"Rise of Live-Service Games: A Critical Reflection for Publishers"

A report suggests that 95% of surveyed studios are working on live service games, driven by the desire for ongoing revenue. However, the trend may not be sustainable, as evidenced by the underwhelming launch of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and the success of single-player, microtransaction-free games like Hogwarts Legacy. The push towards live service games has led to significant financial and creative challenges for studios, with examples like Sony's failed TLOU Factions and the struggles of live service games like Anthem and Avengers. The article argues that the industry should focus on making high-quality, cost-effective single-player games rather than forcing unrelated genres into the live service model.