Tooling is still a problem for studios building live service games

gamedeveloper.com:

Arkane Studios’ Redfall was meant to be one of the biggest game launches of 2023. Unfortunately, it released last month plagued with design and technical issues and was widely panned. Given Arkane’s impressive record over the last decade, it’s no surprise hopes for Redfall were high. But the studio’s decision (perhaps under pressure from Microsoft, which acquired Arkane during Redfall’s development) to switch from the immersive sim genre where it built its name to co-op multiplayer shooter clearly reflects a growing desire to capitalize on live service business models.

Live service games already dominate the mobile games market and are obviously gaining traction on PC and console too. Traditional upfront game purchases now account for just 11% of total games market revenue, and falling. This is creating obvious pressure across the industry to pivot towards the live service model. Sony’s recently revealed plans for four new live service games, and Sega’s search for a live service “super game” to revolutionize its business, are just two recent examples of traditional AAA publishers trying to build a live service future.

Full game sales represent a rapidly diminishing share of games market revenue

But Redfall’s struggles are a reminder that pulling off this pivot is easier said than done. At a design level, creating a compelling live service game is very different to building a single-player one, with the need for sustained engagement taking precedence over crafting contained experiences. There are cultural challenges too—Arkane reportedly struggled to hire experienced multiplayer developers because it mostly attracted candidates interested in working on its trademark immersive sims. And while having a wealthy backer like