I know there will be some more organic titles like Helldivers 2 getting popular and of course the much loved Deep Rock Galactic. I wonder though if we're going to see more and more co-op based stuff being pushed as devs seem completely uninterested in trying to solve the issues of multiplayer games if they can't retain control of the playerbase. The co-op genre by itself I don't have a problem with, I'm just not that interested in it.
Seems that the next logical conclusion for these bastards is to start making a push for catering to casuals and console players a lot more and pump out boring online only co-op scenarios that aren't remotely challenging and then proceed to spam microtransactions in peoples' faces. My reasoning for this is that it gives players something 'new' to try and they don't even have to worry about all of the problematic stuff like balance or hacking that often comes with more competitive based titles.
This makes sense to me, but it's so damn cringe because it's the safe and easy option and bores me to death. More and more it's becoming clear that AAA studios are simply not interested in catering to gamers who want to be challenged because it's too much of a challenge for them to make something good.
TLDR: Smol pp AAA studios are pussying out of the overall gaming market to cater to normie console peasants by trying to normalise co-op gaming and avoid all other genres.
You're probably right.
I would argue that Fallout 76 could have been a full priced co-op DLC to Fallout 4, and it would have been much better received.
But then they couldn't control the way you play, force you to make an account, tuck an in game shop in there, maintain control over what goes on in the game via the servers, make a private session pay to use for you and your friends, if it was just drop in drop out co-op.
In fact, it seemed like they did everything in their power to specifically add in as many barriers as possible, and then make you pay to convenience your way out, or have to work harder than someone who paid.
If going back to co-op means an end to the above, I'm fine with that.
This is the thing, co-op I get as a genre, but the other stuff I'm baffled by, you're right about Fallout 76. It could have been a much better release as a genuine co-op rather than the shamelessly tacked on multiplayer live service they put together.