The classy thing to do when a game is cancelled is to mourn, or at least to act like you’re sad about it. All that hard work gone to waste, et cetera. But (especially given the report claimed there would be no layoffs as a result of this news), I’d have to say I’m extremely glad the live-service God of War game isn’t going ahead. Put simply, this is not the sort of video game I want to see exist.
This is not just a matter of taste. There are plenty of video games I don’t personally like, but can still appreciate. These games can provide foundations for other games to build upon, expand horizons of creativity in gaming, or just provide joy to others. It’s hard to imagine a live service God of War game doing that.
It’s as difficult to imagine for The Last of Us’ live-service game, or London Studio’s fantasy live-service game, both of which I’m ultimately glad never came to pass, even if I lament London Studio’s closure being forced by such a foolish endeavour.
The Live-Service Market Is Full
It’s not simply that I don’t think a God of War live-service game could be good (although that too), it’s that I fundamentally don’t think these games need to exist. Most live-service games emerging today are the product of someone sitting in a boardroom looking at a revenue pie chart for Fortnite’s core demographics, not the result of a creative saying ‘I have a killer idea’. Frankly, we have enough live-service games. We don’t need any more.
Can good ones still emerge in this market? Sure. Helldivers 2 made TheGamer’s Game of the Year list last year. But even that feels like an exception to the rule – a relatively small team, in a game built around PvE, taking up a less popular IP because Arrowhead knew it could make something interesting with it, and sidestepping the temptation for cashgrabbery. But mostly, these games feel soulless because they do not start life with a soul.
This is bigger than just me not thinking this particular game would have had the juice. I don’t think Sony should be making so many of these games – the company has massive influence in the industry, plus the budget, track record, and personnel to take major risks. While live-service games are a risk (in that so many of them flop), the suits who signed off on them years ago believed they were a sure thing. The fact they are showing themselves to be expensive wastes of money (hi, Concord) and more trouble than they are worth is good for the industry’s overall health.
God Of War Deserves Better
The bigger issue is this is not the first time I’ve felt like this. I felt it after the aforementioned TLOU online game was killed. I felt it when Concord died so quickly and pointlessly. I felt it when Hyenas didn’t even get a chance to live. There’s a basic humanity in feeling sorry for the developers involved – especially ones who lost their jobs because of someone else’s decision – but ultimately I’m glad these games are seen as so unviable they’re not even worth finishing. I don’t think as many of them need to exist and thus every one that doesn’t is a victory.
It means, in the long run, we’ll see fewer teams forced down these alleys where nothing awaits them but a brick wall. It may even mean less executive-led game design in future, but one step at a time. Every company that decides a hamster wheel live-service game is not worth making is a company that decides to make something else instead. Even if the God of War live-service game had been good (and I don’t think it would have been), there is a ceiling on how good a game like that can be, compared to, say, a God of War game made without these inane restrictions of seasonal content and player retention.
For a long time now, it has felt as though something needs to change in gaming. Live service games were meant to be the profitable answer to so many other games taking so long and costing so much, but ended up taking too long and costing too much themselves, not to mention their high flop rate. God of War is not the beginning of the change gaming needs, nor is it the end. But it might be a sign that we’re on the right track.
God of War (2018)
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OpenCritic
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Top Critic Rating:
94/100
