphics at the time.
September 9 Crash Bandicoot PS1 Naughty Dog/Universal/Sony Crash was used as the mascot for the PlayStation console.
September 14 GunGriffon Sat Game Arts/Sega critically acclaimed mech game, first in its series.
September 20 Revelations: Persona PS1 Atlus first game in the Persona series, a spin-off series of the Megami Tensei series. Also the first Megami Tensei-related game to release outside Japan
September 26 Pilotwings 64 N64 Nintendo One of two Nintendo 64 U.S. launch games.[2]
September 27 Meridian 59 Win 3DO one of the first MMORPGs.
September 30 Wipeout XL/2097 PS1 Psygnosis a poster child of the PlayStation for pop culture infusions and sleek extreme action
September 30 Shattered Steel DOS BioWare/Interplay first game developed by BioWare
September 30 Street Fighter Alpha 2 Arcade, SNES, PS1, Sat Capcom second game in the Street Fighter Alpha spin-off series
September 30 Mr. Bones Sat Zono/Sega platformer for the Saturn
September 30 Tobal No. 1 PS1 DreamFactory/SCEA fighting game famous for including a demo for Final Fantasy VII.
September 30 Formula 1 PS1 Bizarre Creations/SCEA first racing game developed by Bizarre.
September 30 Donkey Kong Land 2 GB Rare (company)/Nintendo second Donkey Kong Land game
October 10 Mortal Kombat Trilogy N64, PS1, R-Zone Avalanche Software, Midway Games, Point of View, Inc.
October 15 Marathon Infinity Mac Bungie Software The last game in the Marathon trilogy.
October 31 Command & Conquer: Red Alert DOS Westwood Studios the second major title in the Command & Conquer universe, and one of the most popular
October 31 Master of Orion II DOS Simtex/MicroProse
October 31 The Neverhood Win The Neverhood Inc./DreamWorks Interactive The game is done almost entirely in claymation and has gained a sequel.
October 31 Bubsy 3D PS1 Epic Games/Inscape Noted for its negative reception.
October 31 Drowned God Win Eidetic/Accolade Adventure game.
October 31 SimCopter Win Maxis Flight simulation game in popular Sim series.
October 31 King's Field III PS1 FromSoftware/ASCII Entertainment the last of three games in the King's Field series released for the PlayStation.
October 31 DeathDrome Win Zipper Interactive/Viacom First game developed by Zipper Interactive.
October 31 WWF In Your House DOS, PS1, Sat Acclaim First WWF game developed specifically for consoles.
October 31 Twisted Metal 2 PS1 SingleTrac/SCEA Second game in the popular Twisted Metal franchise.
October 31 Destruction Derby 2 PS1 Reflection Interactive/SCEA Second game in the popular Destruction Derby franchise.
October 31 NBA Live 97 PS1, Sat, SNES, SMD Electronic Arts, EA Sports
November Dead or Alive Arcade Team Ninja/Tecmo The first game in the Dead or Alive series of fighting games.
November 15 Tomb Raider PS1, Sat, DOS Core Design/Eidos Action adventure game which was among the year's most critically acclaimed games and proved highly influential on both 3D games development and cinematic presentation
November 20 Sonic 3D Blast Sat, SMD Sega/Traveller's Tales Isometric platformer in the popular "Sonic the Hedgehog" series.
November 22 Donkey Kong Country 3 SNES Rare/Nintendo the third installment to the popular Donkey Kong Country franchise
November 25 Killer Instinct Gold N64 Rare/Nintendo a home fighting game based on the arcade's Killer Instinct 2.
November 26 Area 51 PS1, Win, Sat Mesa Logic/Atari Games Ported versions of the classic arcade shooter.
November 30 Contra: Legacy of War Sat, PS1 Konami/Appaloosa Interactive the first true 3D entry in the popular Contra series
November 30 Dragon Force Sat Sega/Working Designs a combination of war simulation and RPG
November 30 Fighting Vipers Sat, Arcade Sega AM2 a popular fighting game.
November 30 Virtua Cop 2 Sat, Arcade Sega AM2 a popular light gun game
November 30 Virtual On: Cyber Troopers Sat, Arcade CRI/Sega the first game in the Virtual On series
November 30 Bug Too! Saturn, Win Sega/Realtime Associates a sequel to Bug!
November 30 FIFA Soccer 97 SMD, PS1, Win, SNES, Sat, GB EA Canada/Electronic Arts
November 30 The Legend of Oasis Sat Sega/Ancient (company) Sequel to the Genesis Zelda-style action game Beyond Oasis.
December 3 Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire N64 LucasArts/Nintendo one of the first Nintendo 64 games, an action game in the popular Star Wars franchise.
December 17 Mega Man 8 PS1 Capcom The first Mega Man game to be released on PlayStation.
December 19 Terranigma SNES Quintet/Nintendo Popular RPG famous for being released in Europe but not in America, a rarity in the mid-1990s. Also a spiritual successor to Illusion of Gaia.
December 31 Death Rally DOS Remedy Entertainment/GT Interactive the first game developed by Remedy Entertainment.
December 31 Diablo Win Blizzard Entertainment the first chapter in the enormously popular series.
December 31 NBA Hangtime SMD, PS1, Win, N64, Arcade, SNES Midway arcade-style basketball game developed by Midway.

