Ben-DutkaI don't know about you, but I have always turned to video games to relax, to unwind, to ease, to decompress.
It has never really been about competition for me, although I have admittedly punished myself by tackling some extraordinarily difficult games (such as Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and Ninja Gaiden ). It's about doing something I enjoy doing; it's the manifest intent of any hobby, I think: To ease whatever burden daily life heaps upon your shoulders.
And for the life of me, I cannot understand how playing anything online relieves stress. For me, it only enhances stress because it's all about constant, ceaseless, frantic competition. I'm aware that there's a lot of cooperation involved in certain MMO experiences like World of Warcraft but even so, those are the very same games that seem to cause serious problems in people's lives. As I've said before, I don't think any marriage every broke up or any job was ever lost because of Final Fantasy VII or Resident Evil . I dare say that 99.9% of any all legitimate cases of video game addiction involve online multiplayer.
That tells me something, as does my experience. Call of Duty: Black Ops II is out and while I will certainly play it online long enough to produce an accurate review (as I always try to do), I will not be playing it online beyond that requirement. I'll finish the campaign and that will be that. I will go back to playing Assassin's Creed III and maybe I'll attempt to finish Resident Evil 6 . Or maybe I'll go through Journey or Dishonored again. I'm sorry, but playing by myself, Zen-ing out, so-to-speak, is what does it for me. It's what this hobby has always been – and will continue to be – about. Playing with others can be fun, and I like doing that ocassionally. But those people better be in the room with me. Ain't nothin' social about it otherwise.
On top of which, you know what else? I don't deal with the vast, vast majority of issues that plague this industry, which almost seem exclusive to multiplayer. I don't deal with server issues, I don't deal with the myriad of technical mishaps that plague online entertainment, I don't require an Internet connection to enjoy myself, and perhaps above all else, I don't have to listen to the ultra-depressing and horrifically embarrassing tidal wave of hostility that spews from everyone's mouth when playing online. How any of that is even remotely relaxing, I don't know. And to be quite candid, I don't want to know.
I actually like online on some games like Demons/Dark Souls, The Magic the Gathering games, Uncharted 2-3, lot of fighting games, dunno looks like the annoying people prefer to do FPS.
Last edited by Oxvial on 11/13/2012 10:49:06 PM
Excellent! I could have written that identical piece – if I were a writer! 😉
Seriouly though, you summed my entire video game experience from Intellivision through today. I've never played online with others. It's always been a solitary experience for me. And I understand the description of a "zen" like state. Gaming by yourself actually IS a great way to relax.
Last edited by Norrin Radd on 11/13/2012 11:03:00 PM
I feel the exact same way. I never seem to get into multiplayer games and prefer single player games. Especially online FPS, the players often pick on those who suck on such games, like myself as example…
I like a mix of both intensity and low tempo "touchy-feel" games.
I am competitive and I do get the most fun and joy from playing awesome mad skillz matches online, and to a somewhat lesser extent, even offline, given the right sort of game, like a quality Ninja Gaiden game. It's exciting stuff. On a side point, I have met people who really can't deal with losing and competitive games. I remember one of my intense Squaresoft RPG friends growing up HATED playing fighters or any game that put him in a position to lose. I think it actually hurt his self esteem to an extent. Poor guy. If any game offered co-op he always opted for co-op over competitive. It was interesting to observe. I could tell he was wired differently for his reasons to play video games. I think he liked "escaping" into another world. Basically, I think a person's disposition to lose or deal with stress can weigh heavily on their level of enjoyment. But I'm getting a little off course…
But to relate, I've been playing Uncharted 3 and I can definitely feel a difference coming straight from playing 40 hours of a fighter right over to a cinematic game that gives back tons of stimuli just for even steering your character down hallways or alleys or preforming a simple leap that presents little to no chance of messing up. I can admire the pretty graphics, scripted events, hear lots of witty banter, and just sort of place my mind into first gear and let the storytelling do most of the work. That is until the intense fire fights kick in(I'm playing on Hard right now). Strangely, and don't hate me for this, I sometimes feel I'd just rather play something like Uncharted on the easiest mode possible just to let what it does best do what it does and not worry about trying too hard.
That's why I can never get into fighting games against real people, I get pissed at them. Maybe it all goes back to when I used to spend my paltry allowance on MKII at the arcade, I just wanted to see how far I could get and enjoy my fatalities, then some arsehole would waltz up and put his money in and beat me down. It's like hey dude, I didn't f*ckin come here to have my money wasted by you.
Exactly what happened to me too, but I was playing MKIII.
