Gil, I'm sure that you're aware that the opinion expressed in that post mortem is not a one size fits all for the video game industry. A badly implemented multiplayer or a multiplayer that largely does not suit the audience is most definitely going to reap that type of sour grapes in a post mortem. But it is simply not true that multiplayer is the minority "outside of a handful of game"! I find that comment absurd. I can't think of a single friend or co-worker who plays video games who is *not* interested in getting online and playing with others.

Online gaming is a booming industry. All you have to do is look at the subscription market to see examples of just how much player will dish out over the course of months and in some cases years, to play online. Nevermind the boom in 'gaming' broadband packages.

TW has focused on Single Player and honestly I cannot say how much more profit/sales would be obtained per additional development resources put into the multiplayer component. I think that would depend on what and how multiplayer features were implemented.

Multiplayer is the future of gaming -- I have no doubt when I make that statement. Multiplayer addresses the AI hurdle. Multiplayer recycles gameplay (I can speak of at least 5 friends I convinced to buy MTW just last year because I was still enjoying it online ... without an online component I would have been done with the game and never had the opportunity to recommend it so far down the road). Multiplayer allows people to connect and play games together throughout the world. Minority? Bah!

CA has some choices to make and I don't necessarily think it is obvious to make multiplayer the ugly step child of TW. The single player game speaks to the talent, care and innovation available from the development team and I personally think that if some of that talent was shared and supported in the multiplayer component you'd reap the benefits financially.

Everyone I know that plays TW would like some degree of a multiplayer experience grafted onto the single player experience. Everyone I know that has been waiting two years for RTW was shocked to some degree that there wasn't only more meat in the multiplayer but that it was such a beta experience.