COMMENTARY - It Takes Two’s Friend Pass Should Be Industry Standard
The book of love.
By Jonathan Garrett
24/02/21
Co-op gaming is so often intrinsically linked with magical, unpredictable moments; friends sharing unexpected emergent mechanics, or a particularly surprising story beat. Single player narratives will always have their place, but there’s nothing quite like experiencing a dedicated two player campaign together. A Way Out’s ‘Friend Pass’ was a new way to lower the barrier of entry, and worked incredibly well. With It Takes Two following suit, this feature should absolutely become industry standard.
In spite of his outspoken flamboyance, Hazelight director Josef Fares executes his vision with laser precision. From the ground up, Hazelight is building games that not only support co-op play, but require it. The subsequent introduction of the ‘Friend Pass’, allowing a second player to experience the full game without owning a copy themselves, felt like a tangible light bulb moment that continues to resonate.
Without it, games like A Way Out and It Take Two would likely not have enjoyed the same kind of sales and pre-release hype [respectively] as they have. It’s a consumer friendly move that drastically minimises the risk, with only one human in a pair required to take the plunge. It speaks to EA’s confidence in their direction, and belief in the product, that they would be willing to support this.
The “House of Fifa” have wrestled with monetisation controversies and overbearing management in the past, including (but not limited to) Dead Space 3’s microtransactions, Ultimate Team stat balance, Battlefront 2’s loot boxes, and most recently the cancellation of Anthem Next. The EA Originals label, and everything it has produced, continues to demonstrate their commitment to being better.
As one of the first titles under that banner, A Way Out was a surprise hit, and I believe in large part due to its accessibility via ‘Friend Pass’. This is where publishers should take note, particularly with live service games: if your title supports some form of co-operative multiplayer component, consider implementing this concept.
Word of mouth can spread quicker, more folks will potentially stream it, and the sentiment for your game could be more positive. It’s better when we’re together!
“You have to FIIIIIIIX… your RELATIONSHIP!”