Well, what about in the 2000's


2002: Well, okay, the standards of notable releases has been stretched way too far, so I am going to do some seriousl slashing of this list with just the ones I find notable.

1 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City PS2 Rockstar Games
2 Grand Theft Auto III PS2 Rockstar Games
3 Madden NFL 2003 PS2 Electronic Arts
4 Super Mario Advance 2 GBA Nintendo
5 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec PS2 Sony
6 Medal of Honor: Frontline PS2 Electronic Arts
7 Spider-Man: The Movie PS2 Activision
8 Kingdom Hearts PS2 Square
9 Halo: Combat Evolved Xbox Microsoft
10 Super Mario Sunshine GameCube Nintendo
11 Metroid Prime Nintendo GameCube
12 Virtua Fighter 4 Sega PlayStation 2
13 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Ubisoft Xbox November 17 93
14 Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem Nintendo GameCube
15 Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Blizzard Entertainment PC
16 November 25 Rygar: The Legendary Adventure N/A N/A PS2 N/A
17 November 19 Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast N/A N/A GCN, Xbox N/A N/A
18 November 15 Metroid Fusion
19 November 13 Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions
20 November 10 Shinobi ps2
21 November 4 Ratchet & Clank
22 October 9 TimeSplitters 2
23 October 4 Super Mario Sunshine
24 October 15 Red Faction II
25 September 23 Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus

All right all right, you get the point, its too much of a pain weeding out the list now. People feel free to go through and chastise me for all I left out thats worth a mention. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_in_video_gaming

 

[Crossing Eden]

You can't define words based on how you want conversations to go though. If you feel people give GaaS a bad rap, don't just change the definition of the word GaaS to include things they like. Educate them on things GaaS can potentially do that is positive.

Click to shrink...

Where exactly? I'm sure you know Ubisoft better than I do, but I can't find it. I haven't played Syndicate so I don't know the extent of the service, but it doesn't seem to fit the ..As a service moniker to me. Methinks the dev is spouting buzzwords he doesn't understand in that case.

Click to shrink...

Please refer to my edit above.

All right all right, you get the point, its too much of a pain weeding out the list now. People feel free to go through and chastise me for all I left out thats worth a mention. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_in_video_gaming

Click to shrink...

Are you saying that there are less notable releases today?

 

[Kin5290]

You can't define words based on how you want conversations to go though. If you feel people give GaaS a bad rap, don't just change the definition of the word GaaS to include things they like. Educate them on things GaaS can potentially do that is positive.

Click to shrink...

He isn't redefining the term, though. This idea of GaaS referring only to microtransactions and loot box extravaganzas is a new misconception. Originally, GaaS referred to continual post launch support, including post launch release of content.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

It may just be that I don't have much time to play games so I don't get through them very fast, but from last year alone I've got Nier, Prey, Wolfenstein 2, The Evil Within 2 and Resident Evil 7 on my shelf just waiting to be played.

