Does anyone else not play online at all?

Lionel Messy

I played alot of Quake III online on the dreamcast back in the day but I don't have the facilities for online gaming now and I actually don't mind just playing single player. I had alot of craic with Quake and i'm sure it can be great playing online now but getting the requirements just isn't high on my priorities.

Heavy Rain, Red Dead, The GTA's, SStreet Fighter iv, MK and others are all recent enough games I've enjoyed alot on my own.

Is the future safe for single player games?

Somnus

I much prefer a good single player experience. Big fan of rpg's like Fallout, and love any game that has a good story and atmosphere. Bioshock, Darksiders and Dead Space are all fantastic games with no need for multi player.
While I sometimes play a bit of BF3, online play just doesn't hold attention.

helimachoptor

I only play Madden online really these days.

The odd time I'll play CoD, but tend to head towards the single player games mainly so I can just switch off when I need to.

Dozen Wicked Words

I don't play online because of a poor Internet connection. My biggest miss from games these days is poor/no local multiplayer. Just seems to be 1 player or online as the choices. Or is that my perception rather than fact?

Bobby42

I never play on line. Even though I love playing Call of Duty. But I prefer sitting back playing Fallout or Halflife. Just never bothered setting up for online gaming.

DaveNoCheese

Depends on the game really, single player in CoD4 is unparallel to any other FPS I've played. Then again the story and single player of Mass Effect is amazing and so in depth. Other games then I only play the online multiplayer, the recent CoD for example.

All in all, single player campaign will always be a big thing in gaming... Obviously some single player games will be crap and others well above par.

CastorTroy

I prefer single player games which is why it annoys me when developers seem to cut the game short in order to spend time on multiplayer. Think only games I've tried online recently were Uncharted 3 and Dead Space 2.
For Uncharted, it took so long to connect to a game that I only played a few matches and turned it off. Be better if you could just go on and have a quick game. But too much waiting and loading

And then there's the main problem of playing against people who clearly don't do anything but play the game so you can't really enjoy yourself when you're dying almost instantly

Myrddin

I never play online. Far more interested in the single player campaign/story as opposed to endlessly killing/beating people in a mindless void of cursing/swearing/abuse.

Give me a rich immersive story every.single.time.

richymcdermott

ya will always have single player games

just ya see more single players games with tacked on mp

DaveNoCheese

EnterNow wrote: »

I never play online. Far more interested in the single player campaign/story as opposed to endlessly killing/beating people in a mindless void of cursing/swearing/abuse.

Give me a rich immersive story every.single.time.

I concur with the bolded part... Not every single time for me though, mindless online killing has its benefits too

Shiminay

I'm 50/50 with my gaming. I don't know what games people are playing that have screaming abuse, but there are mute buttons and reporting tools for a reason. Multi-player is the reason you go back to a game - Mass Effect 3 is a great example - I've been playing loads of the multi in that having finished the story almost 3 weeks ago.

ShadowHearth

Witcher 2 - best single player experience ever.

Myrddin

Shiminay wrote: »

I'm 50/50 with my gaming. I don't know what games people are playing that have screaming abuse, but there are mute buttons and reporting tools for a reason

I know I'm the exception rather than the rule, but to me, it's all completely pointless. There's no start middle or end to the game online [mmorpg's are different, I'm talking about bog standard stuff here] it's just you, a map, a few other people...repeat wash & rinse.

I like progressing through a game, achieving things that arn't achievements, & seeing a game develop. My son mostly plays multiplayer & when I look at it, it's just mindless drivel. I can see it's fun to those inclined, but give me an adventure in Hyrule over map-based repetition anyday.

johnny_ultimate

I've always preferred the finite nature of single-player as well. So many games out there and I just don't have the time to dedicate to multiplayer. As Enternow said, a measurable start, middle and end are luxuries I highly appreciate.

