The online video game paradox.
[ Posted by Dan on December 09, 2003 | 1 Comments ]

The problem with online multiplayer gaming is the other players.

Internet enabled video games are, in my opinion, WAY more fun and have far more replayability than solo only games. This boosts the value of the game and makes the $49.95 price I paid for Project Gotham Racing 2 and Crimson Skies easier to swallow. Now, being who we are and what we are (competitive boys, but sometimes the ladies get into the mix), the online experience can be highly engaging, compelling and immersive. But this is a double edged sword because of who we are and what we are (again, boys).

Back in the day, online gaming meant gameplay with people you have never met and never heard. Now, with the Xbox communicator, I have to listen to anyone who wants to talk, and often it's a pure stream of epithets, abused english and stories about utterly random existential minutia. The game makers realize this and have started tossing up interstitial screens when logging onto Xbox live stating that the ESRB rating of the game make take a nose dive due to the real live humans out there.

Of course I can mute people, and often do so by going thru multiple menus (a slow and annoying process), or I can just take the headset off, but then I miss out on the benefits of voice communication in the game. Being able say "be at such and such a place on the far side and attack from the left" creates an incredible advantage against a disorganized enemy. Unfortunately, real cooperation is rare in the loosely organized games you find in public arenas, and most often the ESRB warning was right.

Are you an Xbox owner and a non-idiot who wants to play some online games with a similarly situated individual? Then post a note here or send a friend request my way (gamertag = Circ).

 

		not an xbox gamer but i hear yah on the disorganization of online gaming. every once in awhile you'll be put together with a group of gamers that know what they're doing. those are the most satisfying gaming moments. -Posted by Joey on December 10, 2003 07:05 PM

Comment posting has been turned off because I don't have enough time and will to deal with the constant comment spamming. I'm very sorry and will fix this sometime soon (soon = before 2004 ends).