Click to shrink...

I'm more picky than you—I bailed on Nier and have no interest in the other games you mentioned for various reasons (can't deal with horror, don't like FPS's, etc.)

That's my problem. But it feels like there are less single player non-indie games than there once was. Maybe that's my imagination, I haven't looked at yearly release lists or anything.

I've been spending a larger percentage of my free time lately watching TV and movies as opposed to playing games. Very broadly speaking, I enjoy games more, but the nice thing about movies and television is that I have a lot more options to pick from, and thus more freedom to indulge my personal preferences.

I meant Nintendo as a whole. They're a Publisher who indulges in their own GaaS method.

Click to shrink...

Sure. I really don't think that's relevant to Mario Odyssey or BotW in any way, though.

 

[Crossing Eden]

He isn't redefining the term, though. This idea of GaaS referring only to microtransactions and loot box extravaganzas is a new misconception. Originally, GaaS referred to continual post launch support, including post launch release of content.

Click to shrink...

This basically.

Sure. I really don't think that's relevant to Mario Odyssey or BotW in any way, though.

Click to shrink...

Did those titles stop being supported after the initial purchase or did Nintendo keep supporting them post release?

 

[Deleted member 24550]

Please refer to my edit above.


Are you saying that there are less notable releases today?

Click to shrink...

Okay as you'll notice he doesn't specifically call Syndicate a GaaS game, because it isn't. In fact he quickly broadens the scope to include the more nebulous 'live' moniker because some of the multiplayer games he mentions are slightly iffy as well. It's very simple, if you can play a game offline and have the same experience, it's not GaaS.

 

[Kthulhu]

I question how many GaaS games can exist before everyone who cares about them isn't playing anything else.

 

[Everybody Lies]

This is why I rarely buy any games on launch anymore. I'll wait the few weeks or a month and get it for 20 bucks less(plus GCU) and use that money to buy their season passes if the content warrants it. They ain't getting more from me.

 

[Crossing Eden]

Okay as you'll notice he doesn't specifically call Syndicate a GaaS game, because it isn't. In fact he quickly broadens the scope to include the more nebulous 'live' moniker because some of the multiplayer games he mentions are slightly iffy as well. It's very simple, if you can play a game offline and have the same experience, it's not GaaS.

Click to shrink...

You realize that AC:Syndicate had the exact sort model that they were talking about right? Nearly every title Ubisoft releases adheres to that model. They didn't keep supporting AC:Syndicate until March of the year after it's release for shits and giggles.

This is why I rarely buy any games on launch anymore. I'll wait the few weeks or a month and get it for 20 bucks less(plus GCU) and use that money to buy their season passes if the content warrants it. They ain't getting more from me.

Click to shrink...

A common misconception is that the initial day one purchase doesn't include everything or isn't worth it. This isn't true, on average games are bigger and larger than they used to be.

 

[Deleted member 16576]

GaaS are not inherently bad. Clearly, for Ubisoft (and other publishers), they've been extremely successful and have likely helped them stave off the buy out from Vivendi. Development costs are up, and publishers are businesses. While money may not be the only reason to exist as a business, it is a primary reason and that's unavoidable.

I personally do not really enjoy many GaaS games because the "option" to buy my way through progression ruins the sense of accomplishment for me, and the idea of lottboxes (paying for a chance to unlock something I would rather buy outright) makes me sick to my stomach. However, that's just me, and I'm not the target market for these types of games. Ubisoft, Activision, and EA are trying to stay relevant and remain profitable and it's their responsibility as businesses that employ thousands of people to do so.

Thankfully, there are plenty of games out there, and that's where true choice exists for consumers. Games like Gone Home, Journey, Night in the Woods, The Last of Us (single player, didn't play the multiplayer), Mario Odyssey, and Breath of the Wild are some of my favorite games of the past decade, and by my own personal standards, and they felt complete and worth the purchase.

