GameInformer

Hello,

For the past several years, online multiplayer has been considered the end-all be-all of gaming.  Games that don't have it, or don't have a substantial dedication to it are slammed or are considered lacking.  Recently, I started another Gold membership on XBox Live, and I downloaded Risk an updated version of the classic boardgame.  I have played in close in well over a dozen games and I don't think I have yet seen a game where all 5 players played through without quiting.  There is an achievement for winning a 5 Player Command Room Match, which for me is all but impossible when every single time I have had the upperhand, all of my opponents quit.  And when they do, the game ends, and even times where the game proclaims me the winner, the win is not added to my record.  I have played a number of games where I fell into a bad position early and stuck the game out until the end to show sportsmanship to the winner, but I find that people like me are the exception on Live and not the norm.  And it's not a bunch of inexperienced players who get frustrated and quit early, these are Hardcore gamers with 20,000-50,000 achievement points, not that achievement points are the measure of a quality gamer (I only have 13,000 personally).  It's not just Risk either.  During my first subscription to Live, I've experienced the same lack of sportsmanship playing Sports titles as well.  Once, while playing ALL-PRO Football, I had a guy quit because I went up 14-0 before halftime.  Meanwhile, I played through an entire loss while my opponent did slow motion replays of every big play his team made.  Some one even sent me a trash-talk message after a game of NCAA Football once.  I've had people quit after the start of basketball games, etc.

My point is this.  Is online gaming really light years better than the way we played games as a kid?  I seriously don't think so.  My best gaming experiences were having 4-5 friends over playing seasons of Tecmo Super Bowl, Baseball Stars, and NBA Showdown 94, and NHL 94; or more recently playing NHL 2004 at my old apartment and Franchise mode seasons of Madden 2005 and 2006 in my best friend's basement with my best friend, his future brother-in-law, his two uncles, and a friend of their family.  Or, playing through multiple years of General Manager's mode on Raw vs. Smackdown 2007, seasons of MLB Power Pros, or trying to beat all of the cups on Mario Super Striker's Charged at my condo with five of my friends.  The face-to-face camraderie of that atmosphere can never be replicated online amongst faceless strangers who disconnect the moment they make a mistake and can't accept having to live through a loss.  Sure, you might be able to tell a joke over the headset, but is it really the same?  Who do you high-five or give a fist-pound after a big play or a win?  When my friends and I beat the Crystal Cup on Mario Strikers Charged for the first time (with a friend of ours who is pretty much a gaming illiterate button masher) after multiple failed attempts, we literally had a pile-on in my living room.  You can't replicate that emotion with online play.  Seeing my button mashing friend celebrate after an improbable win is also priceless, and again, you don't get to enjoy that sitting in front of tv by yourself.

There are some cool features to online play, don't get me wrong, like being able to download additions to games you enjoy, or arcade exclusive titles.  But overall, I think way too much emphasis is placed on the importance of online gaming.  I don't know how many other people feel the same way I do, but for me, online gaming is just one step further in a detachment from reality and the continuing decay of interpersonal relationships in todays society.  I think publishers, and game reviewers alike place too much emphasis on it.  And in the process, features that appealed to gamers who like playing in person with other gamers get left on the cutting room floor.  Take the wrestling games for example.  The Season/General Manager's mode has steadily gotten worse to non-existant since 2007 in favoring of pushing online features.  Now ask me which I enjoy more, having 4 friends over with all of us playing through a career as our own created-selves in GM mode, or playing multiple exhibition matches online?  Exhibition matches are about as exciting to me as watching NFL preseason.

My recent experiences with Live confirmed and boiled-over something I've felt for a long while now, and I was just wondering if anyone else felt the same way....

I remember having friends over to do NBA Live tournaments on the computer against one another. And local network parties of Descent: Free Space. I also remember my first X Box Live experience. Online play may not appeal to everyone,but most people demand it as a feature. I purchase games for their online and offline value. Some days I feel like playing alone,while others I feel like logging on and playing against players online. Granted,the good ol days are gone. BUT you can still find games that require you to sit in front of your TV with some friends,and battle against one another. Some Kinect games are perfect for this. I think you have to accept we are in a new era now. I don't know about you,but I am excited to see where online play is in a few years to five years from now.

In my opinion, It's over rated yet unfortunetly one of the only ways to play with other people

Saw this and took a look. This is and would be a great blog. Might get more replys there.

I love XBox Live, but it definitely is a hit/miss experience. Furthermore, offline support, or lack thereof, is just a total downer. Above all else, I enjoy sitting on my couch, playing a game with a buddy, mostly co-op games. So few games offer that anymore, it's crappy.

Remembering the days of Golden Eye on N64. Heck,even Splinter Cell Co Op was a thrill to me.

AcousticKazoo:

Remembering the days of Golden Eye on N64. Heck,even Splinter Cell Co Op was a thrill to me.

You're telling me. I miss playing games like that, and I miss when that was a pretty standard thing for games. It should be pretty much standard in most titles, and if they can't fit it in during the release frame, then provide it via update or DLC.