What if Stop Killing Games win? Anthem, SpaceCraft and Warframe devs on the "massive undertaking" of reverse engineering an always-online game
Sci-fantasy shooter Warframe is the sexy cyborg fruit of 13 years of updates and expansions, encompassing scores upon scores of quests, areas, plotlines, systems and characters, together with a huge quantity of player-made art. Much of Warframe's original design still exists within the game, however tweaked and refreshed: the developers have removed a few larger chunks, including the underloved…
The gaming community is abuzz with speculation about the future of always-online games following the success of developer BioWare's "Stop Killing Games" initiative. This initiative seeks to dismantle the trend of punishing players through constant online connectivity in video games. Major titles such as Anthem, SpaceCraft, and Warframe have all been discussed in relation to this movement.
Warframe, a sci-fantasy shooter that has been in development for 13 years, is a prime example of a game that defies the trend of always-online requirements. The game boasts a vast array of content, including quests, areas, plotlines, systems, and characters, as well as a wealth of player-generated art. While the original design of Warframe remains largely intact, the developers have made adjustments to improve certain aspects that had lost their appeal.
For instance, they have removed a few larger chunks, including underloved PvP raids, but have also focused on polishing less exciting elements and telling diverse stories ranging from self-referential space humor to commentary on indentured labor.
Scott McGregor, the game's original design director, recently shared his thoughts on the matter during a presentation at the Tennocon expo. He acknowledged that the Warframe team has discussed bringing back raids and other content from the game's early days. However, McGregor emphasized that instead of simply turning off features, the team is opting to improve upon them or replace them with enhancements that better suit the game's current state.
As the gaming industry continues to grapple with the implications of always-online games, Warframe stands as a testament to the potential for success without such requirements. The studio's approach of refining and expanding existing content serves as a blueprint for how developers can evolve their games to meet the evolving expectations of players without sacrificing the integrity of the gaming experience.
Written by urgent.news from Rock Paper Shotgun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