Tell me about it man, I have an anxiety disorder and constant competition online really raises my blood pressure. That is something I do not find addicting.
Also I think that environment reinforces the combative mindset of the same flamers you see online raging about game stuff like a late trailer.
World, I know there's a lot of different anxiety orders that are rooted to different things but there are great resources out there for people who struggle with these sort of things. The Midwest Center provides some great self help tools to help take control of yourself and build self confidence and the ability to not fear your problem and also deal with stress etc.
I do know this sort of thing can be a big dampener on life goals. I dealt with problems of it in my late teens to mid-twenties, and even at my age there's rare occurances that remind me of my past problems. But I have a amazingly different life now and can do things I didn't previously think possible.
Sorry if this sounds presumptuous.
Oh don't worry about it my friend, I was diagnosed years ago and have taken all necessary steps to address the ailment. I won't lie though, it can be a crushing influence and it takes a lot of work and serious courage to fight it knowing you'll be fighting your entire life. And online multiplayer isn't worth triggering a need for my medication 🙂
Hey World, what would you say to a person who has an anxiety disorder, but lets it influence them into being a total ass to other people then uses it as a justification for their actions? (serious and actual question)
I wouldn't let em get away with it for starters. I'd tell them that using their disorder as an excuse for anything is a cop-out and it's time to put their big boy pants on and do something about it (get some help).
My buddy's girlfriend has a similar issue and uses it as an excuse to drink; obviously this doesn't lead to anything good.
Yeah… it's actually a buddy's girlfriend for me too, which adds a dynamic I want to tread on lightly for his sake.
I see, yeah that's delicate. When you see her acting up then I'd just tell her to get ahold of herself and that behavior won't fly with you. Generally when you call people out on their bullsh*t they will quickly learn to knock it off around you. Letting her freak out without some correction is just enabling that behavior. You don't have to be mean, just be assertive.
Your friend should be able to understand that you don't want to be verbally abused. And if she's that way with other people then let them handle her how they want, what's important isn't fixing her problem but rather placing boundaries between you two that keeps things civil. I used to live with a drug addict so I know about treading lightly.
Thanks. That's what I'll do. lol It's actually what we do at work, but I've never thought about it from a "friend" perspective. I'll be sure to be friendly about it.
I somewhat agree, though I do love interacting with people online and offline.. There's still that "me time" where I just want to be alone playing, which everyone needs. Just not all the time though. 🙂
The most fun is in the lobby before/after a game with a full party and conversing on how we all played and how messed up some people are when they get a little too serious with the game, so to speak.
I'm with you on this Ben.
Plus for me, factor in "PACING" too.
I like playing on my own time-frame & taking in all of the game esthetics & anything else on the sidelines it has to offer, not being rushed through some awesome scenery & having vista's pass me by, or that I might've missed some little itty-bitty trivial thing that would've wound up amusing me even further.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 11/14/2012 12:11:20 AM
I'm exactly the same Biker.
I take my time with a game. Soak in the atmosphere and story.
Playing through Borderlands 2 with friends, they're already level 50 and on their 2nd playthrough, meanwhile I'm about 30% of the way through my 1st playthrough and on level 25.
Always prefer to play offline on my own, and always will.
Same boat as DanceMachine
I'm level 30 still on the first playthrough, although that may be because I'm also playing 5 other single player games.
what do you mean online isn't stress relieving?
you obviously haven't emptied a mag into the back of some schmuck's head …. it just doesn't get more therapeutic than that.
Try Flower.
No game can ever match the beauty and calming effect that game has.
I doubt winning online games of CoD has the same calming effect Flower has. You're thinking of ego boosting and feeling good about yourself, not calming youself and feeling relaxed with a game.
Under your mentality, winning any online game (whether it be FPS, TPS, RPG, RTS, Racer, Action/Adventure) is a therepeutic and calming experience. Sorry, but I find that to be very wrong.
Sure, your view of stress relieving involves shooting lower level noobs and feeling good about it. You may feel good, but I doubt it reduces your stress levels and lowers your heart rate. I bet you it does the exact opposite.
Just wondering, have you ever tried Flower?
I like some ol' competitive multiplayer as well.
But lets not pretend it relieves stress. It may feel like there's a temporary release, but it definitely isn't lasting.
Flower is a great way to relieve stress!
Tori Imaki for PSEye is great too.
ulsterscot, missing the real point about it.
Only time I ever play online is with friends.
No friends online, you'll find me playing all games offline, experiencing great stories and not caring about kill/death ratios.
I play Call of Duty for the story… FOR FREE!!
