Thank you Yahtzee for writing an entire article just to clarify that you don't like a game, because, you know, you always like games.
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- Thread starter Yahtzee Croshaw
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So, everyone who owns a games console is also able to afford a phone line, high speed internet connection and subcription to the gaming service of the console they own? that really is quite the presumptious statement. I find it strange that you say that story games are "renters". It somewhat saddens me to know that somebody would merely rent a game, play through its story then return it to the place they rented it from. Your statement that you don't know anyone who buys story-based games can hardly be taken as conclusive proof that these games are only worth renting. All that means is that you don't know anybody that (shock!) would take singleplayer over multiplayer. Would it surprise you that for some people I know the main draw of Halo : Reach for them was actually the events of the singleplayer game as opposed to the multiplayer sections? Also, you're statement that games are moving away from being story based couldn't be more wrong. While a lot of games out there do now feature multiplayer components, they will likely also feature singleplayer elements as well. Look at the number of games that are due to be released, or have been released recently. Mentioning the next two games from Bioware, Dragon Age 2 and (when it's announced) Mass Effect 3 - there's two major games there that will be purely singleplayer and story driven. What about Bioshock Infinite? Assassins Creed : Brotherhood (don't try and kid yourself or anyone else by saying that that's a multiplayer game)? Deus Ex : Human Revolution? Fable 3? Fallout: New Vegas? Enslaved, a game that basically shouts the fact that it has harrative qualities form the rooftops, what with having an actual wellknown author involved in its production? So yeh, story or narrative isn't really looking that important to games developers right now. At all.ReiverCorrupter said:
You mentioned, what four games that are multiplayer focussed, though I don't think WoW warrants inclusion in that list, given that despite it's MMO design, it really can be as single- or multiplayer as one wishes it to be. As well as the fact that there is basically a story underpinning basically everything that happens in World of Warcraft. Halo and CoD may dominate the markets they are in to some extent, but that's really only the market of being games that people play online a lot, not the gaming market in general.
WOW and to think that YOU of all people wouldn't like Halo:ReachPalademon said:
Allow me to Present a short summarization of the Multiplayer
This, and the problem with Yahtzee's arguments is that he's assuming game designers agree with his philosophy. In a lot of video games, regardless of how well fleshed-out a single-player game is, most people will focus on the multiplayer aspect, because that's what keeps people playing. Would World of Warcraft be so effective if it had an ending? Sure, most MMOs have an 'end game', but most of them don't say 'We're done! Roll credits!' and close it off. Would the cesspool that is Modern Warfare 2 be so successful if it didn't have such well-designed multiplayer? The answer is, quite simply, no. The majority of people enjoy the multiplayer more than the single player. It is not a good business decision, then, to focus so primarily on a good single player.Sneaklemming said:
I hope he figures that out soon, or shuts up about it. I don't care if this is a comedy show. It's fucking annoying.
I don't think he means multiplayer doesn't matter, more that not everyone will want to play the multiplayer (himself included) therefore for a game to be good it's story (almost the entire point of a game, next to it being y'know fun) and single player needs to be immersive enough that multiplayer is almost a nice suprise after you finish.Sir John the Net Knight said:
Oh Yahtzee, your hate of Halo is legendary (as I have said before). So I can simply dismiss your semi-legitimate ravings on the best FPS of the year (so far) as the stinky driblets of a foul-mouthed urchin.
BUT... carry on. Criticism is marvelously refreshing - even when it is a tad strained.
BUT... carry on. Criticism is marvelously refreshing - even when it is a tad strained.
Meh i'll just buy the game when its gets a serious price drop. Even though this probably wont happen for quite for time, considering how popular the Halo franchise is. I find that the only games in which i enjoy mulitplayer are games designed specifically for multiplayer: like Unreal Tournament.
Oh, no. I wasn't saying that all games are moving away from plot. My response was to your claim that it is crucial for games to have a strong single player component. It clearly isn't. There is a HUGE market of gamers out there who could care less about story. And ultimately the gaming industry is, surprise, about making money. So why would they expend massive amounts of effort on something their target audience isn't looking for. I probably will buy Fable 3 because it's gameplay will probably be fun enough for multiple play-throughs. I hope the story is good too. But I don't come into a Halo game and expect Shakespeare, nor am I disappointed when it isn't Shakespeare.MarsProbe said:
And why is it sad that I rent a game, play through its story and then return it? That's just called 'not being a sucker'. The damn things are $60!
That's a good point. You should judge Bioshock 2 on it's samey monotonous singleplayer rather than it's eclectically fun multiplayer that died too quickly =-(.ianrocks6495 said:
I like Reach, I'm a Halo fan, this "review" does not bother me because I view Ben as, someone said it before but I'm to lazy to quote it, a show. He is funny and does what he does well, talk shit about games. Maybe everyone would feel better if his title were "Gaming Scrooge" since that is really what he is, he brings up valid points sometimes but it's his job to go on tirades and get pissed about shit that shouldn't really matter. No one should take him seriously.
Jesus Christ Halo fans, your making the rest of us look like damn fools, stop getting mad about this shit. All that should matter to you is if YOU like the game, YOU feel like you got your money's worth, YOU care about multiplayer. He isn't forcing his views on you and trying to change your mind, he is stating his opinion. Calm the fuck down and go pwn some noobs or slay come Covies or something.
Welcome to the site, Kyoh.
[EDIT: Just to be clear, I never skip the single player. I'm just making a point.]
This is going much further than merely announcing he doesn't like multiplayer and judging the game on the merits of it's single player portions. He is making a statement about how games ought to be judged, a statement I do not agree with.
That is not all Yahtzee has said on the subject and this is not what I am commenting on.Kyoh said:
I never brought it up before.
Who says I don't? My complaint is more specific.
Agreed. Which is why I find it so incongruous when Yahtzee turns around and insists games must be judged by their single player experience regardless of multiplayer offerings. Especially when the only justification he offers is he likes one and not the other. It would be just as strange to say games must be judged by their multiplayer experience regardless of singleplayer offerings just because I usually skip the latter.
[EDIT: Just to be clear, I never skip the single player. I'm just making a point.]
This is going much further than merely announcing he doesn't like multiplayer and judging the game on the merits of it's single player portions. He is making a statement about how games ought to be judged, a statement I do not agree with.
The shirt I'm wearing is actually fairly slimming, but I'm not surprised that Yahtzee is just trying to hurt my feelings. Nine months of regular cardio, and apparently nothing to show for it? What a dick.
But yeah, I like Halo. I don't see eye-to-eye with Yahtzee's whole multiplayer opinion, as it's probably the main selling point of the game. It shouldn't be a critical point, but it'd definitely another way to have fun in something that's called a game.
Horror games suck. If you want to be scared in an interactive medium, go to a low income housing project in a major city.
But yeah, I like Halo. I don't see eye-to-eye with Yahtzee's whole multiplayer opinion, as it's probably the main selling point of the game. It shouldn't be a critical point, but it'd definitely another way to have fun in something that's called a game.
Horror games suck. If you want to be scared in an interactive medium, go to a low income housing project in a major city.