# Multiplayer or singleplayer games?



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

As the thread says, do you like better MP or SP games? 

I prefer SP games, mainly due to the fact that I hate investing a huge amount of time and energy into a single game, and multiplayer can sometimes get boring. The type of multiplayer that I enjoy a lot is co-op. 
I like SP games because I can just pause and save at any time .


----------



## .17485 (Jan 12, 2011)

I like single player games


----------



## Clyme (Jul 17, 2014)

I enjoy multiplayer games if it means I can play them with my girlfriend.


----------



## action9000 (Jun 15, 2013)

I rarely play single-player games. As much as I understand that they're not, my brain interprets them as a waste of time. I have a lot of creative hobbies and my brain prefers that I spend time on them than put those hours towards something that I won't have the same sense of fulfillment for completing.

Beyond that, if I don't have enough energy to work on something when I'm alone, I probably don't have the attention to give a video game, either. Therefore, that alone time is used for something relaxing and low-key, such as watching a documentary, or even something mindless, to unwind. Single player video games are too much work to be unwinding for me, especially if they have any sort of plot that I need to pay attention to.

As for multiplayer games...I love em, provided that I'm playing with people who enjoy the same kinds of games that I do. Nothing is better than a few good friends getting together and getting a little playfully competitive...but nothing is worse than people just wishing the game would end because they want to play something different.

I voted multiplayer.


----------



## Serenade (Sep 9, 2014)

I love multiplayer games! As long as I have someone sitting on the couch with me, duking it out in versus mode or fighting mutant spiders in co-op. 

Online multiplayer games are boring. The only element that makes it fun is the social concept. As a person who is not very sociable and do not desire the need to socialize, I can find the gameplay lacking in characters and stories. The people are also very annoying, and are only useful if they give you information or recommendations in the game. But, being a horrible, terrible, sadistic fuck, I usually make them scream in anger whenever I try to play the game like a pro. They get mad at me and then I'm like, "Whatever. Chill, kid, chill", but secretly inside, I am laughing my arse off. >

Single player is amazing as long as it has a good plot, good characters, and good game-play. I don't care about graphics, but the scenery and technology of updated games can take my breath away.

You can tell that I don't get out much.

:crazy:


----------



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

action9000 said:


> I rarely play single-player games. As much as I understand that they're not, my brain interprets them as a waste of time. I have a lot of creative hobbies and my brain prefers that I spend time on them than put those hours towards something that I won't have the same sense of fulfillment for completing.
> 
> Beyond that, if I don't have enough energy to work on something when I'm alone, I probably don't have the attention to give a video game, either. Therefore, that alone time is used for something relaxing and low-key, such as watching a documentary, or even something mindless, to unwind. Single player video games are too much work to be unwinding for me, especially if they have any sort of plot that I need to pay attention to.
> 
> ...


Wait. So SP games are boring because you feel they are a waste of time, taking too much time, but MP are not because you can play them with friends?

Fair enough, I guess. But Multiplayer games take waaaaaaaaaay more time than SP ones.


----------



## action9000 (Jun 15, 2013)

> Wait. So SP games are boring because you feel they are a waste of time, taking too much time, but MP are not because you can play them with friends?


Correct. A single player game doesn't help me meet my social needs, whereas a multiplayer game (especially couch multiplayer - my games of choice!) definitely does. The game serves as a social vehicle to encourage enjoyment in small groups. 

On my own, the game has no purpose other than to entertain me, which I can manage just fine with my endless other hobbies. The single player game is fundamentally pointless in my life. The multiplayer game serves to improve my social life.



> But Multiplayer games take waaaaaaaaaay more time than SP ones.


Depends on the game and how seriously you play. This can be true or false. I play a little bit of League of Legends with friends over Skype from time to time. My preference is for couch multiplayer.
I'm not a hardcore gamer.

If I replaced, say, half of my relaxation time on my own with single-player gaming, I would spend A LOT more time playing single player games than I would playing multiplayer games. 

On average (considering I don't play socially every week), I probably play about 4-5 hours per week of multiplayer games.
I could spend that in 2-3 days, easy, if a significant amount of my unwinding time was converted to playing single-player games: 8-12 hours per week - much more than the 4-5 I currently spend in multiplayer games, totaling damn near 16-17 hours a week of gaming!