Not that I'm against multiplayer at all, I certainly enjoy dipping in and out from time to time (which is why I'm so opposed to XP systems that constantly demand heavy time commitment and actively discourage casual play). A good split-screen match is also a joy. I do love to see game developer's doing something interesting with multiplayer: to me Dark Souls and Journey are far more rewarding than a mere deathmatch, and we should encourage developers to be more ambitious with their online components.

Shiminay

I think you need to shift your way of thinking for multi-player and think of it more like having a kick-about with a football - there's nothing more to it than just doing it cause you enjoy kicking ball with friends for an hour. Multi-player gaming is the competitive "sport" side of computer gaming, different animal to single player. Not everyone's cuppa tea though, I'd never suggest that everyone has to play multi-player, but it's there to cater to a different sort of market.

Myrddin

Shiminay wrote: »

I think you need to shift your way of thinking for multi-player and think of it more like having a kick-about with a football - there's nothing more to it than just doing it cause you enjoy kicking ball with friends for an hour. Multi-player gaming is the competitive "sport" side of computer gaming, different animal to single player. Not everyone's cuppa tea though, I'd never suggest that everyone has to play multi-player, but it's there to cater to a different sort of market.

Agreed, it just doesn't appeal to me, so I don't/rarely do it

Canis Lupus

Two very different game experiences really. I like. I'm happy to sit down to a Mass Effect game and play it for hours and I'm just as happy jumping into a game of TF2 etc online.

My only wish was that online games producers could work in a way that when someone says something along the lines of "f*cking noob" a portal would open and you could punch said person in the face.... and then burn their house down....

Magill

Only a few MP games are mindless "drivel" (CoD and BF spring to mind)... most require far more concentration and skill than any SP game, some people enjoy that challenge.. some don't.

Personally, i used to only play MP games, but over the last 3 or 4 years i've had less time on my hands and have played a lot more SP games.

Myrddin

Magill wrote: »

Only a few MP games are mindless "drivel" (CoD and BF spring to mind)...

Yeah, unfair of me to lump them all in one pot. CoD sprung to mind instantly when thinking of MP. I'm sure some are rewarding in their own right, & there is accomplishment in them.

most require far more concentration and skill than any SP game, some people enjoy that challenge.. some don't.

That may be, but for me, I still prefer 'a story' to be told.

Retr0gamer

Used to play a lot online on the PC back in the late nineties. Got bored of it and now the only time I venture online is with Minecraft or Dark Souls. It just bores me now and all those tweens that getting inflated egos from being good at it grate after a while.

Notorious

I'd be fifty-fifty with online and single player gaming. These days I find myself playing more offline because I've such a massive back catalog of games to get through, but I'll always give the online side of any game a try. I always find myself going back to playing Battlefield 3 to blow off some steam online or maybe a few games of FIFA or Left4Dead if I can get a few friends to join in.

Games like Battlefield, or COD (which I no longer play), are much better online than their single player equilivants in my opinion. When it comes to single player I love a solid story driven game like Fallout, Batman or Mass Effect. I prefer playing a huge RPG, but sometimes nothing beats a fast paced online challenge.

penev10

I too got sucked into Quake 3 on the Dreamcast! Probably my favourite online experience to date.

I think it's down to the people you play with, back then anyone who was online on a DC was a 20 something geek and there was almost always a good atmosphere. Now, as mentioned by Retr0, the majority are young boys and a culture of disrepectful behaviour has developed and sadly become the norm (Americanised "trash-talking" seems to be the only form of communication!).

I have on occasion found some like-minded people to play with and you can then appreciate what online mulitplayer is about. Unfortunately synchronising what game and time is usually a chore with so few of us about.

5uspect

I'd say I'm 50-50 too. I never touch MP on the xbox though /shudder.
I play a good bit of BF3 with a few regulars over on the Craggy Island server and it's good craic with Teamspeak. Since moving over to the UK I've found it easy to catch up with friends back home with games of Magicka, TF2 and L4D2.

I also have a sizable steam singleplayer backlog to work through.

