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[FF:Enhanced_Reality]

COVID-19 has given me a lot to think about. I'm going 30 this year, I now have a mortgage, a car, a fiancee and a little boy. Life is... well, pretty hectic and keeping up with my friends is harder than ever.

But even in the early days when I was working full time and maintained a relationship whilst living in my own space (though rented at the time) I never struggled to keep in touch with friends because we were always on PlayStation. I had a good group of friends, enough to ensure that we have a full 8 per side and a pretty chaotic chat when trying to talk to people but we spent lots of time together. We wasted so many hours in the evenings, drinking beer (or Vanilla Coca Cola in my case... RIP), eating junk and just playing games. Our journey together consisted of Resistance 2, Uncharted 2, Killzone 3, Uncharted 3, Payday: The Heist and The Last of Us, before moving onto the current and soon to last generation of consoles. There were some others in there such as Syndicate from EA etc. But these games in-particular we literally spent countless hours on.

This generation just... hasn't been as great as last generation for multi-player... or has it? I've been mulling it over a lot. It felt like a pre-requisite last generation that games had a multi-player mode right? Before MOBA and Battle Royale was a fad. Though we did play M.A.G. for a time and that was just pure fucking chaos. Too much going on in 256 player matches. But previously you were lucky if you had a PS2 with the ability to play online or even an original XBOX or you were just living in the year 3000 if you were one of the lucky kids that had a DreamCast and played online. I mean my town isn't especially a rich one here in the UK, we have a premier league football team now but it's always been at the lower echelons of wealth in England and quite often brought up for the poverty we have, so even having a console and internet feels like a blessing sometimes.

PC gamer's can think of this as a non-issue because online play really wasn't something as fundamentally new for their systems as it was moving into the PS3 and 360 generation though it was very limited beforehand on previous consoles. Though even if I look at my friends list right now, I have 18 active friends. 14 of them are playing Final Fantasy VII Remake, 3 are playing Nioh 2 and I have one friend playing Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. All very single-player centric games.

But this generation just never kicked off right. Even though PS4 gamers coming from PS3 could finally enjoy cross game chat, the multi-player experience just didn't seem as fun or on par with what we enjoyed. We played Killzone ShadowFall online then moved on quickly realising that it had just been something of a tack-on experience. We went back to The Last of Us with the PS4 remaster but found ourselves bored quite quickly. We thought Payday 2 was going to beat the hoodoo but the developers of that title didn't really give a shit about consoles and the incredibly poor quality left us wanting and frustrated, thus we moved on..,

Multi-player is arguably bigger than ever, with e-sports becoming a big thing, experiences such as battle royale games and MOBA's dominating the genre and some pretty healthy MMO's and games like Grand Theft Auto where the single player experience now seems to be the add-on.

But even so, for the life of me I cannot get into multi-player titles anymore. In fact, I have even seen posts here on GAF and even on other forums, including the SJW forum where I see posts that say "Well the multi-player experience on PlayStation is dreadful so I'm getting an XBOX."

I've tried with many games to try and get over that hurdle. I went back to PayDay 2 and got bored quickly. Monster Hunter World we lasted a month before getting bored. We went back to The Last of Us Remastered and found ourselves bored, though, that was mainly because we couldn't find opposition at our level. Mortal Kombat, Red Dead Redemption and Borderlands, we still cannot get back into the rhythm. The closest we have come is the Uncharted 4 co-operative modes and even then our very close knit group of friends still have that love for each other, but we really don't talk and play as much, no matter how much we pledge to make a difference. As I write this post, I am playing Nioh 2 and I do enjoy playing multi-player but I also like how and when I can play and the control I have over it.

So, having mulled it over, I had it over to you guys to see what other gamers have to say. Are multi-player games declining in quality? Perhaps due to over-saturation and a potential lack of innovation? Are they just better than ever and perhaps it's down to my own tastes that I don't seem to have that hunger anymore? Or could age be a factor in enjoying online play? Have at it.

 

[Moogle11]

I was mostly single player growing up, got a bit into online MP during the 360 generation and early this gen (mid 20s to mid 30s roughly) and never got very good and have went back to mostly single player stuff with a little co-op stuff like Borderlands.

I don’t have a competitive vibe in my body anymore and just want to play games to relax these days so PVP just isn’t for me.

 

[-Arcadia-]

Battle Royale reinvigorated my love for them. It took my love of twitch multiplayer shooters, and the skills required, and combined them with the open world and feelings of adventure and survival of a single player game. Immediate addiction.

Elsewhere... yeah, I don’t know. I’m not as into it. I feel like you can only have so many races, so many fights, so many arena shootouts, before you’re left wanting something different. The stuff that delighted me in the 2000s feels pretty blasé now.

I tend to think we just need more innovation in the space.

