There's some good news and bad news for gamers everywhere. Bad news first - Electronics Arts, one of largest video game developers in the market, has stated that it will no longer make single-player-only games. The good news is that EA will now be pursuing a cross-platform gaming model with the next generation of consoles like the 'Xbox 720' or 'PlayStation 4.'
"I have not green lit one game to be developed as a single player experience. Today, all of our games include online applications and digital services that make them live 24/7/365," EA Labels president Frank Gibeau said recently.
While this could be the end of games like Dragon Age: Origins and Dead Space, it doesn't mean that the single-player experience will be completely abandoned. There will still most likely be compelling single-player campaigns augmented with multiplayer modes and DLC, but the era of creating a standalone single-player experience seems to have come to an end for EA.
"We are working closely with the console manufacturers and we are VERY excited about the Gen4 consoles that will be launched in the months and years ahead," Gibeau also stated.
While there have been no official unveilings by either Microsoft or Sony on their next-gen consoles, Nintendo is planning on launching the Wii U by the end of the year. Other next-gen consoles include the Android-based Ouya.
A Gamestop official recently did state that they only expected one console to launch in 2013 and one in 2014. This could indicate that the next-gen Microsoft and Sony consoles could launch in separate years, one later than the other.
A similar launch schedule was used for the current generation of home consoles. The Xbox 360 released in 2005, and both the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii came out in 2006.
EA hopes to utilize the connectivity of next-gen consoles to give them a seamless experience where a game can be played on the television and then continued on a mobile phone or computer.
What do you think of EA's decision to scrap all single-player only experiences?