Talk:Massively single-player

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Contents 1 Requested move 1.1 Survey 1.2 Discussion 2 Expanding this article 3 Other Examples? 4 Origins of the Term

[edit] Requested move

Massively Single-Player → Massively single-player — Improper capitalization. — – Andreas Blixt ☺ 18:47, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Survey

Add *Support or *Oppose followed by an optional one-sentence explanation, then sign your opinion with ~~~~

• Support Same reasons. Mrmoocow 09:09, 12 June 2006 (UTC)
• Support Massively singleplayer or Massively single-player, in that order of preference as former complements Massively multiplayer. David Kernow 11:28, 12 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Discussion

Rename to Massively singleplayer (with redirect from Massively single-player), to complement Massively multiplayer...?  Regards, David Kernow 22:11, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

I guess that works just as well, though I believe that for some reason, "single-player" is used more than "singleplayer", even though "multiplayer" is used (much) more than "multi-player". I believe the most grammatically correct title should be used, but I'm not 100% sure whether there's some kind of guideline for which one is most correct. In any case, Massively single-player looks more "harmonic" to me.

– Andreas Blixt ☺ 22:56, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

Okay, I've given broad support above. Thanks for your input, David 11:28, 12 June 2006 (UTC)

I'll have to oppose naming this article Massively singleplayer because after looking around a bit, I've found that multi- is an actual prefix, single is not. So multiplayer is one word with a prefix, while single-player is two words put together. In wiktionary:multiplayer and Multiplayer game single-player is the term used, not singleplayer. Massively singleplayer can be made a redirect to Massively single-player though. Addendum: While the use of a hyphen between two concatenated words is not obligatory today (thus allowing the use of "singleplayer"), the standard use of the word is still "single-player" (see major gaming-related sites such as GameSpy).

– Andreas Blixt ☺ 08:11, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

Moved. —Nightstallion (?) 11:12, 16 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Expanding this article

There is a lot of information that could be put on this page. One thing that I thought of was a section discussing the advantages and disadvantages of a game that is "massively single-player" (while trying to keep a neutral point of view, of course). I'll just throw a preliminary list in here as a starter (note that I'm very positive to this concept and may not be able to make up convincing counter-arguments):

• Refreshing content
  • + Content from other players being used in the game world helps keep it "fresh".
  • – Vandalism
    • + Can be countered using rating systems and a central server scanning for bad content.
      • – Rating systems and central servers can be very hard to maintain, especially in smaller projects.
• Player interactivity
  • + The fact that the player does not directly interact with other players constrains her/him less than it would in a multiplayer world (especially a massively multiplayer world). The player can perform god-like actions which would normally ruin the gaming experience of other players.
  • – The player will not be able to directly interact with other human players which limits the entertainment value of playing against opponents.

– Andreas Blixt ☺ 22:56, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Other Examples?

• Animal Crossing

Might Animal Crossing (the GameCube version) be considered massively single-player? After all, in that version only one human player can be controlled at a time and the only way to interact with other players is by sending passwords or going to their town (which the other players can't affect while you're there). Of course, the DS version includes standard multiplayer as well.

• Dead Rising

Wouldn't Capcom's Dead Rising fit under this category as well? Fifty7 17:32, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Origins of the Term

re: Wil Wright "coining" the term. This term was actually in use as an MMO industry inside term for several years before Wil Wright used it to describe Spore. It originally had a different connotation than wikipedia currently describes, which was to describe a massively multiplayer game with a single player style design, but not necessarily single player. For example, http://www.gamebunny.com/auto_assault_chat2.htm, an interview conducted earlier in 2005. I remember hearing it tossed around and using it as early as 2002. The connotations implied with Spore are probably a better use of it, but for the record that's where it came from. ComputerBox 07:03, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

As mentioned in the article, the term was frequently applied to to the Elder Scrols games, particularly during Morrowind's development. This was well before Will Wright used it at the Game Developers Conference. Here's an example: [1] In this case it was used to describe a single player game that is has the large area and freeform style of an MMORPG. ManaUser 22:18, 29 January 2007 (UTC)