The video game industry is constantly changing. One of the rising stars is the Games as a service model. GaaS games are a “live” service that utilize multiple expansion passes, and consistent support. It allows the game to survive for a lot longer than a normal games lifespan, while also bringing in more revenue for the publisher.
It does that by releasing multiple season passes, and including micro transactions. The season passes typically add a significant amount of content to the game, justifying the price for fans. The micro transactions are typically just cosmetic too. All of these features work towards prolonging the games lifespan, and making it more financially successful.
Two games I can see tackling this business model are Halo and Borderlands.
The first piece of evidence people use is the name of the game. Halo: Infinite implies the concept of infinity being incorporated into the game in some form. So, the speculation is that it refers to consistently added content. Which to be fair, is not very concrete at all. There are a countless number of other potential explanations.
Now, the second piece is equally as unlikely. The developers have referred to the game as a “soft reboot”. Which means that something about the series is being altered. We know that the game is a continuation of Halo 5, so the story isn’t what’s changing. This has lead many fans to speculate about a potential change of business model. Moving to the GaaS model is an understandable choice to choose.
The third, and last piece of evidence is their seeking for developers experienced with RPG mechanics. By taking the game in a more RPG route, this adds in another component that’s common in GaaS games.
Borderlands 3
Borderlands popularized the looter shooter genre for many people. Therefore, the series following in the foot steps of games like Destiny would be interesting to see. Incorporating a more multiplayer based world, adding features such as Raids, and supporting the game for a long time could benefit Gearbox. They’ve had a lot of scandals lately, so quickly gaining funds is extremely important to their future.
There really isn’t that much evidence to support this. All we have is that Borderlands 2 had such an extreme amount of content support post launch. We’ve seen that Gearbox has the ability to run a game similarly to a GaaS title.
The final piece is just the similarity in styles. The vault hunters are similar to Javelins in Anthem or Guardians in Destiny. There are skill trees, unique weaponry, player types, all that jazz. While they would likely need to incorporate armor based loot, or something more substantial than weapons, it isn’t completely far fetched.
Conflicting Wants
One part of me is screaming about how awesome this would be. If both of these games became a Games as a service that means so much more content than a standard release. It’s already likely that I will be spending many hundred of hours into each, but with the GaaS model, that could likely hit the thousands.
However, another part of me is horribly worried. While getting to see so much more of these worlds is amazing, there are risks involved. As more resources are put into the game, it is likely that the overall quality could dip. While I love these games, the idea of them being further entrenched by mediocrity hurts to think about.
If they manage to tackle the GaaS model without effecting the quality of the series, then these could likely become my most beloved games in their respective series. The potential they have for expanding on their lore is infinite.
