Over the last few years, a number of developers known for their rich single player games have begun shifting toward a more enticing future of on-going online games. Ubisoft moved towards The Division, Bioware went with Anthem, Rockstar incorporated GTA Online into GTA V, and many others have done similar things.
One other developer beginning to follow that trend is Deus Ex and Tomb Raider developer Eidos Montreal. The studio posted a blog post on the future of their company by stating that they are looking to focus more on online experiences in gaming in the near future. The studio has primarily focused on single-player games but after Thief and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided failed to perform super well financially, it seems the studio is looking at a much easier and profitable solution for the future.
"At Eidos-Montréal, we’re constantly working towards creating innovative and exciting experiences for gamers everywhere. In turn, we are placing an added emphasis on the online experiences in our games, striving to continually provide players with content that is memorable and impactful." said studio head David Anfossi. "Through the inherent interactivity of online play, our universes will have the chance to thrive both now and into the future. To achieve this, we are building the teams and tools capable of supporting our ambitions. We hope you will join us on this journey!"
Eidos Montreal is currently developing a game based on The Avengers, bringing together Marvel's biggest characters in video game form after seeing them stride on the big screen. This does make people wonder if The Avengers will be some sort of online game rather than a single-player title with co-op. The studio will likely divulge more info regarding the untitled Avengers game in the new year.
It does also beg the question of what happens to Deus Ex which has been in doubt since last year. The series has been critically praised but that hasn't backed it up commercially. Publisher Square Enix has stated that they will likely return to the series when the time is right but that may be PR speak for "maybe, probably not".
