Patent-diggers have uncovered a 2010 filing for the phrase "Massively Single Player" in connection with, apparently, a new game, or, more accurately, a new kind of game.
The idea of the MSP genre is that you play as a single player, but exist in a world where other player's actions impact the characters and environment. This would offer players some of the benefits of a traditional online world without the drawbacks inherent to massively multiplayer online games. According to the application, "Those who want to play games that are more dynamic, not-based on Al and not-pre-scripted like multiplayer games, however, don't want to 'deal' with other people, appreciate the privacy it provides."
The game also could allow gamers to communicate through NPCs, so if you talk to an NPC, the rumor might be passed on to other gamers in their own world. Also, if you happen upon a pile of lumber and build a house, other players will see a house, but no builder.
A massively single-player game could have an economy, in which supply and demand is determined by the collective of players as opposed to arbitrarily determined.
Eventually, when loneliness overtakes you, you can add friends and share a world in common.
The filing includes more information beyond the "massively single-player" concept. Specifically, it refers to an implementation of the idea on "a home video game system such as the Nintendo Wii 3D video game system, a Nintendo DS or other 3D capable interactive computer graphics display systems."
So what do you think? Is Nintendo's idea a good one? Would you be into it?
Source: Gamespot
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jpcan1701
Its WoW with a deep story and no instances, or noobs!
Spybreak
I don't necessarily think it's Nintendo's idea but their patent. We've seen the concept behind this for a while now. I mean leaderboards were and are pretty big in regards to the online social integration of single player games with games like Geometry Wars and Pac Man CE DX. Pinball FX 2 integrates this into gameplay by motivating you to beat your friend's weekly high score or even total high score and showing you how many points you need to do so. The latest Need for Speed game, Hot Pursuit, let you compete with your friends using a connected stat tracking system and wall post sudo Facebook style. Games like Age of Empires Online and Castle Empire Online seem to follow this same socially connected single player mentality. Demon Souls took a chunk out of this method as well. I might forget a good example but yeah more games will become "connected".
firecloud42
its interesting in concept...would love to try it out...though I can see holes in this idea
Spartanwarrior117
Sounds like an exciting new experience! I can't wait to try it out. I would suggest trying it out before trashing on it.
NocturnalX
Just sounds like something that should have been done with the last Animal Crossing.
hoof_hearted4
this sounds a lot like how Demons Souls for PS3 was done. an always online game that is a single player game. you can go through the whole game solo no other players without ever being offline (if you know what ur doing) or you can choose to summon someone for some coop or summon someone for some PvP, or someone might invade you for some unchosen PvP. that was a very unique way of doing online that worked extremely well. even solo you could see other ppls ghosts, or how they died or messages they left. without every leaving single player.....as such there were no SP or MP modes. it was always MP even when it was SP....
Redbreard
I have to say there is something about this that screams "really stupid." It's sorta like playing on a minecraft server without having anyone online. You see really awesome things going up, you building really awesome things, you do really awesome things, but after a certain point you get lonely because you know there should really be other people there. I quit WoW because it became a single player experience for me, even tho there was a player run economy and i could see their actions.
Still if nintendo does this right, it could be very interesting, i like that it seems like u can bring ur friends together into a shared world too so that you don't HAVE to play it on your own. It seems like the mechanic is sound but Nintendo hasn't been doing all that well in the innovation of games market lately, and thinking about it really hard (don't yell i'm not a huge nintendo fanboy) i can't think of any recent nintendo games that changed the game. Hell even pokemon is still the same frackin thing it was when i was a kid, though i still love it.
And i think people are overstating the amount of griefers and little bitching kids there are online, generally I've met more fantastic people in WoW and over Live than dicks. it just happens to be that Grievers and dicks are more vocal than the good people.
Thogin
Look in MMO's you don't have to deal with other people if you don't want too, is just like real life...
If you dont' want to talk to people and walk around, most of the people in the real world are like NPC's...
This is for people that want to be like ghost in MMO's with an actual system in place where other people cant' see them....
This sounds like per laziness to me... You can create a single player experience with an active world where things change with or without the players involvement
Or you can create a sand box/type game, where users can effect the world....
Sounds to me, is like people are in the world, they are changing it.... but no one can talk to each other or see each other....
Why don't we just fix the problems with current MMO's??
Aaron82
Does Nintendo not know the definition of prior art?
They used that exact term when talking about Spore and that came out in 2008.
firesonman
Hmmmm interesting concept. Could be a good thing since it seems some MMO's are full on elitists or trolls.
Luck702
"Also, if you happen upon a pile of lumber and build a house, other players will see a house, but no builder.
A massively single-player game could have an economy, in which supply and demand is determined by the collective of players as opposed to arbitrarily determined."
That sounds really fun with other people, but why does it have to be sp? If I see a really cool house, I want to meat whoever built it and maybe partner up with them. This seems to just arbitrarily just force us to have sp on a game that would be really cool and innovative if mp.
Luck702
You ever try getting really heavily into WoW and make it a point to not interact with any other players? Yeah, it's boring as tihS
Anditswayback321
Can you say..."Gotta Catch'em All"?
Spartanwarrior117
Sounds like an exciting new experience! I can't wait to try it out. I would suggest trying it out before trashing on it.
Anditswayback321
Can you say..."Gotta Catch'em All"
jjfan1
This sounds exactly like Animal Crossing to me or possibly Pokemon. Sounds interesting if done right. All we can do is wait and see
Timtwigg81
It SOUNDS like a good idea in THEORY. But I'll reserve judgement until after I've had a chance to experience it. I did like the concept that Fable 2 had with the ability to recognize other online players and having audio proximity. But the other players didn't affect my game any more then common trades or the occasional vanilla co-op. I'm interested to see what Nintendo has up their sleeve.
CrysisNY
The gaming world is in need of something new and I'm all for new idea's. Spit em out and I'll try em.
Robot_Owl_Pirate
Why must Nintendo continue to be dumb and not give me the Pok�mon MMO that I would do anything for?
Swissarmy
Wait they are making a new .//hack game?
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