The Gears of War Creator Is Right, Helldivers 2 Is An Exception And Not The Norm

Helldivers 2

stands as an anomaly. Several factors contribute to its success,

including its modest pricing

and the organic virality it achieved across social media platforms. It has found a dedicated following, bolstered by its presence on Twitch, TikTok, and Twitter, proving that achieving virality can indeed serve as an effective form of marketing. This approach, coupled with the fact that it's just an overall fun game to play that

doesn't prioritize monetization over gameplay experience

, has allowed

Helldivers 2

to maintain a robust player base despite the general volatility of the live service market.

Thus, it's important to recognize that Helldivers 2 is an exception. The live service model demands a substantial investment, with the expectation that it has to be good and also be a cultural phenomenon to survive (and not even thrive). This is a tall order, and as a veteran like Bleszinski points out, the financial and operational burdens of sustaining a live service game are immense.

Arrowhead, in particular, finds itself expanding its team, recruiting new patriots to help it in its ongoing struggles with Automatons and Terminids increasing server capacity without letting costs go out of control.

Palworld

's developers, Pocketpair, recently mandated to keep the servers up regardless of the costs, and it

found itself footing a massive bill

.

While this may seem like a good solution as players line up to play a game, the natural ebb and flow of live service titles mean that players will always eventually leave until the next big update comes along.

As companies chase the elusive success of genre stalwarts such as Fortniteand Destiny 2, both of which are or were recently dealing with their own financial struggles, they're facing challenges like high development costs, player fatigue with monetization practices, the fickleness of viral trends, and actually making enough profit to sustain itself.

Sony's decision to cancel *Twisted Metal*and The Last of Us' multiplayer spin-off, among several other high-profile projects despite investing billions into this endeavor, serve as cautionary tales. It's a reminder that for every Helldivers 2, countless others fail to make an impact.

As the industry continues to grapple with a surprising if possibly brief resurgence of the live service model, Helldivers 2 proves that with the right approach, a live service game can captivate and retain a dedicated player base. But as Bleszinski rightly points out, it's a level of success that requires a blend of quality gameplay, strategic marketing, and, perhaps most importantly, a bit of luck, to achieve.

As for Cliffy B, the Gears of War creator continues to wait for Microsoft to give him a call.