Watered Down

There was a video on the TV at my local Gamestop that gave me pause recently. I heard an edited brief of the following the Splinter Cell Conviction release trailer that details the intentional "accessibility" of the newest title. The video in full is just below.

#####POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT#####

After watching the full video, I am still left with the same initial impression; watering down the single player experience and using a multi player add-on is one of the primary design flaws currently plaguing modern gaming.

Building on a franchise is though. Companies are expected to deliver a bigger, better experience with each outing they commit their cornerstone characters to, yet as the years progress, it almost seems at times the gameplay is suffering under the weight of this demand. Gone are the days of Contra or Duck Tales (and yes, I'm showing my age here), where a game could be both challenging and rewarding without being off-putting. Today, if a game presents enough of a challenge (see Monster Hunter), the masses cry foul and denounce it in favor of more mainstream entertainment such as HALO 3, or the newest iteration of Call of Duty.

Granted, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare had a stellar single player experience, but what of its sequel? I've heard numerous accounts of its bungling through a campaign that accomplishes few if any feats to top its predecessor other than the infamous airport scene, and even that seemed more for shock and awe than an inspired moment of gaming. More and more, developers seem to be turning away from what made their games unique or just plain amazing, and jumping on the "accessibility" bandwagon of more casual titles. Boishock 2? Nothing new under the hood. A fresh coat of paint, and tacked on multiplayer to disguise its fear of the unknown does not a worthy successor make.

So I put it to you, the reader; would you prefer a step back from the excuse of multiplayer in our current generation of gaming in favor of a better, more cohesive and undiluted single player experience?