Gameplay Focus and Purchasing Decisions

[Melf]

I prefer single-player, but online is always good if it's cooperative. I just can't get into playing death match and capture the flag over and over again, and I don't have the interest or time to spend months on a single game's multi-player mode. I know many people prefer the multi, and that's cool, but it doesn't do anything for me at all unless it's co-op.

[Daitokuji]

Since most of my friends have moved to other parts of the country the only way to keep in touch is xbox live. So I'd rather play single player everything unless i can get one of them in some multiplayer.

[Tsubaki]

Probably not gonna be popular by saying this, but I think people who are mp gamers aren't really gamers.

[Tain]

I think people who use the word "gamers" in that way aren't really gamers.

[mannerbot]

Those other mean boys made Tsubaki QQ one too many times, I guess.

I voted Online Multi/Value in Offline Multi. Offline multiplayer is the best of course for both social and competition/technical reasons, though not always feasible. Online is an acceptable alternative. There aren't too many single player experiences that offer the replay value of a multiplayer game, but beyond that, there's no AI that learns and grows with you as you get better at a game. Though, I'd imagine that most people would agree that single player can offer more "memorable" experiences through storytelling and the like.

[MarkRyan]

I actually could not care less about online. I enjoy a good multiplayer game, but these days it's usually just fighters or DS wireless games. LAN can be very awesome if well supported, but it's very rare that I have the opportunity to do that stuff anymore 'cause everyone I would play multiplayer games with is too sated by shitty online.

[mannerbot]

At the same time though, it's not so much fun if everyone you know irl sucks at a game. I'd rather get some decent competition online.

[MarkRyan]

At the same time though, it's not so much fun if everyone you know irl sucks at a game. I'd rather get some decent competition online.

I get zero enjoyment from playing random people online, whether I'm destroying them or getting destroyed. Might as well be playing AI bots.

[NeoZeedeater]

Might as well be playing AI bots.

Except that AI bots still act like AI bots. The experience (of stuff meant for multiplayer like deathmatch) is better with real people even if you don't know them or communicate with them because of the added realism of the enemies' movements and strategies.

[jyoung]

Probably not gonna be popular by saying this, but I think people who are mp gamers aren't really gamers.

This is one of the dumbest statements I think I've ever seen on this board.

Care to explain your position?

Would you prefer the term cyber-athlete?

Having to play against AI is the reason I don't play single-player games anymore. AI is boring, because beating them always comes down to little more than figuring out and exploiting their behavioral patterns. The only time that stuff is fun for me is when things like score become involved and competition can be generated amongst other players to see who can exploit the AI the best.