 

[Bryank75]

Sometimes I just get the impulse to play multiplayer non-stop for a few weeks but then I go back to single-player games. I mostly play singleplayer games though.....

I just find singleplayer games more constructive and many of the multiplayer games I used to love, like Ghost recon advanced warfighter and those tactical shooters are no longer being made.

I also play mostly on PS4, I find that mix suits me best.... I play Destiny multiplayer a lot, COD, Apex mostly.

 

[Mr Hyde]

I've never been interested in multiplayer-games other than some casual co-op and pvp in Dark Souls. Never understood the charm of competitive video gaming. Singleplayer for life, baby!

 

[Sophist]

I play Quake Live almost daily but still haven't tried "modern" stuff like fortnite, CoD, valorant, overwatch, PUBG, ... they seem too random.

 

[JimboJones]

I think it just depends if a game really gels with ya and a group of friends, I play a few rounds of rocket league every other weekend if my friends are up for it.

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

I used to love MP. I put 1000+ hours into Overwatch. I loved Battlefield. Loved Uncharted 4 MP, oddly enough. Gears MP.

But recently I’ve lost the desire. Especially for team based MP games. So many people just troll or don’t communicate. Just kinda burned me out

I’ve switched to mostly single player of MP co-op/PvE content

 

[ColonialRaptor]

I lost my interest in multiplayer games at about the time battlefield 4 came out. I mean I played it a bit but I noticed my reflexes not keeping up or something. I was a beast in the bf3 alpha and beta but then never could quite play the same when the final game came out and I was even worse in bf4 and I think it’s just age making the snap reflexes disappear slowly. That’s about 7 years ago now and I was 28 then. Damn. I don’t have a family or kids to support so I can’t claim to be lost in any of that either.

I still play single player games but nothing competitively multiplayer for a long long time.

 

[and 3 others]

Yup, I've been grappling with that for a few years now. Would put 4-5 hours a day into BF4/1/5 or others. Now it's 1-2 hours a day of singleplayers.

 

[jonnyp]

I have never been a fan although I did enjoy Counter Strike LAN parties in the nighties, but that was more for the social aspect of it of just hanging out with your friends.

I cannot fathom what's fun about doing the same thing over and over and over, day after day, week after week, month after month.

 

[Threeshotgamer]

As I've gotten older I've found myself moving away from the competitive multiplayer games and more toward the co-op side. Space engineers and Farming Simulator is something i play on a very regular basis with my brother and my best friend and it is the ultimate chill and relax activity.

 

[Jesb]

I haven’t touched an online game in years.

 

[farmerboy]

I left my run too late with multiplayer, having preferred single player when younger. Now I enjoy it but just cant compete, and what is supposed to be a relaxing night turns into a swear infused headfuck. Time is precious, I don't want to waste it not enjoying something.

I'm 44, and the eyes and reflexes aren't what they used to be, so what can be done about it?

I've recently thought (and hoped) that the advent of machine learning may usher in a new era, where the matchmaking can rise to a level and nuance that really puts people of the same skill level together.

I hope it happens, because there's a lot of people out there who, due to life commitments, only game maybe 5-10 hrs a week tops, and thus cannot hope to keep up with the younger crowd. In skill or time commitment.

"Git gud" is not an option, can't I just play with other's like me?

 

[Romulus]

Most every multiplayer game started feeling the same for me a few years ago, so yeah.

I remember being blown away by kill montages and intense firefights and all of it looks silly to me now.

 

[HawksWinStanley]

I still like them but I rarely play them. I just can't keep up as everything is moving to a "season" model that involves a lot of grinding. The other problem is that I rarely have time to play and when I do my friends who are also in their 30s, employed and parents usually can't jump on during the same small window I have available. So when I do play multiplayer it's typically with randoms which doesn't help the fun factor. Every now and then the stars align and we can all jump on and get some games going only to get completely wrecked because none of us remember the buttons or are just too rusty to be remotely competitive.

 

[KellyNole]

Yes I have lost some interest in online multiplayer games as I have gotten older. My responsibilities have grown so much that time is a huge factor. I don't have time to sit and learn the maps or the best strategies. With two little ones running around, I need a game I can pause as well. It is mostly dealing with two kids age 2 1/2 and 1. I haven't gotten much sleep due to those guys the last couple of years and when I try to stay up and game I fall asleep. Maybe when they get older, but I am 36 now. I'm Not sure how much more I want to put up with younger individuals who have more time into put into multiplayer games. Not sure I see that changing in the future.

 

[Animagic]

I never really liked them since they became treadmills and loot box never ending money drainers. No single game is so good it could keep me on the conveyer belt of death. I would rather just play a single player game for 20 minutes and go back to life.