----------



## Grandmaster Yoda (Jan 18, 2014)

I like single player games. Or really I like games that have single player. A hybrid game maybe with co-op campaign is fun. But an all online, multiplayer game is a little annoying.


----------



## aendern (Dec 28, 2013)

In general single player games are boring as hell.


----------



## action9000 (Jun 15, 2013)

> But an all online, multiplayer game is a little annoying.


I do agree with this statement, actually. 

I look to multiplayer games for *Positive Social Experiences*.

I have no tolerance in games for negative social experiences. They're games. If I'm not relaxing and relieving stress, what am I doing? I want no part of this gaming experience.

I have limited tolerance in games for solo experiences. If I know I can never really share anything I'm doing in a game with someone else, the game loses a lot of its value to me. There are a lot of solo activities I can do that I *can* share with others when they come to fruition. If I want a story, that's what I use movies for. 

Games are social vehicles for me, first and foremost.


----------



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

emberfly said:


> In general single player games are boring as hell.


You are aware that most of the best games of all time are single player, right?


----------



## action9000 (Jun 15, 2013)

> You are aware that most of the best games of all time are single player, right?


That comment is _extremely _subjective.

Source: Speaking as a gamer who didn't like the FF series, Chrono Trigger, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the CoD series, Halo or Mass Effect. (You might notice: Not an RPG or military FPS fan :tongue


----------



## Wonszu (Sep 25, 2013)

Single player. Game won't tell me to f*ck myself if I make a mistake or hunt me down on low levels. Single player games have usually more investing storyline. I like to just explore and gain experience in my own tempo instead of racing on ladders to the top. And I have no time to bicker with 15 years old on-line. I have little patient for angry gamers.

The only multilayer game I play lately is Path of Exile and just because I can play alone as much as I want. I guess single player games are for more introverted people - it doesn't have to be necessarily entirely accurate but truth lies somewhere on this line. Extroverts on the other could spend time with people on multi. There is a third possibility with hardcore gamers, who could be either intro or extroverts but simply like to grind the h*ll out of multilayer games


----------



## Grandalf (Jun 7, 2014)

Single player for the win! almost.....

If multiplayer game where every man for himself, then I'll play (doesn't beat single though). As for co-op, I don't trust random internet players (may betray you or leave during crucial moment). Best bet are friends you know personally and are nearby (library or same house). I may be "most independent" but that doesn't mean I belittle friendships.


----------



## Stasis (May 6, 2014)

Voted for single player.


----------



## nO_d3N1AL (Apr 25, 2014)

I like multiplayer games for the social aspect but if I don't have any friends that play the game it gets boring after a while. Single player is where it's at, with achievements being good for extending playtime. The only multiplayer games I could play forever without friends would probably be (Ultra/Super) Street Fighter IV, Counter-Strike Global Offensive and Call of Duty 4. Single player games tend to provide a much richer and more memorable experience imo.


----------



## Serenade (Sep 9, 2014)

Grandmaster Yoda said:


> I like single player games. Or really I like games that have single player. A hybrid game maybe with co-op campaign is fun. But an all online, multiplayer game is a little annoying.


That is _exactly_ what I thought. roud:


----------



## Grandmaster Yoda (Jan 18, 2014)

Serenade said:


> That is _exactly_ what I thought. roud:


Intelligent people think alike. Or was it stupid people all listen to one source and thus all come to the same conclusions?


----------



## Serenade (Sep 9, 2014)

Thank you, @Grandmaster Yoda. 

I have learned the power of the force from your gaming wisdom.

:laughing:

I'm just kidding. :wink: My bro actually got me into gaming. He taught me that multiplayer games are usually mainstream and suck a bunch of arse.


----------



## Grandmaster Yoda (Jan 18, 2014)

Serenade said:


> Thank you, @Grandmaster Yoda.
> 
> I have learned the power of the force from your gaming wisdom.
> 
> ...


