WB's push to curb second-hand sales led to groundbreaking Nemesis game mechanic

[Daniel Sims]

In brief: The Middle-Earth games from the recently closed studio Monolith are largely known for the unique Nemesis system, which procedurally generated new enemy behavior based on the player's actions. Critics praised Monolith for its creativity, but a former Warner Bros executive recently revealed that the design actually emerged from a very pragmatic goal – discouraging players from trading their games in.

In a recent video that was quickly removed, former WB Games vice president Laura Fryer revealed the inspiration behind an innovative game mechanic from Monolith's Middle-earth games. Although players often criticize game companies for using gimmicks to further monetize their products, the same goal was behind the creation of the well-regarded Nemesis system.

The first in a duology of action-adventure games set in J. R. R. Tolkien's world, 2014's Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, was developed during a time when large publishers frequently complained about second-hand game sales. Multiplayer and large open worlds became more common in games with big budgets because players traded them in less often, which presumably meant that a higher percentage of customers bought them new instead of used.

Fryer explained that Monolith's game engine didn't support the open worlds common in other major titles, and the company was unwilling to implement multiplayer. Instead, the studio tried to increase player retention by making its game more dynamic and less predictable.

Monolith's answer, the Nemesis system, enabled NPCs to remember players' actions and change their behavior accordingly during later encounters. Although the mechanic was popular, it remains unclear whether it helped minimize trade-ins and second-hand sales. Nowadays, publishers prefer to lock customers in with digital purchases and subscriptions, which can't be traded.

Unfortunately, despite implementing the Nemesis system in two successful Middle-earth games, Warner Bros suddenly shut down Monolith and other subsidiary studios last month. The company was developing a Wonder Woman title that also implemented the memorable mechanic.

To make matters worse, the Nemesis system likely won't appear in another game for the foreseeable future because Warner Bros patented it. The publisher currently has no other games in production, and holds the patent on the mechanic until August 11, 2036. Fittingly, YouTube removed Fryer's video following a Warner Bros. copyright claim.

Before the Middle-earth titles, Monolith's three-decade history included well-regarded PC classics like Blood, No One Lives Forever, Shogo: Mobile Armor Division, and F.E.A.R.

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WB's push to curb second-hand sales led to groundbreaking Nemesis game mechanic

 

[Neatfeatguy]

I really liked the first game, the second one not so much, but one really fun moment from the first game was when I had an unfortunate run and got killed by one of the orc captains. My younger brother and I were playing the game around the same timeframe. I'd spend a few hours playing one day and the next he would be playing his copy for a bit.

As I said, I had my unfortunate demise to a captain one day and I never tracked him back down for revenge. My brother was playing the game later that day and he came across a quest to kill that captain I fell to. My brother got to avenge my death in game, in his game!

We laughed about it. Good times.

 

[Dimitriid]

It sounds too dumb to be true, but I buy it: gaming is now run by just executives with zero gaming qualifications selected by equally uninterested investors that if you actually want to do a proper game as a dev studio, you *have* to explain the concept of fun to them as if they were 5 years old:

'Look Timmy, if we sell this game for 60 oranges you might play it once, sell it to Donny next door for 40 oranges and you just buy the next game. But what if the game was SO GOOD you would rather play it another time and sell it later for just 20 oranges? What it's SO COOL that you rather not sell it at all since you don't need other games for 60 oranges you want to keep playing this one because it's so fun you can just play it every day and not be bored!?

Now what if you're Donny and you want our game but Timmy isn't selling it for 30 after he is done because he's having soooo much fun? He might want to just save up to 60 oranges and have some fun too with his own game that he'll get to play every day too without it getting boring! That's why we should take more time and make a cool game people want to play over and over instead of one they get rid off after 2 weeks!'

 

[kira setsu]

There's so many ways devs and publishers could hinder used games sales, sadly that takes work and imagination.

current games are sorta built to be played and shelved, theyre cool in the moment but built in such a streamlined way you have ability to do everything in one playthrough(looking at you ff16) sonys big movie games, ubi and its massive worlds(although I do love em) once you burn dozens or hundreds of hrs in some of these titles there really is no point to go back unless you really love it.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Pretty sure WB has Hogwarts Legacy 2 brewing at the moment.

That would be a game that would hugely benefit from the inclusion of a nemesis-like system, the first game was pretty but so so flat.

 

[NumberNine]

WB seems to genuinely believe they've invented the concept of a variable.

 

[toooooot]

Their attempts to prevent people from selling what's in their possession were truly shameful.
They can't sleep because someone might get some money back buy selling their game, but foolishly pour hundreds of millions into projects that keep failing one after another.