 

[petran79]

In smaller towns and villages where good net infrastructure is not equally distributed, net cafes are usually the most popular venue for kids, youths and adults to play online games. Mainly PC games but some also have consoles, mainly for games like FIFA. Add also that with a few euro subscription a month you get access to hundreds of PC games. It is cheap too, without the need to worry about installation and OS troubleshooting or need to buy hardware.
I spent few years in such a town and whenever I went to the net cafe it was full with school kids but also students.

 

[diffusionx]

I still really like multiplayer games. I don't like the business model and the way these games are sold these days. I don't like how every game funnels you into a perpetual unlock treadmill. I don't like how the games throw ads in your face constantly about unlocking battle passes and special deals on coins and crates. I don't like how the devs manipulate the way the game is played with playlists and XP bonuses and things like that (which of course tie back into battle passes and the unlock treadmill). It's like every single game has become a shit tier MMO. I think all that stuff is a substitute for actual good gameplay and fun mechanics - I play Halo MCC and have a great time without any of that shit.

I really truly do wonder if you took all that shit away, how popular these games would actually be.

 

[PsyEd]

I'm 40 and I still play video games very casually, the MP aspect of a game. Right now I'm switching between CoD:MW and Star Wars:Bf2 even though my steam/ps2/xbox library has....god knows how many games that I bought in some sale and never played more than 10-15 mins.
Anyways here's me playing SW:BF2 as all time favourite Luke against some overconfident hot head young plebs...

Still kicking ass...taking names...

 

[McHuj]

Opposite for me.

I find it easier to play COD for 30 minute bursts than to find 2-3 hours at a time to invest in a story driven single player game.

 

[Birdo]

Yep. It started to feel like Groundhog day.

Kill, spawn, kill, spawn, kill, spawn..... Why am I doing this?

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Getting older didn't kill multiplayer games for me -- the fact that I don't get to do local multiplayer anymore did. Online multiplayer bores the shit out of me.

 

[joe_zazen]

I get no joy from killing other players or buying $20 skins, and coop almost always turns into a race to see who can finish the content first...so not my preferred way of playing. I’ve never really done coop in a builder like minecraft, that might be fun.

 

[DESTROYA]

Never was into them to begin with, I prefer a good story driven game over multiplayer

 

[Susurrus]

I always enjoyed local multiplayer and still do, though I don't get to do it often these days.
Online multiplayer I did enjoy for a while, I remember many nights of Team Fortress 2, Hellgate London, and others with friends, but it kind of died when I moved overseas and my time zone sync completely destroyed any hope of that kind of activity. Was overseas in different countries for almost a decade, during which time I pretty much lost it, plus now having a family it is hard to get into it despite being back in the US, and even down the road from one of the guys I used to play with and only a timezone apart from the others, so it hasn't happened.

Playing online with strangers doesn't really do it for me, and I don't have the time to build skill to really do anything other than constantly get destroyed at everything. I'll sometimes hop on something like Tetris 99, or I used to SSBU, Mario Kart 8 (Wii U), or Disc Jam and played on the casual, but primarily just play single player games, which to be fair have always been my favorite.

 

[alabtrosMyster]

I only do local / casual multi-player now (tetris attack, mario kart, sonic racing evolved, the Capcom fighters compilation, etc.)

I used to do LAN parties with my buddies on a regular basis, we would play RTS games like Age of Mythology or Supreme Commander, FPS like Duke Nukem 3D, Quake 1 & 2, Serious Sam I & 2, or some of the various Unreal Tournament games... I am so old .

 

[Gone]

I left it because of how bad the internet here in Iraq. Downloading Warzone will literally take 5 days or so to finish, then you play with 200 ping or something like that. It sucks, and am paying 50$ for that "Internet".

 

[Fake]

Quite the contrary. When I got my first job and get my Gears of War , Battlefiled, Street Fighter, I tought that was my bright age.
If I could back in time, I easily beat myself.

 

[Wolfgang Jr]

Couch multiplayer or gtfo

 

[Nymphae]

With randos, yes, was never really a big fan. I want more competitive couch gaming with my friends, sitting around getting fucked up and playing games, but you get older and this gets more difficult.

 

[NikuNashi]

I don't want to play with other people, always loved the escapism of games, don't need anything social when i play a game so I've disliked this trendy everything must have a multiplayer generation. Hopefully we are over that now.

 

[Foamy]

I'm 45 in a couple months and while my skills have dropped off a bit I can still hold my own and have a positive KDR IN Modern Warfare.
What bothers me is the total lack of respect for people and the name calling in lobbies. That and some people will do anything to win and play cheap AF.
Wall glitch, PC hacks like aimbots and stuff like that. That shit really frustrates me.

 

[Kittehkraken]

Multiplayer for the most part is full of salty bitches who were never hugged enough as a child.

Why deal with man children and their screeching offspring when i can enjoy endless single player experiences?

