Game Design: PvP in "Story-Based" Games

[Part of my MMO Design Folder.]

I quite enjoyed playing through single player mode in the Assassin's Creed series as well as the Batman: Arkham series. As you probably know I am always behind in terms of keeping up to date with them because of my spending habits on games (ie. I don't). I keep finding though that some of these games have a small PvP section to them, like bonus content. Sometimes these sections also sound pretty cool.

The problem I'm seeing though, perhaps because I'm on the older games, is that almost no one is playing these modes. Not enough to even start up a match from my personal experience. I have to question then the wisdom in spending resources in developing a part of the game that is surely going to be unplayable over time. Surely it makes more sense to dispose of it and completely focus on the story campaign? I've found cooperative modes often follow the story line as well like in the Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army series so that's not really an issue. If you have allies cool. If you don't you can still go ahead.

It's just the logic of the PvP thing I don't understand. As a mainly co-op player it's quite likely I am mistaken, so I ask you dear reader: In games like the above, how many hours did you spend playing through the story and how many hours did you spend playing in the competitive PvP modes? Surely Call of Duty guys clock more PvP hours than story hours right?

Batman: Arkham Origins

The summary version of an Arkham game.

In this prequel to the previous Arkham games, a large bounty has attracted a bunch of assassins to kill the Batman on Christmas Eve and the only presents handed out during the course of the game are painful beat downs to all parties involved. Much like the previous games, controlling Batman is for the most part extremely fun - even if he is adverse to swimming. The combat system plays pretty much the same with a few new variations (for me anyway) which is great. I also quite liked the expanded use for detective vision in solving the mini crimes that come up during the course of the evening.

Breaking necks for great justice (I'm sure he's still alive)!

The map itself is composed of reused, redecorated sections of previous games but feels a lot smaller possibly because you can also use the Batwing to fast travel around the place. This also makes for a short game, main story wise as you can finish it with probably less that 40% total completion (the rest of which is filled by challenges and collectibles). Then it uses the "Diablo" method of locked difficulties to tempt people to replay which for me is utterly moronic. What's the point if you already know what's going to happen?

The other thing I find irksome is again some hard to reach collectibles - specifically the ones that break the rules of the game just to make it challenging. Like, Batman will refuse to grapple to a specific spot because that would be too easy, you have to find a way to glide there. In my book, that's not just bad design - its moronic. What, Batman decided to be inefficient all of a sudden?

Those things aside, it is still a pretty fun game (single player wise) and I give it three and a half batarangs out of five. Keep in mind you can probably clear it in around two days. Obviously take this into consideration if you are purchasing it because there is no way in hell that something so short should be charged the same as Elder Scrolls: Skyrim for example (which has given me 333 hours of play).

I should also mention there is a pretty cool sounding PvP multiplayer mode over four maps where players are either Batman / Robin or gang members of Joker or Bane. Unfortunately you probably won't get to play it as you are required to have 8 players to begin, and simply put - not enough people are playing it.