'Live service' has become something of a dirty term over the years, but as is often the case, there are both good and bad examples of the model — it's just that we all tend to focus on the negatives. But Helldivers 2 director Johan Pilestedt would rather talk about the positives — and that's exactly what he did at the recent Nordic Game conference.
As reported by GamesRadar, the knowledgeable lead truly believes that "live service is a good thing for the games industry", but, crucially, only if it's "done right".
Pilestedt goes on to list the things that live service titles do well, stating: "It's a continuous hobby that allows players to get more of the games they love."
However, he's also well aware of the inherent problems of so many live service projects. "If you want to make a live service game, if you want to have monetization in the game if you think that people are buying stuff in the game [...] don't charge $70 upfront and then nickel and dime people for skins. It just is wrong," Pilestedt explains.
Of course, it's easier to say all this when Helldivers 2 has turned out to be a roaring success. Equipped with a lower price point and making its money through cosmetic unlocks, the co-op shooter is a great example of a well-balanced live service release.
"Be kind to users, and do live service right by asking yourself what is the value for the gamers in this game and it being live service rather than what is good for the bank account," Pilestedt concludes.
So there you have it. If you want to launch a well-liked live service title, don't be a greedy b*stard. Oh, and it helps if you make it a really good game, too.
What are your thoughts on these quotes? Is Pilestedt absolutely right? Is Helldivers 2 a shining beacon in a sea of live service crap? Grab yourself a new cape in the comments section below.
[source gamesradar.com]
Comments 14
We need more people like this in the industry. Don't wring your customers dry at the start and they'll end up spending more in the grand scheme of things. Long-term sustainability > short-term gains.
Really hope the player base recovers, maybe the announcement of a new faction will bring people back.
@Americansamurai1 It has dropped in line with most similar online titles. Very few keep those numbers up long term, most move onto the next new thing.
Also those are only Steam stats that are available where there is a wider range of similar games to play. I'd expect the drop-off on PlayStation to be a bit lower.
@Americansamurai1
I doubt they'll ever recover from that.
The whole PSN login fiasco and the subsequent ban on 170+ countries burned a lot of good will from PC community.
I don't think I could ever flat out say live service is "good" for the industry. I've come to terms that they are part of the industry and I even enjoy one every now and then (XDefiant is one just recently). However I do miss the days where you just got what you got from the day one package and moved on to a new game whenever you had your fill. I just find it difficult to stick with a game for years on end.
Just my two cents anyway. I of course agree with the obvious "just do it right" part.
The guys bang on the nail. I don't buy dlc's normally but I've bought the last 2 helldiver warbonds because I believe the game is that good and launched at a fair price point so it's the least I could do to show arrowhead a little bit of appreciation. I can't wait for the new faction to emerge because I just love this game but it needs a bit of new content.
Sigh... Factions 2...
What could've been, what could've been.
Forget Bunjie, these guys should be overseeing Sony's live service games.
Yeah but the reality seems be that it's not working out that way. These live services don't respect your time and want all of your money all the time. Don't want you playing anything else. And the big guns continue to funnel all the money towards them leaving the rest of the industry scrambling to get there or fail trying even if it means going under. If only they were like Helldivers II id welcome more of them and play more of them.
Thus why COD is such a financial behemoth. In 2024 they are still cynically charging $70 for an (admittedly addictive and mechanically sound) game that also has among the most lucrative micro transactions in the industry. The campaigns while visually bombastic, have been fairly shallow 4-6 hour afterthoughts for a long time now so I don't think they justify the cost of entry.
Helldivers 2 is an exemplary example of a live service game in my opinion.
We've had good live service games for years and I've been telling people. But they don't wanna hear it.
First of all i like a lifeservice game sometimes but i do like to finish my games and move on too. Helldivers is something i would like to play sometimes but i rather have something with a story and a ending.
I have to agree to a point liveservice is good sometimes. But we dont need everything to be a service all the time. And lets be real here most companies want to nickel and dime us or want it both ways.
I understand where he is coming from but we are in the real world and that is never happening. Also liveservice combined with free to play is the worst it somehow always shows you that you are playing a hold back game.
I hate live service and battle passes but I love helldivers 2 and have paid for 2 of the warbonds. I can’t recommend this game enough. I think it’s a combo of the fun and addictive game play loop, art style, setting, right amount of limbs blasting off/explosions and the fact its priced right. None of it feels like a rip off and I happily pay for content when it’s this good.
I mean he is right but they really need to bring on some DLC for Helldivers 2. The support the first game got was great! We need more of that. Give me like five more planets to explore and different enemies give me trophy packs for DLC and mods for my gun that I love just moooooooore
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