Money equals laziness.

Developer Arrowhead studio’s release, Helldivers 2, is one of the most satisfying multiplayer games to come out in recent memory. With tight gripping action, a worthwhile level up system, and more beautiful chaos one could imagine, it is the one game that seemed to actually give fans what they wanted on all fronts. The real question is, why should that even be something to worry about in the first place? Video Games are made for the players that enjoy them, especially when it comes to titles with a multiplayer approach in mind. So why is it so hard to make something that isn’t littered with microtransactions, lazy mechanics, and casino like marketplaces? The answer, money. With quality dipping lower and lower each year, one would have to think that this would impact sales, but the answer is a little more complicated than that.

Let’s take sports games for example. Nowadays, sports games in general have a knack for rehashing most of the same content over and over every year. They slap a new player on the cover, provide up to date rosters, and more often than not introduce one new gameplay mechanic that supposedly “revolutionizes what came before”. If you think this sounds dull and repetitive, you’d be correct. So why do they continue to get away with such blatant laziness, why don’t people simply not buy the game and force the studios to go back to the drawing board? Well with no other competition, why would they? Why would a company invest more money and resources in making something new, when the old continuously tops sales charts every single year.

Let’s look at gaming publisher EA Sports. EA currently has the rights to the NFL, NHL, UFC, and formerly FIFA. If that sounds like a monopoly of sorts, it’s because it is. All of these games, especially Madden NFL, make hundreds of millions in profit every year. Which in turn, allows the quality of these games to remain the same, or occasionally regress. No competition equals no change, leading upset fans to eventually give in and swipe their credit cards just to play a simulation of the sport they love.

This same strategy occurs outside of the sports game realm as well. With Activision Blizzard being one of the main perpetrators of this in their series, Call of Duty. Like sports games, with every year, there is a new entry in the Call of Duty franchise. While there have been some solid games over the years, their latest just might be one of their worst ever.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is one of the most blatant cash grabs of a game I have seen in recent memory. With reused assets from previous games, a one note story, and several game modes missing at launch, it proves that Activision has become very comfortable with using minimal effort in crafting something new and exciting. As before with sports games, people will continue to buy these games regardless of quality. Yet, Helldivers 2 might be the secret weapon in convincing the masses that video game audiences deserve so much more.

Another huge problem in the business is extremely overpriced microtransactions. Admittedly, some studios do need to include these to make back costs if their game underperforms, but why is this same sentiment allowed for games that have continuously dominated the sales charts for years? While Helldivers 2 does include microtransactions, their impact on the game is minimal compared to others, primarily because players have the option to unlock every weapon, armor, stratagem, and more through gameplay alone. It’s refreshing and a good look for a studio that is looking to have a very big year in 2024.

I’m not calling Helldivers 2 a perfect game, it’s not. It has faced some very big challenges as of late, with the player count more than exceeding expectations, most players that bought it couldn’t even play with the servers being too full. A big problem yes, albeit a problem that isn’t in the slightest related to its addictive and satisfying game loop. Helldivers 2 proudly showcases its confidence, demonstrating a rare willingness among developers to take risks for the players’ benefit, rather than solely catering to the demands of their profit-driven shareholders (yes, we’re looking at you, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League).

Will this inexcusable trend ever meet its end? As of right now, I doubt it. There is simply too much money being made for all of the companies mentioned above, and in return gamers like me will continue to be frustrated over “what could have been” or “how it should be”. Only time will tell if Helldivers 2 can become the standard for what multiplayer games should be, in the meantime let’s keep our fingers crossed and not hold our breath.

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