Poll: Can You Hear Me?

[deadguynotyetburied]

Multi-player gamers have long been using voice-chat to coordinate team efforts, and console gamers to talk smack. Meanwhile the game itself will be trying to communicate through sound effects and music, while the actual player may have headphones on listening to their favorite CD. Do you listen to the games you play, or play without sound?

Myself, one of the first things I do with a game is turn the music and sound off.

 

[AvsJoe]

I always listen to the game's sound and music (notable exception: Facebook games). On the rare occasion I'll listen to some music in the background as well but most of the time I am listening to what the game is giving me.

 

[Estocavio]

I usually turn the games music off, and play my own, but only very softly; The exception being if i like the games music.
In MP i keep the game and music volume lower than vocal volume for obvious reasons.

 

[Jack_Uzi]

Depends on the game. In EVE, one off the first things I do is turn of the jukebox and play my mp3's. In most single player games it depends if the music is good and or if I need to hear what's said. Otherwise it goes straight back to playing mp3's again.

 

[Blackadder51]

I usually play the game with all music and sound effects unless its really repetitive or just boring in which ill turn the music and have my laptop playing music. Or see if it has in-game custom music. (which i swear only 1 game does this half decent in my entire collection )

 

[Penguinness]

I went through the story on RDR with the sound on, however for the rest of it I watched videos and listened to ricky gervais podcasts.

 

[Ulquiorra4sama]

With most games i just turn off the game music and and turn down the sound effects a bit so that i can make my own background music. I know lots of good instrumental songs that can be used that are much better than the in-game music.

 

[Blueruler182]

I have something on youtube playing in one ear, the headset on the other ear, and I can hear the TV over it. I do a bit of everything.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

I have my own special metal stylings of music playing and that usually keeps me head and brain in check and i focus much better.

 

[IamQ]

I always play the games the way they were intended to be played (at least the first time, the second time might be a bit questionable.)

Playing with the sound on during COD 4 multiplayer matches is great when you camp. I often find myself trying to listen if anyone is nearby. It's surprisingly effective.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

Unless it's totally abysmal, I tend to listen to everything.

Back when I played WoW I had music off, and sounds up, and my own music. Especially for PvP.

 

[GundamSentinel]

I always leave it on. Sometimes I have my own (louder) music playing over it, but I always want to hear what's happening in a game.

 

[Marter]

Depends on the game, and how much I care at the time.

Most of the time, I'll be playing single player games. If it's a story driven game, I'll usually have the sound on from it. If it isn't, or I've beaten it before, my side TV will be on. If there is nothing on the side TV, I'll listen to music.

For multiplayer games, it depends on if I'm playing with friends or not. If I am, I'll have my mic and we'll chat. If I'm not, I'll either listen to music or the side TV.

 

[FinalHeart95]

Usually the game's music and sound. When I used to play MMOs I would play music off of the computer though, because the game's music gets really old after a while when you do the same thing over and over.

 

[deadguynotyetburied]

(Has anybody ever noticed it's a lot easier to figure out what options to include in a poll, AFTER you read the comments in response to the poll?)

 

[Doclector]

Usually, I play music on my xbox when playing online (A few exceptions, L4D for the audio cues to infected attacks, and lost planet 2 because the music is AWESOME) but for most single player games, I will leave music off to get the most immersion out of it.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

I lower the music so that I can hear distant gunfire, but it all depends on the game, really.