I was just reading about "mainstream" and "societal norms". An article hidden from the average internet user that discusses a comparative analogy of real life and the matrix, it uses the matrix to represent things that blind us, things that filter the truth and makes things they say seem more real than reality itself. It was powerfully against the existence of powerful corporations and governments and supporting a concept of freedom of anonymity. One indirect method to weakening the Matrix's power is to participate in gift economies, open source materials are a form of gift economy. This works best on the internet because everything gifted is not lost by the giver only copied and sent to a receiver. This part of the key, to freedom.


----------



## Serenade (Sep 9, 2014)

So governments and corporations supporting anonymity falsely support freedom? There's a lot of stuff they hide from the public, which is against the rules in a democracy! But you know, governments and corporations like power and to get power is to keep the freedom of thought and independence away from the individual. 

What are gift economies? 

*intrigued* :}


----------



## mikan (May 25, 2014)

multiplayer games!!


----------



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

action9000 said:


> That comment is _extremely _subjective.
> 
> Source: Speaking as a gamer who didn't like the FF series, Chrono Trigger, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the CoD series, Halo or Mass Effect. (You might notice: Not an RPG or military FPS fan :tongue


No, it is not. Check the link.
Metacritic is a site that takes into account several sources, making it one of the most objective ones. That is not merely my view. The one who's being *extremely* subjective here is you ( "*Speaking as a gamer who didn't like the FF series*"). That being said, I understand your view. However, going by statistics, there are more well-made SP games than MP games.


----------



## Word Dispenser (May 18, 2012)

I put that I like them evenly, but I might lean single player.

I love any game with a story, though. Especially those old adventure point-and-click games. roud:


----------



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

Word Dispenser said:


> I put that I like them evenly, but I might lean single player.
> 
> I love any game with a story, though. Especially those old adventure point-and-click games. roud:


Me too. Too bad there are few interesting games like that nowadays. What is your favorite one? (I saw something interesting named "the vanishing of Ethan Carter".)


----------



## Word Dispenser (May 18, 2012)

Noir said:


> Me too. Too bad there are few interesting games like that nowadays. What is your favorite one? (I saw something interesting named "the vanishing of Ethan Carter".)


Gabriel Knight. Hands down. Probably the entire series, but the first is a must-play. :kitteh: 

I've not heard of that one you mentioned though.


----------



## DeadlyRefridgerator (Jun 4, 2013)

Singleplayer or Co-op. PvP games just make me rage.


----------



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

Word Dispenser said:


> Gabriel Knight. Hands down. Probably the entire series, but the first is a must-play. :kitteh:
> 
> I've not heard of that one you mentioned though.


I am not surprised. Have you tried Kentucky Route Zero?


----------



## Word Dispenser (May 18, 2012)

Noir said:


> I am not surprised. Have you tried Kentucky Route Zero?


Nope, but looking it up, and it's nice to see that the genre is really coming alive again. I'll keep it in mind, thanks. :kitteh:


----------



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

Word Dispenser said:


> Nope, but looking it up, and it's nice to see that the genre is really coming alive again. I'll keep it in mind, thanks. :kitteh:


It is very good. Not much of a game, though. I love the symbolism behind it.


----------



## action9000 (Jun 15, 2013)

> No, it is not. Check the link.
> Metacritic is a site that takes into account several sources, making it one of the most objective ones. That is not merely my view. The one who's being *extremely* subjective here is you ( "Speaking as a gamer who didn't like the FF series"). That being said, I understand your view. However, going by statistics, there are more well-made SP games than MP games.


Fair enough. 
I am familiar with Metacritic and I will also agree that there are more well-made SP games than MP games.

My question then is, "does that fact make SP games inherently better?" because that is how I interpreted your statements.

One could argue that SP and MP games are entirely different beasts with different design decisions involved, therefore they're incomparables; apples and oranges. They meet different psychological needs, players respond to them differently and the games need to go about achieving their psychological objectives in fundamentally different ways (engrossing world/story vs player interaction as their fundamental mechanics).

It's much the same as apples and milk. Which is "better?"
Apples are delicious and chewable; filling and healthy.
Milk is packed full of healthy fats and nutrients; it is drinkable, not even requiring teeth, and healthy.

They're fundamentally different, have different nutritional content, are consumed in different ways, come from completely different sources, have a vast quantity of positive (and negative) characteristics. How can one be summarized as being "better"?