Thank you EB Games 1 week return policy.
Agreed. I love playing single player games while relaxing and enjoying an awesome story.
I also like playing Online as well which is a double edged sword for me though, when I do play shooters online I become very competitive and I don't like losing matches when I play. But It's inevitable that losing a match can happen in the upcoming round/match. I love striving to become better at whatever it is I do, learning new tricks about a map and the strengths about a weapon and It's weaknesses or what ever hobby it may be.
One thing I do not enjoy while playing Online is the amount of crap talking especially when aimed at me when I didn't do anything and I'm just talking to a friend and some guy interrupts me while speaking and calling me all kinds of racial slurs and other things that come with the Online territory which is a shame.
I also have Hypertension as well which is being controlled very well, which I am glad. I almost lost my eyesight because of my BP was so high, it's strange how when growing up you're very healthy and nothing wrong and then all of a sudden your world gets turned upside down in an instant when you turn 18 at the time. My Blood Pressure when I got sick was around 200+ which was really scary.
So when I play games now I try to take a deep Breathe relax and listen to some calm music when I play Online, I usually don't even use my microphone that much while playing or I might have it muted and I will always mute the other team.
Definitely not worth having that Blood Pressure Skyrocket and have the potential to become a serious problem for you. Trust me, I learned the hard way. (Not gaming related though)
Gaming for me is a big stress reliever, especially playing SP games and enjoying the experience, "sometimes" MP can help, but it would have to be playing Co-op though.
Last edited by Clamedeus on 11/14/2012 1:58:43 AM
Does anyone else find playing online with friends to be more of a chore than fun?
Depends on the friends, I guess. 😀
Depends on the game's party options.
yeah, most online gaming sucks simply because most people suck. With that said, when you find the right people, it's a hell of a lot of fun.
Playing competitive online games is like playing a football match or round of table tennis (I love table tennis :). It's not something you do to chill, it's something you do to compete.
Cooperative online play however, now that is a different deal. That is to socialize with a good buddy or two and just have a great time.
And I am just SO looking forward to this friday: My coop buddy and I have reserved the entire evening for Borderlands 2.
Now *that* is quality chillin'. 😉
Last edited by Beamboom on 11/14/2012 2:57:44 AM
Ping pong is great, love it.
Cool!
Completely agree, the people, the DLC, the hive mentality of moving from game to game, so many things make me just not want to go online at all.
I just play what I want to play. No stress from even wanting to go online 🙂
i found bf3 mp making me sress out :/
it was fun for awhile, it just seems some can'nt
play bf3 mp without using c4 and guided shells.
It can cause you to stress out yeah online with random people is annoying. Music down mic etc but these generally get muted etc.
However playing online with friends/clan mates makes all the world of difference especially if its private games likes on COD when we have league nights etc.
The other night I played with Frosty and Chinook. Dillon came in shortly afterwards on Need For Speed Most Wanted and we all had a great time.
I love my single player games and always will for the storyline. Sometimes you can't help that feeling when you clock a game and you know you have done it yourself. I'd love to get a platinum but once the main games over for me I don't like to go back and obsess over stuff that I have missed lol. I'll try for a bit but find I'll move on or try the game again in a few months time.
Last edited by tlpn99 on 11/14/2012 10:31:33 AM
Co-op can be stressful too if your partner is particularly a pain in the ass about how they want you to play.
Wow, this is interesting to me. I've always had a problem with online being stressful because competitive or PvP online play is fundamentally stressful. Yet at the same time I have spend probably 1500 hours online with White Knight Chronicles over the last 2 and a half years or so. I find that time to be mostly relaxing, and perhaps that is because the game is 100% co-op.
Co-op gameplay is intrinsically more social, and more about friendships than Competitive or PvP play. I'm absolutely certain I could not play long in any of the action/shooter games online. It would absolutely be too stressful. I remember Burnout Paradise, there were multiple online modes and the co-op modes were always the most fun. The competitive modes were frustrating in the extreme because there was always someone bent on disrupting the competition for others, or someone that by virtue of playing 3 times more than anyone else knew every short cut, and every exploit and was essentially unbeatable.
Co-op gameplay is about relying on others, understanding how others play and so forth. For example, in WKC, there are a few regulars from here that play, and I know some of them very well, we know how each other plays and when questing together we know each other's strengths and when to step in. It makes working together easy. For example, last night I ran a quest and for whatever reason our party of 6 had no mage. Normally you have one or two in the group, but we had none. Everyone adjusted, we all knew what roll to play, and watched out for each other's health. The quest was completed successfully, with minimal fuss. That was because all the players knew each other, are friends and work together.
