Live Service Games
Ongoing coverage on Live Service Games.
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Last Of Us Online took 7 years and was almost done when it was cancelled
The director of the cancelled The Last of Us Online, Vinit Agarwal, revealed that the live service game was nearly 80% complete when Naughty Dog decided to cancel it. The studio prioritized developing new single-player titles over the extensive post-launch support required for The Last of Us Online. This decision was made despite the game being a significant project for Sony, which had invested heavily in live service games.
The Last of Us Online Was Cancelled 24 Hours Before Its Announcement
The Last of Us Online's director, Vinit Agarwal, revealed the game was cancelled 24 hours before its public announcement in December 2023. Naughty Dog chose to refocus on single-player titles, a decision Agarwal found devastating after seven years of development. Despite the cancellation, Neil Druckmann continues to hint at potential future additions to The Last of Us franchise.
The Last of Us Online was around '80%' complete when Naughty Dog canceled it
Former Naughty Dog game director Vinit Agarwal revealed that The Last of Us Online was approximately 80% complete when the studio canceled it in late 2023. Agarwal stated the decision was made to prioritize other projects, including one directed by company president Neil Druckmann. The article also touches on PlayStation's broader struggles with live service game development and recent layoffs.
Nexon calls Arc Raiders a "Trojan Horse" for proving controversial AI tools can build triple-A hits with smaller teams
Nexon, the owner of developer Embark, is promoting the use of AI tools in game development, citing Arc Raiders as a successful 'Trojan Horse' example. Despite initial controversy over AI-generated voices, Nexon president Junghun Lee highlighted how AI can free up development teams to focus on innovation. Embark CEO Patrick Soderlund stated that both Arc Raiders and The Finals were built with significantly fewer people and at a fraction of the cost of typical AAA games.
Nexon plans multiple Dungeon & Fighter titles and an AI tool to help devs ‘create with context’
Nexon announced plans to expand the Dungeon & Fighter intellectual property with multiple new titles, including an idle RPG and Dungeon & Fighter Classic. The company also revealed its new AI tool, Mono Lake, designed to provide development teams with player interaction data to guide game design and live service support.
Call of Duty Veteran Jason Blundell Returns With Another New Studio
Call of Duty veteran Jason Blundell has announced a new development studio named Magic Fractal, following the closure of his previous company, Dark Outlaw Games, by Sony. The specifics of Magic Fractal's projects are currently unknown, but it's speculated that work from the previous unannounced project might be carried over. Blundell's past credits include Call of Duty: Black Ops 3.
How to complete Last Entry in Arc Raiders
This guide details how to complete the 'Last Entry' quest in Arc Raiders' Flashpoint update. Players must navigate to the Seed Vault on Stella Montis, interact with a workstation to access a researcher's log, find the Seed Vault Box Key, and then use it to unlock the Seed Box within the vault to obtain the Official Shutdown Documentation for extraction.
Is the World Falling out of Love With 'Traditional' Video Games?
This article discusses a potential decline in player interest for 'traditional' video games amidst the industry's focus on live-service models and frequent studio closures. It questions whether the current business practices are alienating players or if the definition of 'traditional' gaming is evolving.
'Any update is a bonus not a right': Peak devs snap back at ungrateful players demanding more updates, 'Neither us or Aggro Crab are live service studios'
Developers of the indie hit Peak have responded to player demands for more updates, stating they are not a live service studio and that any further content is a bonus. The developers, Landfall and Aggro Crab, emphasized that despite numerous updates and patches since Peak's release, player expectations for continuous development are unreasonable for a small, non-live service team.
Canceled Last Of Us Online Game Was "Very Close To Done" And Doing "Really Well Internally," Says Dev
Former Naughty Dog developer Vinit Agarwal revealed that the canceled Last of Us online multiplayer game was nearly 80% complete and performing well internally before its cancellation in December 2023. Agarwal stated that resources were shifted away from the ambitious live-service title to focus on future single-player games, a decision he found devastating after seven years of work.
EasySMX D05 review
This article discusses the current state of the gaming industry, with commenters expressing disappointment in the quality of AAA games and the prevalence of live service titles. They lament the shift from the past, where more diverse and numerous games were released by smaller teams, and question the high development costs and focus on profit over player experience.
Marathon is Taking Aim at Bubble Shields, Knives, Snipers and More in Upcoming Balance Patches
Bungie is planning upcoming balance patches for Marathon that will adjust bubble shields, knives, and sniper rifles. Game director Joe Ziegler indicated that some changes will arrive in the next patch, with more following a week later. The developer also plans to buff Vandal and Recon Shells and introduce new items for solo players and crews.
"Any update is a bonus not a right": Peak co-developer Landfall reminds impatient fans it's not a…
Landfall, co-developer of the popular Steam game Peak, has reminded fans that the studio is not a live-service developer and that any updates are a bonus, not an entitlement. The studio stated that Peak has already received numerous free updates, and its final biome is scheduled for release in 2026.
Evening Interviews
The Division 2 has seen a resurgence in player numbers seven years after its release, demonstrating continued growth for the live service title. This success highlights effective player retention strategies for long-term game engagement.
ARC Raiders bosses double down on using AI in game dev: ‘More time innovating; less time writing code’
Embark Studios and its parent company Nexon are doubling down on the use of AI in game development, emphasizing efficiency and cost reduction. Executives Patrick Söderlund and Junghun Lee believe AI tools free developers to focus more on innovation and less on coding, though they maintain that creative content remains the work of human developers. This approach has been applied to games like ARC Raiders and The Finals, reportedly built with fewer people and at a lower cost.
Arc Raiders boss promoted to Nexon chief backs AI push for "redesigning game development" after building a hit…
Nexon executive chairman Patrick Söderlund, who also leads Embark Studios, believes AI will fundamentally redesign game development. He emphasizes that understanding the context and applying AI strategically, rather than just investing in tools, will determine success. Nexon aims to leverage its extensive experience with live service games like MapleStory to implement AI effectively through its 'Mono Lake' initiative, which is intended to increase efficiency and free up developers for more creative tasks.
Sea of Thieves admits its current content model ‘isn’t working,’ will give Custom Seas ruleset to everyone
Developer Rare has admitted that Sea of Thieves' current content model is not meeting player expectations and will undergo significant changes. The studio plans to address toxic behavior, restructure cosmetic offerings, and make the 'Custom Seas' ruleset available to all players, not just subscribers, in Season 20.
Marathon has made everyone's favourite loot spot harder to access but even more rewarding, and it's got solo…
Bungie has implemented changes to the Marathon Outpost map in patch 1.0.5.2, altering the accessibility and rewards of the central Pinwheel loot spot. These modifications have sparked debate, with some players finding them detrimental to solo play while others acknowledge their potential benefits after further experience.
How to get the Canto blueprint in Arc Raiders
This guide explains how to obtain the rare-quality Canto SMG blueprint in Arc Raiders by looting First Wave Raider Caches during the Hurricane map condition. It details the requirements for crafting the Canto, which is described as a cheaper, slightly weaker version of the Bobcat SMG.
How to get Assessor Matrix in Arc Raiders
The Assessor Matrix is a new material in Arc Raiders' Flashpoint update, required for the High-Gain Antenna project. Players can obtain Assessor Matrixes by breaching and looting Assessor drop pods during the Close Scrutiny map condition. These events feature three-legged platforms that fall from the sky, guarded by Arcs and often contested by other players.