There are perhaps more varieties of milks than varieties of apples. If they're both "proven" to be good, does this fact alone make milk "better"? "There are more well-made milks than well-made apples"? I don't think that's good enough to say milk is better - plenty of people enjoy apples and don't like milk (or are lactose intolerant, etc.)

I argue that SP and MP games have the same relationship.
Which is a better game series? Mass Effect (let's ignore its MP for now) or Smash Bros (let's ignore its SP for now)?

The ME series is groundbreaking in its genre, has an epic story line, incredible presentation, is critically acclaimed and loved by Sci-fi and RPG fans, as well as many, many gamers in general around the world.

The SSB series is groundbreaking in its genre, has a form of player interaction never seen before in a video game which caught the world by storm, is critically acclaimed, features loveable characters that Nintendo fans have grown up with as well as new faces and is a staple at parties and colleges around the world. 

More good SP games have probably been made than good MP games, but more SP games *in general* have been produced than MP games. Naturally, there will be more good ones. 

Does this make SP a "better", more logical decision when deciding what sorts of games people "should" be playing? Of course not; that depends on the psychological needs that the player wants to meet. Some tools are better for the job than others.


----------



## Dr Wahwee (May 2, 2012)

I prefer single player games for the most part as it's easier to get immersed in them. A lot of multiplayer games put emphasis on teamwork, but I tend to find myself just doing my own thing unless it was necessary for victory. It's also easy to play with others with a much greater experience level than you, which can ruin the fun of a challenge greatly if they do all the work for you. Co-operative play with friends is probably the best multiplayer experience, but few games have managed to implement co-op without it being too chaotic and not fluid. Multiplayer games rarely have memorable story lines as well; the only one that comes to mind that I've played is Secret of Mana.


----------



## Agelastos (Jun 1, 2014)

I like my games story- and character-driven, so: SP all the way.


----------



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

action9000 said:


> One could argue that SP and MP games are entirely *different beasts*...


Actually, the line between SP and MP is getting thinner and thinner, especially with all the co-op games. I read an article somewhere that claimed that singleplayer games will eventually die. 

I agree that it depends on the person and the preference, but my comment was directed at the user who stated singleplayer games are boring (and thus bad). What I am trying to say is that even if I dislike multiplayer games, that does not mean they are bad. I do not like LoL, but that doesn't make it bad.


----------



## ALongTime (Apr 19, 2014)

Single player games. For me multiplayer is fun for a while but never more than a sideshow from the "real" single player game. With multiplayer, it's much better if it's co-operative; I just don't get those games where all you do is run around shooting each other...

But I've not been a gamer for at least 5 years now, I don't know what multiplayers people are playing today, maybe they're better now.


----------



## elixare (Aug 26, 2010)

Depends on the game. Some games are better in SP mode, others are better in MP mode. Single Player games are great but they also tend to be really easy (too easy in fact) to beat since you're up against AI...MP is more fun since you're up against other humans who may be just as skilled as you, though there's also plenty of idiots in MP games...

In general I'd say

For RPGs/games with fancy "Storylines" - Single Player ftw
For First Person Shooters/Strategy Games - Multiplayer ftw


----------



## Rice (Apr 27, 2014)

Single player. Occasionally I'll play with a friend or two, but I don't like games that force me to play with strangers, not counting something like Journey.


----------



## Im FiNe (Oct 17, 2013)

Assuming that the games in question are electronic, then I favor single-player. I have a very limited exposure to cooperative gameplay. Those were fun. Player vs. player, however, doesn't suit me. I don't like that type of competition rooted in the idea that one person wins and another loses. I dislike the concept of MMO's.

I do prefer real-life games with multiple people where everybody is sitting around a table together. I prefer RPG's. I also have enjoyed some war games, board games, and card games.


----------



## ChocolateBunny (Aug 5, 2013)

With games like Portal, I prefer the multi-player mode more than the single-player. Super Smash Brothers is pretty boring to me if I don't play multi-player. Games that are single-player are still more interesting when there's someone else that takes turns with me/can help me/is just there. I must admit, I get a little lonely if I play video games by myself because they all feel like there should be more people playing.


----------



## blood roots (Oct 29, 2013)

Multiplayer. I get bored with single-player games.


----------

