Local or Online

[machomuu]

Let's assume you like multiplayer, even if you don't. This question's being posed by someone who's interest in the matter is horribly situational and there's no real catch-all answer.

Excluding Arena Shooters, since in most cases the answer to that is rather clear, do you generally prefer to play games locally or online?

Back in a thread not to long ago, I mentioned local multiplayer as something that was lost. As if it's simply not worth the trouble to develop for and its overall exclusion in games that would surely benefit from them. This is particularly egregious in games that have online multiplayer (a damning recent example of this goes by the name of Halo 5). But I've lived in dorms where I have friends who it might be fun to play games with and a brother who likes to play games with me sometimes, and while I'm generally a more singleplayer oriented gamer, playing with friends locally can be pretty fun given the right game. Hell, I have pretty fond memories of bonding with my brother over pretty much any game he could scrounge up to keep me occupied, so it seems like a waste that it's something of a vanishing trend.

-That's not really the topic, though. Short and sweet, I generally prefer local multi, if at all. How about you?

 

[Prairie]

I'm also more inclined to play single-player games, but I love playing multiplayer games locally, or even just couch co-op when possible.

Voice chatting with friends while gaming is fine and all, but there's something about being in the same room with the people you're playing with that's just lost in that case. For me, I think it's talking to them and seeing their reactions to the game in realtime.

Or maybe I just love being able to mess with their controllers... Gosh, the Wii was a great multiplayer console.

 

[Sycamorph]

When I had friends, I played locally a lot. It's a lot more fun (and less latency) than online. I don't think anyone would prefer online to local.

 

[pkmin3033]

I have very fond memories of massive Halo local multiplayer parties with people I went to school with, but...well, those days are long gone. I think if I had friends I would prefer local multiplayer, because multiplayer is a hell of a lot more fun if you play with people you actually know. It's satisfying and fun playing online with competent, friendly people you've never met, but it's even better with your friends, y'know?

The problem is that most of the people I know who play the same games I do that have multiplayer (and there aren't many) live on different continents. Online multiplayer is really the only way to go these days, at least for me.

 

[Taemin]

Unless it's literally an MMO, I play all games locally and rarely use the online features.

 

[Dusk]

I don't like to get out of the house/have people over as much anymore, and many people I consider friends don't even live in the same city, state, or even country/continent. So online is my main way to play with people nowadays. It's just easier and more convenient, provided we have good internet connection.

 

[Satoshi Ookami]

Mostly online.
It's much easier to boost through online multiplayer.

 

[天 (Caine)]

I mainly play single player games, but if I had the choice between online play and local play, I'll choose local each and every time. In my opinion, there's no experience like playing "Mario Party" with three of your loved ones. I'll only play online when the game requires it and I don't mind that at all. It just means more opportunities to meet new friends from all over the world.

 

[TY]

Online play is all I do these days, I have no friends to play with locally :(

 

[PRIC3LESSMPB]

I prefer everything online. Especially co op. I can relax in my comfy chair and I have the whole tv to myself and My whole set up is meant for just one person. It's nice.

 

[Meganium]

To me, it depends on the game itself, but quite honestly I do prefer online, as it is quicker and easier. The only person I play with locally is my boyfriend, all other people I play with is within online. lol

 

[GanguEevee]

Local multiplayer, all the way, most of the time. I love playing with my brother and sister a lot, and we live with each other, of course, so this was bound to be my choice. I do play online occasionally, if that's the only way I can play multiplayer, or if it's a MMO. While we're okay with 2-player games, if it's not a 4 or 3 player multiplayer game, then we're gonna have a problem. I'm always Player 1, my brother's Player 2, my sister's Player 3.

 

[Drayton]

I do enjoy bit of online play sometimes, but things can be out of hand while playing online with strangers than friends though. so I play local more than ever

 

[Wicked3DS]

I like playing games with people, so either style of multiplayer is fine with me, but these days I tend to play online more with my PC friends.

 

[Arsenic]

Both? They're both super important to any game with multi-player. Sometimes I want to kick random people's butts. Sometimes I want to play couch coop with friends. Soooometimes, I want to play couch coop and have both of us go online to kick butt!

 

[Fannie]

I mainly began playing Xbox to troll people online and the like. I actually ended up making friends though. Some of whom I've met. I would prefer to play locally but, as you say, it's usually not an option and I'm lacking in nearby gamer friends.

 

[Dustmop]

Online play is all I do these days, I have no friends to play with locally :(

This, basically. I only have my boyfriend and my dad to play games with locally. However, since Boyfriend and I are both primarily PC, most of what he and I can agree on are online co-op. I can occasionally get him to agree to a Wii U game. Occasionally.

And everyone else I know lives really far away. :P


While I would prefer local co-op in many cases, online co-op is a lot more convenient.

 

[JJ Styles]

As much as Online multiplayer is the common norm these days, I really miss LAN.

I remember the times when some of my friends and I, usually after school, would just visit our nearest PC Bang and load up some Counter Strike and just go ham with some insane 10v10 Mayhems with us 10 guys going up against 10 other people who would join our public server. And considering some of the friends i used to hang out with, we often got into really bad messes when one of our friends started talking loads of smack against all other comers to the point where people in said PC Bang would start looking for our faces and pick some nasty RL fist fights. High school was pretty brutal.

Also, there's Hamachi. Its our alternative to using online multiplayer clients like Garena.