Kim Hyung Tae, director of Stellar Blade at Shift Up, recently outlined his thoughts on why the games industry needs singleplayer games and variety more than anything.
In a recent interview with Ruliweb, translated by Genki, stressed his desire to see more games with a definitive ending experience. While the structure itself still thrives, it’s hard to ignore the fountain of live service-focused, always online games dominating the scene like Genshin Impact, Warframe, and even Helldivers 2.
“Sales success has become a severe issue in recent years due to the rising costs of development,” said Kim. “To be honest, I often hear advice from people around me that it would be better to make games that have higher profit margins. But what our industry needs more than anything is variety, isn’t it? Console titles, that is single-player games with an ending, have a very important value in themselves.”
A market where such games continue to be made and coexist with other genres and platforms is healthier. That’s why Shift Up will continue to take on the challenge of console games in the future. We have a strong desire to continue to create games that allow many gamers to enjoy to the end and return to reality feeling good.”
Kim Hyung Tae believes “what our industry needs more than anything is variety”
Stellar Blade is the first project from Shift Up’s Eve Studio, and while Shift Up may be more commonly associated with mobile games like Destiny Child, it’s not the director’s first time working on a singleplayer project with his long history as an artist on the Magna Carta series. Kim sees the approach as something to remain in harmony with the rise of more popular models offering a constant stream of monetezation, keeping it “healthier.”
“That’s why Shift Up will continue to take on the challenge of console games in the future. We have a strong desire to continue to create games that allow many gamers to enjoy to the end and return to reality feeling good.”
In our constantly updating list of gaming patch notes, weekly tasks, and time-restricted events, my appreciation for an open and shut singleplayer experience grows more. And with the pressure to bake in more treadmill, battle pass-style elements my time with singleplayer games feels rare outside of indie games.
Look, I love Helldivers 2 and it’s zany, evolving story, but I also adore games that have an endpoint to their story so I can feel the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing them. Even if I dive right back in for a second playthrough, there’s something satisfying about finishing a game that you just don’t get from live-service titles and MMOs.
However, as quite a few fans have pointed out on Reddit, it’s possible that the director is only speaking about the Korean games market. Even so, it’s not the biggest reach to say it’s a sentiment we can all relate to for the greater games industry. You only need to look at how enjoyable Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Bladur’s Gate 3 are to see how impactful and beloved singleplayer games can be.