Retr0gamer

penev10 wrote: »

Now, as mentioned by Retr0, the majority are young boys and a culture of disrepectful behaviour has developed and sadly become the norm (Americanised "trash-talking" seems to be the only form of communication!).

Always been like that, only thing different is that everyone and their dog now has a mic to vent.

CastorTroy

Yeah was more awkward to open the onscreen console and type the insults when you could just play

penev10

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Always been like that, only thing different is that everyone and their dog now has a mic to vent.

That's the best thing about Dark Souls MP - no voice chat!

Magill

Most people don't use voice chat on PC tho... at least not ingame voice chat. People typically play with friends on vent/mumble or teamspeak. And even if you do come across a rager or kid on the mic, just mute them, takes about 2 seconds. Even if its the entire lobby on xbox/ps3.. one quick swoop and everyone is muted for the entire game, heck im pretty sure you can just disable to voice chat on both consoles.

I get that a lot of people have just no interest in MP, but the whole "MP is full of whingy teens and arseholes" is just a nonsensical complaint when its so easy to ignore other players and just play with friends (Unless you have no friends... like me :P).

penev10

Magill wrote: »

Most people don't use voice chat on PC tho... at least not ingame voice chat. People typically play with friends on vent/mumble or teamspeak. And even if you do come across a rager or kid on the mic, just mute them, takes about 2 seconds. Even if its the entire lobby on xbox/ps3.. one quick swoop and everyone is muted for the entire game, heck im pretty sure you can just disable to voice chat on both consoles.

I get that a lot of people have just no interest in MP, but the whole "MP is full of whingy teens and arseholes" is just a nonsensical complaint when its so easy to ignore other players and just play with friends (Unless you have no friends... like me :P).

Good point, you can disable voice chat easily but surely your missing something then. One of the best things about online MP is being able to communicate with others to formulate strategy, synchronize actions etc. It's just a shame one rarely gets the opportunity amongst the white-nise of "fa&&ot" this and "your mom" that.

Kinski

My online gaming experience: Halo 3, for about a week. Almost every single match involved being killed again and again and again by one player who was clearly far better than the rest of us, and obviously knew the maps like the back of his/her hand. On the rare occasions that I got a game with similarly-skilled players, it was a blast, but it just didn't happen often enough. So that was that.

If a game doesn't focus on creating a satisfying and lengthy single-player campaign, then I ain't interested.

Though I never heard any foul-mouthed stuff on chat...because I didn't really hear any chat. I could tell people had mics on, but mostly all I ever heard were barely-audible mutterings.

bradknowell

I dont play online as much as I used to. Sometimes Ill pull an all nighter and go mad online playing but the single player storylines in some of the games Im playing at the moment are just so good, I dont need multiplayer. That and the american teenagers online can be extremely squeaky and annoying.

Magill

penev10 wrote: »

Good point, you can disable voice chat easily but surely your missing something then. One of the best things about online MP is being able to communicate with others to formulate strategy, synchronize actions etc. It's just a shame one rarely gets the opportunity amongst the white-nise of "fa&&ot" this and "your mom" that.

Just depends on the game really, I've played quite a bit of COD on PS3 and if im being honest.. its rare that i came across this "white-noise" you speak of, it really is something that's over-exaggerated imo. Maybe its different on Xbox (I have played a bit on Xbox too) but generally there isn't that much chat going on, and if there is its usually between a few mates. I've also a few days played on MW3/BLOPS on the PC and again its even more rare that people start giving out abuse.

With COD probably having the most immature player base... it really isn't all that bad from my experience. Maybe the less skilled players have a harder time, because the only abuse i ever get on pretty much any shooter is the whole "OMG Hackerz!"....

Saying all that.. I've been playing a bit of LoL the last few days, being pretty bad at the game I've had a few people calling me a noob haha... i just laugh it off really. Its just something that's so easy to ignore that missing up the entire experience of MP games because of it is a bit silly imo.

wyrn

I love gaming but I have to (anonymously) admit I am totally and utterly crap at it. I get very frustrated when I get stuck, that makes it worse because I've built up some mental block and then I give up. Also, I am one of those OCD gamers that has to check out every single corner and break every box I see. It pains me to miss a box. I hate checking on Steam to see I have played 8 hours in one day. Attack of the guilts.

