Live service games are a new phenomenon this generation. Yes, MMOs have existed previously on PC before the PS4/Xbox One, but these past few years have marked a uniquely internet-dependent console generation. As a result, games like Destiny, Avengers, Borderlands, and The Division have been able to exist and in some cases thrive. Destiny 2 in particular has seen quite the resurgence despite its ups and downs, and is now one of the most successful live service games to date.
Multiple games have tried to replicate Destiny 2‘s model and success as a live service game, to varying degrees of success. Ubisoft’s dipped into the efforts with The Division, where the first game was a solid effort but The Division 2 struggled pre and post-launch. Borderlands 3 continues to do quite well under its current model, even among some ups and downs. Most recently, Marvel’s Avengers made its debut and saw mild success at launch, but has seen a severe reduction in active players. There’s certainly a few reasons why.
Too many live service games nowadays launch with the promise of additional content, but are never bolstered by proper starting content. This has generally been the biggest issue with every game with loot-based progression to varying degrees, with games like Anthem and more recently Avengers suffering greatly from this problem. Marvel’s Avengers even delayed its upcoming expansion and next-gen ports out of October, despite having a severe player shortage on PC and consoles that’s causing matchmaking issues. By comparison, that could be seen as Anthem levels of abandonment for a live service Avengers game that launched in August.
Destiny 2 has succeeded and resurged partially due to the fact that the game launched with plenty of story/gameplay content. Progressing through levels matches up relatively well with the story content each season, but when the game first released, there was enough story content to keep players involved. Destiny 2‘s beginning sandbox had enough staying power by dividing players between Crucible, Strikes, and even a Raid that unlocked a week after the game’s launch. Avengers hasn’t even released the official AIM Lab raid yet, despite being discovered in-game early. Ambitious post-launch content plans are perfectly fine, but the launch state of a game should reflect what’s coming in later updates.
Another big problem with looters is the often-asked question: What are we fighting for? For games like Destiny 2, it’s a two-pronged approach. The key draw gameplay-wise is the rarity of loot, whether it’s looking for a god-roll on a legendary or finally finishing that exotic quest players have been working towards. On the flip side of that, Destiny 2 also has an extensive background of lore and stories that continues to expand with every new update and expansion. That dual approach for gameplay and narrative enthusiasts arguably caters to the majority of Destiny 2‘s playerbase, and is part of the reason why the game continues to thrive after three years.
Now ask the same question about a game like Avengers, Anthem, Borderlands, or The Division 2. Obviously a live service game can have a definitive beginning and end, that’s not a problem. Destiny 2 began and ended the Cabal/Ghaul storyline all in the base game, but not without bolstering the game with plenty of interesting loot and activities. Granted, the original Destiny has enough pedigree that fans stuck around despite Destiny 2‘s well-documented issues early on, but the same can’t be said for a new game like Avengers or even a lackluster sequel like The Division 2. Both are examples of live service games that aren’t varied enough in their repetitive offerings.
Frankly, a lot of the live service games with loot-based progression have a pretty consistent problem between each of them. As nearsighted as the “go big or go home” statement is, the truth is that a lot of these live service games simply aren’t bolstering their games enough to succeed early on. Avengers got dropped like a rock by a majority of its launch player base because, once the main story was completed, there was a perception that there was nothing left to do. Even if that’s not entirely true, if there’s not enough long-form or engaging activities to take part in after completion, the playerbase is rightfully going to drop off if they’re not having fun anymore.
Running out of things to do is the bane of the existence of many looter games. Granted, Destiny 2 in 2020 now has so many activities that Bungie is vaulting several of them to make way for more in Beyond Light, yet Live service games should be striking a proper balance between enough launch content as well as post-launch content. It’s hard not for players to see the irony in promising a ton of cool updates for the future when they’re having trouble connecting to a session due to a lack of players.
Destiny 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions are coming at launch.
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