During an interview with Dexerto, Payday 3 lead producer Andreas Häll Penninger spoke about why the game’s controversial online requirement is in place.
Payday 3 is just weeks away, promising to bring the series into the latest gaming generation with features that wouldn’t have been possible in Payday 2. However, the game is already causing some frustration among fans.
While Payday 2 allows for offline play, that won’t be the case with Payday 3. Earlier this year, it was confirmed players will need an online connection to play regardless of mode, which has led to criticism and some talks of fan boycotts.
During our interview with Payday 3 lead producer Andreas Häll Penninger, he addressed the controversy and explained why the game will require a constant online connection.
Payday 3 was built with its online requirement in mind
According to Penninger, Payday 3 was “built with [an online requirement] in mind.”
This was a decision the team made early on, and various features and mechanics were developed around and tied to that. One example is “Security Modifiers,” which make some changes to heists. “Those are rotating on a weekly basis; we don’t have to do updates and so on.”
Penninger also reiterated the studios’ desire to “provide a better game experience” overall with Payday 3.
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In this case, it seems the requirement is being used creatively. Security Modifiers look to keep the game fresh while easing the burden on the developers, who can instead work on more substantial content. That may not be enough for fans, though.
Players have legitimate reasons to be concerned about online requirements in video games. Not only do they mean that a service outage or server issues result in players temporarily losing access – they also mean there will come a time when the servers shut down for good, rendering the game entirely unplayable.
On top of that are concerns regarding DRM technology, which many have criticized as anti-consumer.
Payday fans have been open with their criticism since the online requirement was announced. While Penninger’s answer likely won’t satisfy the most vocal of fans, it does seem like the decision was made at least in some part with the overall gaming experience in mind.
If you enjoyed this, check out the rest of our Payday 3 coverage, including our hands-on preview.