Well, for a simple, single player title that doesn’t need to be, shall I dare say, future proof, a database connection isn’t needed. It all depends on the mechanics of gameplay that you’re implementing. I think of online connected games which uses a DB for behind the scenes stuff as being harder, alot harder, to create. However, it makes updating and maintaining the game much easier, as all you need to do (if set up properly), are to add / modify / delete fields in the table(s). The end user would also appreciate this, as they won’t need to download a huge patch every time something is changed. The downfall of this though, is that it becomes an Always Online type of game, which people do raise their eyebrows at, with good reason; namely the biggest reason is longevity. How long will that server / DB be up and running.