I don't find online stressful at all when it's like that.
Co-op really is a different story. I'm really just referring to online competitive gaming, which is essentially 99% of all online gaming, anyway. 🙂
Part of the reason it isn't stressful in WKC is because people spend over half the time just standing around in a town talking. :p
I'm still pissed at D3 for not bringing the avitar dlc here.
Underdog, you and me and the other 259,998 paying customers outside Japan are quite pissed off about it too.
There may be more to that story in the coming days…if I can get myself organized that is.
@High: That's exactly it. Every time I see others stating the difference like you do there I get all warm and fuzzy inside.
I've always been an advocate for clearly separating the two kinds of online play, cause they are so fundamentally different!
Personally I can enjoy both styles, but I can totally relate to those who say they love one and hate the other. That's how different the two is.
@Ben: While it's true that competitive dominates, it's easy to overlook that in fact there are more and more cooperative play (players versus computer) to be found, it's on the rise both in occurrence *and* quality.
Just this autumn we got a majority(!) of the main releases featuring coop play. Titles like Borderlands 2, Resident Evil 6 and NFS: Most Wanted.
So, is it about time gaming sites separate competitive and cooperative in their GOTY categories? I think it might be! 😉 (hint hint wink wink nod nod)
Last edited by Beamboom on 11/14/2012 3:30:32 PM
Beamboom, my fundamental problem with PvP play in an RPG environment is the fact that there are too many borderline psychotic people that would roam around killing lower level players for the hell of it. I'm sure eventually those same borderline psychos would find an exploit or two to allow them to kill high level players too. Depending on how the PVP mechanic handles player death, that can have lasting consequences on your character. If you've spent any significant time building a character, the idea of some troglodyte with an attitude coming along and killing your character for kicks just horrifies me.
Competitive multi-player bothers me for all the reasons anyone can mention about the way shooters work when more experienced players or players that have found an exploit, spend their time whacking new players to up their KDR. It's not much fun to be one of the players on the receiving end of that kind of behavior.
Highlander; In regards to mmorpgs, I don't think I've ever heard about any game where there are any *lasting* effects from getting killed by another player.
Also, most mmorpgs have certain zones where pvp is allowed, or a mechanics where some action is required on both parts in order to fight (typically flip on a "pvp switch" or accept a challenge). Unless, of course, you create a character on a dedicated PVP server. But then you should know what you are getting yourself into.
In regards to exploits etc, I think the by *far* most common way to win a game in a competitive mp is simply by being good. Sure, exploits and ways to cheat is a problem, especially when you can set up your own servers. But much more common is it for a newbie to scream foul play simply because others are that much better than him.
Last edited by Beamboom on 11/15/2012 1:44:33 PM
I really liked FFXI for the PvP. It's mostly a co-op game, where you can only help one another. But you want pvp? Many areas have PvP registrations. Winners win exp for themselves and for their "nation" (You have 3 to choose from in FFXI) But the point was, if you like to PVP, you can. If you don't, you can just not sign up.
Does make you wonder why they dont just have some games for multiplayer and others for single player. I get it…. money. And the old line about dont play the multiplayer if you dont wanna. But some companies do MP better and others do SP better. And when they try to force one or the other into the game, the game seems to suffer.
I personally have never play the campaign on COD,MOH, or Killzone. But I have also never play MP on GTA,RDR,Uncharted,MGS, or Assassins Creed. So maybe I just dont know what Im talking about. But to me some games should just be MP and others shouldnt have it at all.
Online multiplayer is awesome, I love the competitiveness and I enjoy winning. Sure, losing sucks but it wouldn't effect my day if I lost a few games.
Blaming online multiplayer for you being pissed, having anxiety etc etc, is like blaming the alcohol for you being an alcoholic, when in reality it's your own fault. People who can't play multiplayer because they get so stressed out over it is ridiculous imo, grow up or unplug your mic and try to enjoy the experience.
To anyone who has lost a job, wife, friends over a game then obviously you are not all there mentally.
Last edited by Leafs25 on 11/14/2012 11:20:25 AM
Because I get stressed out playing online, I need to "grow up?" Ever think not everyone views this hobby the same way?
And for the record, I don't drink, either. Does that mean I need to "grow up" there, too?
LOL! Ben, you should know that being told to "grow up" is one of the basic forms of projection that PITA online gamers like to use when anyone displays more common sense, maturity or skill than they can.
Kind of like the person that suggests that people are not all there mentally is generally projecting their own issues on others too…