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Roula Khalaf, editor of the FT, selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Can you play one video game forever? There may not be endless books or endless movies, but there are games that people spend thousands, even tens of thousands of hours playing. A Polish fan of the sports strategy sim Football Manager holds a Guinness World Record for spending 10,887 hours on one campaign – that’s 453 days.
He’s not alone. Nowadays gamers spend more time than ever playing old games. Research by analyst Newzoo shows that the top 10 most played games of 2023 were released an average of seven years ago. While gamers were once obsessed with new consoles with more advanced graphics, today technological advancements are less pronounced and older games are constantly being updated, leaving many players with little reason to change games. We enter the world of forever games. But what does this mean for the future of the medium?
There are a few features these titles have in common. They tend to lack linear storytelling, which is less interesting once you’ve seen the ending. Instead, they offer systems that change every time you play: roguelike games like The Binding of Isaac And Spelunky; deck builders like Kill the Spire And Hearthstone; strategy games like Civilization And Total war.
Then there is a deeper level of complicated systemic games such as Dwarf Fortress And RimWorld, which have legions of fans online who play little else. Often forever games have active online communities, many of whom create mods to adjust the game’s graphics or gameplay. The other games that bring players back for longer periods of time simply offer fun places to hang out; life simulations like Animal crossing or The Simsor open world games like Grand Theft Auto or Skyrimwhere there is always something new to discover.
But despite players coming back for years, these aren’t the games that top the most-played list of 2023. No, these are the ‘live service games’, which are usually multiplayer titles played online and regularly updated with new content. Most are free to play but make money through microtransactions. They are usually shooters, arena battles or sandbox titles, games that generate brand awareness far beyond the world of gamers: Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft, Call of Duty.
These games strike a balance between a feeling of comforting familiarity and an injection of freshness that comes with every update. Sometimes these bring dramatic changes: the recent “Loot Reborn” update for the restless Diablo IV has been so enthusiastically received that one critic claimed the creators had finally “fixed” the game. This month promises big new episodes Final Fantasy XIV And Lot 2both of which have attracted loyal followers with complex storylines that unfold over many years.
Some of the most profitable titles, such as Fortnite And Roblox, are not just standalone games, but platforms where players can create their own games for others to try. This means developers can profit from content they didn’t create. It also points to the essential meaning of community in live service games: sometimes you log in to complete missions and earn points, but you also just show up to hang out with your friends in a virtual space that feels like home.
In recent years, many developers have tried to launch new forever games to compete with e.g Fortnite. As development costs rise, companies are naturally interested in creating titles that can generate profits in the long run. However, it is terribly difficult to get it right. Two superhero brand efforts, Marvels Avengers and DCs Suicide squad, were both lambasted by fans and critics for attempting to incorporate live service elements into games where they didn’t feel natural. Even after a successful launch, it can be hard to keep fans out: this year’s space shooter Hell divers 2 initially seemed like a contender for the eternal gaming pantheon, but a series of clumsy changes turned the fanbase against the developer.
Major games companies continue to try to build new live service games with blind optimism. Meanwhile, today’s newest games have to compete not only with other new releases, but also with the long tails of the most beloved, well-featured games. In a time of mass layoffs and studio closures, developers will have to think carefully about the future of the industry, and whether it is sustainable.
For gamers, the equation is simpler. They just play whatever is most attractive, no matter how old it is. It’s refreshing to see a medium once obsessed with novelty realize that some things get better with age.