Ask HN: Why can't I enjoy playing videogames on my own?

2 pointsmudrockbestgirl3y ago2 comments

These days, the only thing that makes we want to play games is the community aspect. That's obvious for online games or MMOs, but even for single-player games, most of the fun and motivation comes from engaging with the community around the game. I wouldn't even consider playing a game that doesn't have an active community. Even if the game was great, I just can't imagine having fun playing it all by myself.

Does anyone else have the same problem? Why is this? When I was younger, I could enjoy single-player games just fine by immersing myself in the world, so why is it impossible now? Did constant exposure to social media lead to this?

2 comments

viraptor3y ago

Why do you think it's a problem? I see it exactly like: "I like pancakes but not waffles. When I was younger I liked waffles more." Tastes change. Available options for food and games change over time too.

Also depending on when exactly you were younger, maybe the multiplayer games simply weren't good? For my timing, they first didn't exist, then they weren't good, now I'm not a huge fan of them, but they exist as a reasonable option.

hitpointdrew3y ago

I rarely ever play video games at all anymore, not even ones with community.

I suspect this is mostly due to “aging”. Although I don’t think it’s simply the process of getting older, but the process of long exposure to various games and game mechanics. At this point, for me, there isn’t really anything new or novel (how many times can a FPS be repackaged? How platformers can I play? How many times can an RTS be reimagined or re-themed?).

I don’t really think this bad. I don’t really care at this point, I either got my money worth out of the games in my library, or I didn’t.

I have sort of “moved on”, I have been trying my hand at making games (using Godot), which I find fun and challenging. I am just doing it for fun (making simple games for my daughter mostly, not taking it super serious or trying to publish/make money).

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