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Categories: Commentary
Tags: blog banter
Blog Banter is a group of bloggers passionate about anything and everything video games. We enjoy getting together once a month to write about the same subject. You will be amazed at the different viewpoints so many people can have on the exact same topic! Links to all the participant’s articles can be found here. If you are interested in participating, contact bs angel for more information. Enjoy our stories!
I tend not to make New Year’s Resolutions so I had trouble with Hawty’s topic: your New Year’s Resolutions as it pertains to gaming. In IRL there’s plenty I should be doing to improve myself, but when it comes to gaming there’s little I kick myself over. So I thought it over: maybe I should play games on the hard setting. Yeah, hand me a medal for that. I’m sure if I play Star Trek: Conquest on Nightmare I’ll start walking around like I’m in an Enzyte commercial.
Then I thought, maybe I should try to be more of a thrifty gamer, so I signed up for GameFly. Not much of a resolution if it’s not ongoing. Plus I noticed GameFly had a good sale going, so that killed my first month’s thrifty quotient. Then I thought, well maybe if I resolve to PC game more or only play “good” games or only play independent games. Crap. Crap. Crap.
Then it hit me.
I don’t multiplay. I have in the past and was decent at F.E.A.R., The Ship, and Defcon, but that was on the PC. On the PC, no one expected me to talk to them. It’s different on Xbox Live. It’s more communal. It’s more team-oriented. There’s that damn headset.
I’ve given it a shot and here’s what I usually hear over the headset: “Game Couch … fnord … where are … help … Couch … get over … ahhhh … help me … they’re all over me … ” And the thing is, it’s like I’m in a totally different game. I’m skipping down corridors while my team is living the last reel of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
So I avoid multiplayer. I’m missing probably half the content of most of my games, but I tell myself that it’s okay. Well, it isn’t. Not any more. My goal for 2008 is to give multiplayer a chance and not get discouraged if I suck at first. And the beauty of this resolution is that I can use Game Couch to keep me honest. I’ll be providing regular updates about my multiplayer experience and hopefully I’ll be seeing some of you online.
bs angel:
It will be awesome keeping up with your progress on this one. I am sure you will have some hilarious stories. Grab some friends and don’t do it alone though. And remember your mute button, it will become your best friend!
Amanda:
Haaa
Best quote ever
“Game Couch . . . fnord . . .”
Cat:
It’s definitely nice having a multiplayer game every now and then. Infact I don’t think it can really be compared to single player gaming.
Do try and get into it, find likeminded people on Live and most of all, have fun!
Silvercube:
Some multiplayer games do not always have the nicest community on xbox live.
But I always seem to have a good time on Team Fortress 2 : )
deckard47:
Yeah, multiplayer scares/offends me. I stick to CS:S and TF2.
terry:
*suddenly wishing commenting had a reply option*
@bs angel re: hilarious stories– possibly. I definitely had some weird Star Trek: Legacy experiences.
@Amanda re: Best quote ever– feel free to use it.
@Cat re: find likeminded people– yes, I wish Live had a step between full friending and people I like playing with for a certain game.
@Silvercube re: Team Fortress 2– I should give that another shot. I wish I could run through some of the modes with bots before going live.
@deckard47 re: multiplayer scares/offends me– Those aren’t your memories, they’re somebody else’s.
Anthony:
Does talking me into getting an xBox so I can play multiplayer RB6 with you from upstairs – instead of on the same screen – really count towards your resolution?
terry:
@Anthony
Yes, but not as much as you tweaking our settings so Star Trek: Legacy actually does something.
johpan:
TF2′s community is pretty friendly. It does suck that there’s no “training” mode or something with bots. I was pretty confused with ubers, and repairing buildings, and the spy in general before reading a guide or two and just tinkering around in a random server. Now, I’m just one achievement away from a perfect sheet!