It's easy for us, sitting in our chairs of critique and our long, weary experience with the live service wringer, to decry the model as something inherently toxic for the industry. And yet we participate in a society—I mean, er—still play them. And while monetisation's gone far off the reservation in recent years, leaving us craving good singleplayer, one-and-done games, it's hard to forget that there was a time where live service really seemed like the future.
A person who bought into that glimmering well of potential was Chris Wilson, co-creator of Path of Exile, who left Grinding Gear Games in 2023 and has started a new studio since then. He's also, as many seasoned developers have done, begun a YouTube channel where he shares his thoughts (thanks, GamesRadar+).
