As Nier Reincarnation is revived by fans through an offline version of the game, a developer has explained why offline versions of live service titles are rare.
As spotted and translated by Automaton, a programmer who goes by Itchie on Twitter (a former SNK and Square employee, according to Automaton. and currently business head at Tatsumi Electronics) explains that – while he empathizes with the wish for offline versions of these deleted games to show up upon the end of their live-service tenure – it's often not a viable choice for developers. He notes that while many would see a version like this as a simple "modification," the development work required would be akin to a full overhaul of a game.
Itchie adds, "Making [an offline version] technically work and making it an enjoyable product are two different things." He explains: "There is a strong risk that the game will end up playable but not entertaining, or that it will simply fall apart as a game." He also points out that there have been some cases where this has been a simple transition, but that those games will have likely been developed with the possibility of it being or becoming an offline game in mind.
Elsewhere, a Japanese programmer known as Kei adds their personal experience. They explain, "I actually went through this exact situation once before," adding: "When we were about to shut down services, management told us to look into taking the game offline, so I calculated the man-hours required, and it turned out to be about the same cost as developing a brand-new game."
The dev recalls, "When I reported this honestly, everyone was completely taken aback. It actually seemed like it would be harder to pull off than just building something from scratch."
Of course, in an ideal world, the pre-planning that makes these games easier to transfer to a new variant would be considered every time, because no matter how you shake it, losing access to a game that you potentially put money into sucks. And while Nier Reincarnation is the subject of this particular piece, it's not limited to mobile games either. While I don't have the most experience with departed live service games, everyone probably has one – Rumbleverse in my case – that they've lost access to entirely.