 

[teezzy]

Only game I'd love to have a buddy to play with would be Monster Hunter World

 

[Shakka43]

Can't lose something I never had. Aside from some co-op here and there competitive multiplayer has never caught my attention.

 

[MayauMiao]

Kinda gave up on multiplayer after Destiny. I just got tired doing the same thing over and over, on top of that missing out on events because it happens when I'm not free to game. Its single player from now till the day I retire from gaming.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Absolutely. I loved multiplayer games when I was younger and could spend a ton of time on them (and also didn't have a lot of money to buy lots of games, so replayability was a big draw). These days, though, I just can't be bothered. I think eSports and livestreaming in general has done a lot to kill my interest. The general mood I get is that it's pointless to even play these things unless you're going to take them seriously and get really good, which I know I have no chance at doing given my limited gaming time these days. I gravitate more towards single player and narrative-driven stuff now.

I still like a bit of coop and MMORPG stuff, though.

 

[Tesseract]

it's been fine, there's a tipping point with shooters where higher skill ceilings crush sustainable bases

unreal tournament is dead, quake champions is on life support, natural selection 2 is in hell

q3 and ut2003/4 days are over unless titanfall 3 saves the day

 

[Entroyp]

I don’t miss multiplayer at all. It’s a time sink and now I have more responsibilities to attend to. I’m too old for it I guess.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

nope it's a must

 

[Ten_Fold]

During the 360 days I played tons of gears halo, sf4, umvc3, and mw2. This gen I've really only enjoyed the single player stuff (mainly Nintendo), Multiplayer games just seem less fun this gen to me, not sure why.

 

[Havoc2049]

I’m in my 40’s and the vast majority of my time this gen has been spent playing online games. I’ve put thousands of hours into Destiny, Halo 5, Halo MCC, Elite Dangerous and Sea of Thieves. Playing with randoms sucks though. Joining a gaming group or a clan is the way to go. The rise of Discord and Xbox Game Groups has been great for staying connected with others. The Looking For Groups (LFG) feature on Xbox and Windows is amazing for gaming with serious gamers who communicate, so you don’t have to deal with a bunch of random idiots, people without mics or kids.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Just the opposite for me. With family and work obligations I’d much rather find a good MP game I can sink a half hour or hour or so into and shut the system off. Plus with my siblings and friends also suffering from adulthood, the MP games give us chances to socialize.

I’ll still play SP games but my days of spending hundreds of hours on a Final Fantasy game are over. Sometimes it sucks, for example I bought Sekiro intending to complete it but the game requires such a commitment to learn the movement and combat that I’ll relearn it, play for an hour, and then it’s so long before I pick it back up I feel I need a good hour of dying just to get used to the game again, so I play less.

Probably a big reason I have shifted away from Sony and towards MS ever since PS2. None of Sony’s games are really super meaty or complicated like Sekiro, but they don’t offer the social experience or MP games MS does.

 

[Punished Miku]

I'm 38 and my most played games this gen by far are Splatoon 2 and Soul Calibur VI.

Soul Cal is my main series for multiplayer for most of my life. Splatoon is just forever fun to me. And if I get burned out on versus it has a fantastic coop.

Coop is almost always my favorite multiplayer. Now I'm playing Nioh 2 a ton online and my favorite thing is healing and helping lower level players.

 

[highrider]

Last one I played was Halo 5 which I enjoyed.
I’m 52 and am a pretty busy person so I’m just playing games less in general and I’ve found with multiplayer you can’t really be sort of casually playing it, you have to dedicate a bit of time to be a decent player.
Games I enjoy in competitive multiplayer are Halo, Unreal Tournament, Lost Planet.. I also just think my tastes have aged out of that space lol. Hoping Infinite inspires me to play again.

 

[Old Retro]

There's something so satisfying to me about playing a match where you know there's another flesh and blood human being on the receiving end of your bullets. Coin ops and the death of arcades passed the torch to online multiplayer. That's really the only way you can test yourself against the skills of others that play the same game besides someone connected to the same console/pc.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Yup.

I don't play games as much as I used to, and don't MP as much either.

Then again, I've been playing games since around 1980 and am probably just burnt out from gaming, especially online gaming with sports and Call of Duty which I played a lot years back.

Kind of like Bethesda RPGs. Whn you play the shit out of Oblivion and Fallout 3, Skyrim and F4 are still good games, but the thrills thin out even though those games are better (IMO) than the old games in every way. Just a matter of did that done that.

 

[Shrap]

I've always found multiplayer too repetitive but got into a few MP games last gen. Now with this gen and all the consoles having paid online I'm not touching it. I've tried it on PC before but there was just too much cheating.

I'd like to see more local multiplayer games again as I find them a lot more enjoyable. It's pretty disgraceful how few there have been apart from on Nintendo consoles.