Then when I get to MP, it's terrible. I'm really crap and uncoordinated. It's ok playing with friends, but with strangers... ugh.

I hate the fact that ME3 is making me use MP to get the "better ending". Not only that but the fact because I played them all on PC, I have no Origin friends. I'm having serious issues connecting to a server on ME3. There's no errors, just won't connect. This annoys me more than the ending(s).

So give me single player any day!

Magill

Kinski wrote: »

My online gaming experience: Halo 3, for about a week. Almost every single match involved being killed again and again and again by one player who was clearly far better than the rest of us, and obviously knew the maps like the back of his/her hand. On the rare occasions that I got a game with similarly-skilled players, it was a blast, but it just didn't happen often enough. So that was that.

If a game doesn't focus on creating a satisfying and lengthy single-player campaign, then I ain't interested.

Though I never heard any foul-mouthed stuff on chat...because I didn't really hear any chat. I could tell people had mics on, but mostly all I ever heard were barely-audible mutterings.

That is definitely a better reason not to play multiplayer. Sometimes the skill difference and learning curve can be huge. Matchmaking on a lot of games is horrible imo, but it is getting better.

Sephiroth_dude

I prefer a good single player game

Andy!!

Not much into it. Just CoD/BF3. I've never played an MMO, but wouldn't be against trying one. I do like my single player experience, but multi is not so bad.

ancapailldorcha

I've tried CoD and just ended up getting killed repeatedly. That said, Resi 5 co-op is a lot of fun and Dark Souls' multiplayer is an amazing experience.
I ultimately prefer single player and I hope companies will still try and focus on providing a good single-player experience instead of following the easier multiplayer route.

PlainP

Only played once online and that was getting destroyed in one of the Halo games can't remember which now....

Much prefer single player games

Although i've just bought Trials Evo and I'm getting quite hooked on it..I'm playing with my sons atm...so I might try the multiplayer of this but I'll probably be way out of my depth...

We shall see....

Harps

Never play online either, I probably would now and again but only have an xbox so can't justify the cost when it'd only be once or twice a month

Agree with what EnterNow said, I just don't see the point of playing things like COD where you just aimlessly run around and kill/die then rinse and repeat for hours. The main reason I play games is to get immersed in an interesting experience and to work towards a goal, online deathmatch type stuff (to me at least) is just mindless crap. I can enjoy local multiplayer games but that's different where the enjoyment is more in just having a bit of banter while playing the game

Retr0gamer

I'd much rather a singleplayer game I can enjoy. I kept coming away from multiplayer games feeling I'd achieved nothing and couldn't devote so much time to a single game, there's far too much other stuff and games to play. That's why I stopped. I don't mind playing with mates in the same room and having a laugh but with online randomers? I just get nothing from it.

Agricola

Prefer a good immersive SP game too. Don't bother with any of the big hitters for online gaming. You need to put in the time to be able to compete at any level, I don't and have no inclination to, so I keep getting shot in the face endlessly. This doesnt make we want to stick with it.
I do enjoy L4D2 though, its a different beast and I reckon I like it because it mimics the linear / chaptered approach of a SP game, plus you don't die every 3 seconds!
Also enjoyed new takes on MP, like the Assassin's Creed angle of having to kill a target while making sure you don't get killed yourself. That was new and enjoyable while it lasted.

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I kept coming away from multiplayer games feeling I'd achieved nothing and couldn't devote so much time to a single game, there's far too much other stuff and games to play. That's why I stopped.

This is another thing I find. You can fall into the "Will I sit down and devote a few hours to improving my character in this big RPG, or will I just have a blast on.....*MP game* "
What happens then is the other games start mounting up and not getting completed. First world problems but still....!