Poll: IS there something wrong with my friend?

[Dr. Awesome Face]

Okay so I'll try and keep this brief. I have this friend who I am constantly arguing with, most arguments are a waste of time because they are about personal preferences which won't be changed despite the amount of evidence given. One of the biggest arguments we have is about how I play single player games and how he only plays multiplayer games. We ended up arguing about this again today and when I said that I play games to have fun, I discovered that he plays games only so that he can say he is better than someone else.

Here's my question: Is this wrong? It seems completely wrong to me that a person would only play games to beat other people and only finds that aspect fun. Is this bad or do other people play for this reason as well?

EDIT: I don't think that he is wrong for thinking this way, I just couldn't really think of a good way to word it. I am basically asking if this is a healthy way of approaching games

 

[TriggerHappyAngel]

the urge to compete and win is part of humanity i believe, it's just that some people find this (way) more important then others

as for myself: i don't give a crap if i win or lose, i just want to have a good time when i play multiplayer games.

 

[Chipperz]

There are people who think like that, sadly your friend is not alone. I can't think of any reason why I would want them as friends, but they exist.

Personally, I don't care if it's multiplayer or single player, if the actual act of playing the game isn't fun, I won't keep going.

 

[Anti Nudist Cupcake]

Guys like your'e friend come to my lans all the time. Which explains why people complain that I slap them all the time.

 

[Jandau]

No it's not wrong. He DOES sound like a bit of a douche, but that's his right.

 

[xbeaker]

I almost never play games online. Playing with random people brings me no joy (and frequently just irritates me with shit talking little brats). I only like to play against, or with friends (either on-line or in the same room) and I play a lot of games solo. I never even took boarderlands on-line.

That said, if it is the competition that makes a game enjoyable for your friend, so be it. Some people are not entertained with just a good story or working through what the designers set out for them, they need to have a thinking aversary on the other side.

Of course, the reality is, your friend is probably one of the shit talking little brats on XBL that keeps me from playing with random people on-line to begin with. If not, then leave him to enjoy gaming his way; if so, the internet demands justice!

 

[Darth Caelum]

Yes. an attitude like that leads to Arrogance. Arrogance will breed Narrow-mindedness.
and that will lead to Persecution. Persecution will lead to hate.
Hate......do i need to continue?

EDIT: edit before anyone gives me flak for this.
While it IS his right, his Reason, to feel superior over anyone else, is not the most cheerful of them all.
I prefer to uproot weeds before they sprout.

 

[Koeryn]

Less that there's something actually wrong with him, more that your friend's a tool. And I would be quite happy to tell him that.

 

[Magnalian]

I can understand the thrill of winning, but playing the game itself should be the main goal for playing. How'd that saying go, 'the destination's not important, it's how you got there'? Something like that?

 

[Crystalite]

Well, I think it is kind of sad, because he is missing out on a great hobby.
Gaming, for me, is for fun, and it is a lot of that.

On the other hand, everyone can play as they like. Have you asked him, if winning is fun for him?
I mean, if I beat someone in Multiplayer, I enjoy that too, a great deal. But to me, that is not the only point.

People play games for stranger reasons, I think. Some play for the graphics alone, some play for the death animations. Some play to have power over others, to exploit a game the worst way possible, or simply to put more time into it than anybody else.

Those reasons all seem strange to me, but, as always:
Why should anybody care what I find strange?

And as for your question:
Yes, I think there are many that play for the same reason as your friend, but most are not as honest about it as he is.

 

[Hazy]

He finds joy in competition/victory.
You find joy in playing single player games.

Regardless - you both find gaming fun, do you not?

He's not wrong - it's how (or, in this case, why) he plays the game. People find different joys in different things, and that's good for them. Doesn't make them wrong.

 

[Dr. Awesome Face]

Less that there's something actually wrong with him, more that your friend's a tool. And I would be quite happy to tell him that.

I frequently do anyway

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I think you're focusing on this problem so you don't have to consider the obvious sexual tension between your friend and yourself.

 

[UbarElite]

I would have to go with no.

Preferences are a little more complicated than a single phrase can explain. If I say "I only play games to beat other people," it implies a love of competition and a desire to prove myself. A lot of people who either play single player exclusively or mainly have trouble understanding the love of competition others may have, and say "well, I play games to have fun, you should too."

Everyone plays games to have fun. Some people have fun from an engaging story; or playing the part of the hero (or villain), testing themselves against non-living opponents or simply playing within the context of a narrative.

Others have fun testing their skills against various human opponents; beating something that can learn and adapt on the fly or destroying people of similar or mismatched skill levels. It is not necessarily a love of challenge, but a love of competition.

Proving yourself can be fun, and often it is easier and more fulfilling to prove yourself against other human opponents. It can be both a greater and different kind of challenge, and can create an instant avenue for boasting (if bragging is also in his list of goals). I am not trying to say that either of these perspectives is right, but there is nothing wrong with them either. Your friend just enjoys a different aspect of games, even if that did not come across from his statements.

 

[Koeryn]

Less that there's something actually wrong with him, more that your friend's a tool. And I would be quite happy to tell him that.

I frequently do anyway

It doesn't appear to be sticking. Hm... Smack him with a hammer or something the next time you call him a tool, so that he equates tool with pain. Or 'duck'. Either way, hilarity.

Conditioning someone to duck everytime you call them a tool? Priceless!

 

[KittywifaMohawk]

I wouldn't say there is something wrong with him. It's just the way he wants to play.
I, personally, play the games to have fun, on single player and on multiplayer.
People who just play to say they're better than other people is the way they want to play. Let them waste their time.

 

[carpathic]

Even if he is not wrong, since this is about personal motive, this is certainly a pretty pathetic reason to play games.

 

[JEBWrench]

Absolutely nothing wrong with that.

 

[Jamieson 90]

There is nothing wrong with being competitive and wanting to win, In fact I usually play compeititon and play in tournaments etc in FPS games so I' am very compeititve myself. I enjoy playing game but I feel better when I/my team win because no one wants to lose.

It is only a problem when you get arrogant, brag and put people down because they are not as good as you. Being a Goodsport is very important in my eyes.

 

[dex-dex]

it is not wrong but i find that it is sort of weird

my friends play games for fun and as a hobby not as a way to be the best.