Everyone's got different standards, and different views on GaaS business models, but there have never been more games available to choose from, and the indie developers today are pumping out some amazing games that deserve all the attention they get.

 

[Nome]

While there's no universal definition, there's a pretty basic industry understanding of GaaS, and that's games that operate with the purpose of maintaining engagement.
This definition bypasses the question of whether revenue is involved.

• This means that games like Starcraft, which released only a single paid expansion, still operated as live services because the developers sought to maintain engagement with each update.
• Games like Angry Birds, which have no gameplay-related online aspects, are still operated as live services for the same reason.
• Unmonetized products like Dota 1 were also ran as live services.
• It also means that games like Zelda BOTW, Skyrim, or The Witcher do not fit this paradigm, as your engagement between updates is of no business to the developer.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

He isn't redefining the term, though. This idea of GaaS referring only to microtransactions and loot box extravaganzas is a new misconception. Originally, GaaS referred to continual post launch support, including post launch release of content.

Click to shrink...

Did those titles stop being supported after the initial purchase or did Nintendo keep supporting them post release?

Click to shrink...

As I just said, classifying Mario Odyssey as a GaaS title because Nintendo decided to surprise unveil a minor extra game mode is disingenuous.

And beyond that, we're all arguing about terms without making any effort to understand what people are actually frustrated about.

If, in a thread about how Ubisoft—the maker of several largely-microtransaction-funded GaaS titles—someone points out that they are disappointed about the influx of Gaas titles, they probably aren't talking about The Witcher 3. And they definitely aren't talking about Mario Odyssey.

I agree with you that it would be helpful for us all to be more thoughtful about the terms we use. But it doesn't invalidate anyone's frustrations, and it's worth making a bit of extra effort to understand what people are actually talking about.

 

[Crossing Eden]

While there's no universal definition, there's a pretty basic industry understanding of GaaS, and that's games that operate with the purpose of maintaining engagement.
This definition bypasses the question of whether revenue is involved.

• This means that games like Starcraft, which released only a single paid expansion, still operated as live services because the developers sought to maintain engagement with each update.
• Games like Angry Birds, which have no gameplay-related online aspects, are still operated as live services for the same reason.
• Unmonetized products like Dota 1 were also ran as live services.
• It also means that games like Zelda BOTW, Skyrim, or The Witcher do not fit this paradigm, as your engagement between updates is of no business to the developer.

Click to shrink...

The Witcher and BOTW didn't ignore engagement between updates. Zelda not only had those amiibo which were designed to make you come back each day to get a new callback item, but also got between the release of the two main expansions. Coincidentally, a month before the expansion launched. Witcher 3 gave out free dlc right multiple times after release and iirc between the expansions as well. These devs know exactly what they're doing when it comes to keeping the game in the minds of the players over a period of time.

 

[Everybody Lies]

A common misconception is that the initial day one purchase doesn't include everything or isn't worth it. This isn't true, on average games are bigger and larger than they used to be.

Click to shrink...

The point I was making was that I pay 20 bucks less a short time later and instead of giving them 80 bucks plus for the game and the season pass, I still pay 60. It's about what is in my wallet as opposed to Ubisoft's.

 

[Deleted member 24550]

While there's no universal definition, there's a pretty basic industry understanding of GaaS, and that's games that operate with the purpose of maintaining engagement.
This definition bypasses the question of whether revenue is involved.

• This means that games like Starcraft, which released only a single paid expansion, still operated as live services because the developers sought to maintain engagement with each update.
• Games like Angry Birds, which have no gameplay-related online aspects, are still operated as live services for the same reason.
• Unmonetized products like Dota 1 were also ran as live services.
• It also means that games like Zelda BOTW, Skyrim, or The Witcher do not fit this paradigm, as your engagement between updates is of no business to the developer.

Click to shrink...

I think that's a decent operating description, though perhaps more for live services than GaaS. It still casts the net way too wide for GaaS, because it would make something like Unreal Tournament 99 a GaaS for hosting servers, even though we would not consider that IaaS in current terms.