Developers always have a difficult time when it comes to multiplayer in a game. Sometimes it can awesome but other occasions it can bog down development, and ultimately take away from the single player team resources making the overall game more mediocre than good.
Such was the case with PROTOTYPE, a free roaming experience which allows the gamer to take control of a genetically infected human who has been gifted with inhuman abilities and hunted by a secret faction of the government. One would think that co-op would be an awesome addition to this experience and for a while the team tossed around the idea.
"From its inception PROTOTYPE was planned first and foremost as a single player open-world/action game. Naturally, with Alex's genetically mutated shape-shifting abilities, we started to explore what would happen if he were to sub-divide into two PROTOTYPEs and what kind of multiplayer gameplay we could create around that concept.
"We've been looking at this potential multiplayer idea much more closely as PROTOTYPE's development has been progressing, and while it's a great concept and gameplay bonus, our conclusion is that we won't be able to pull it off with the same level of quality and polish that we're aiming for with the original single player story. "
Makes sense. I'd much rather have a solid single player experience. When asked why not delay the game to include the multiplayer, the response was that PROTOTYPE was slated for 2008 and would launch then. Delaying it for co-op was not something the developer wanted to do.
[Via TeamXbox]
Kyle Stallock
Updated June 4th, 2008
Indie Games Journalism
Brendon Lindsey
Updated July 14th, 2008
Day 1 of E3 2008
Frank Ling
Updated: June 6th, 2008 Laid off at game job
Eddie Inzauto
Updated Tuesday, July 15th
E3 '08 Day 2
GamerNode needs your help. Register
now and join thousands of gamers in a
crusade to spread the word of
GamerNode!
Join the Node Army!
Online play or no, this game has me interested.
What a refreshing way of looking at it. If multiplayer or online does not fit your game, don't delay it for another five or six months to shoehorn in a mode that feels broke. Bravo There is always Prototype version 2.0 if the first one does well.