Why Single Player Games are Better Than Multiplayer - Retro Bird

[@dariusq8894]

For me single player is the preference simply from a time management perspective. As an adult, finding free time to play games is hard enough on my own let alone being able to coordinate schedules with one or more other people. A lot of gamers will point to online gaming as a solution but I generally prefer to play with friends instead of randos. One style of games which takes advantage of both single & multi player are dungeon crawlers. These are usually best played in groups but playing alone can still be fun raising one's stats or grinding for loot. Even better is if you can find a game which features both online and local multiplayer reducing the necessity for servers.

[@nickyroo4017]

0:54: after hardcore studies.. My research has reported that this man was playing as luigie

[@RetroBirdGaming]

hahah

[@xelyx13]

I feel like another big part of the equation is your amount of free time/circumstances at various stages of your life. When I was a kid, I played mostly multiplayer games, since I had a younger sibling. During high school I played multiplayer games pretty exclusively, since I had tons of free time and a large group of friends. Since I’ve graduated and work full time, am married, and have children, I find I don’t have the time or energy to play multiplayer games, let alone maintain any kind of skill level within them. Losing touch with friends, and other friends getting out of gaming, or just having similar family/career responsibilities has also been an issue. Growing up on split screen multiplayer and transitioning to online play probably also played a small part in moving more towards single player games.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, what's going on around you definitely plays a huge part. It's funny you mention transitioning to online play because I've been thinking lately about how eye opening it can be. It exposes you to just how good people get at certain games. I appreciate the online games that rank you so that you're placed with people closer to your skill level.

[@FluffySylveonBoi]

Single player ftw, total freedom (mods and cheats if you want, nobody yelling at you or telling you what to do), no rush, good immersion and story/character development. I can do whatever I want, because it is "my world". And you are a cute bird :)

[@TM-db2wz]

I enjoy being able to play at my own pace, and dislike competition. So for me single player games seem more relaxing and enjoyable.

[@pnwgamerguy8030]

Just found ur channel from console collector! Super glad I did ! I'm loving it! Thanks for ur vids!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Glad to have you. Welcome to the channel!

[@tonyp9313]

Single player games for me. I can play as much as I want at whatever time I want. Multi player games either coop or vs, I rarely can get my friends to play online. Then it's games I don't even want to play but have to play because of the limited selection. I prefer coop games a lot more because it's way less stressful than competing in games vs your friends to try & win them.

[@jakek5417]

Single player games can combine story-telling, music, gameplay, and imagination in a memorable way that multiplayer games simply cannot. I think most gamers have memories of when a game creates a great experience for them by combining all of these elements. Don't get me wrong though, getting blasted by my nephews in Fortnite is a lot of fun though.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

For sure. It's almost like two entirely different experiences. I actually wish I could play multiplayer more than I'm able to (which is still a decent amount). I have one friend with two kids and I joke that he took care of the multiplayer problem by just creating little humans he can play multiplayer with whenever he wants!

[@jakek5417]

@@RetroBirdGaming lol, so true.

[@TheWeekendGamerz]

I like singleplayer games the most. Gameplay used to be the only requirement for a game to be fun. Now i find myself also enjoying the story too.

[@totallyfrozen]

As an adult, it can be difficult to find time and often partners for multi-player games. That’s why I think it’s important to have a spouse and children who enjoy at least SOME video games (even if they’re not a retro maniac like you). I try to cultivate that by exposing them to video games regularly but not pressuring. That way, they are reminded of how fun they are. I typically play single player games lately, but when I had a GameCube, my wife and I had good times playing MarioKart and Super Smash Bros. together.

[@akilscott1183]

I used to only play multiplayer games. Since getting older I don’t have as many friends let alone friends who still play xbox. Single player games are just a different experience, I play to escape the world now rather than try to be the best. Multiplayer games are starting to feel like a second job trying to keep up. Single player games allow me to take my time go at my own pace and understand the games and its story. A much more enjoyable experience. Love the video man!

[@marcmoore7724]

I grew up in the not-quite-retro era as a sheltered kid with few to no friends to play multiplayer with (and no GBA Link cable!), so single-player games were my lifeline as far as games went. I still love playing games like Smash and Mario Kart with friends, but single-player experiences blow them out of the water for me. The idea of multiplayer games with no offline single-player functions at all was unheard of to me when it first started to catch on. Like, if you make a single-player game with multiplayer functions, it can be a lot of fun in both ways- fun when friends are around to play with you and fun by yourself, But multiplayer-only games don't even give you that choice- if you don't have friends around for local multiplayer or shell out for the latest online service, you're just out of luck. And that saddens me some.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Good point. Games that had both great multiplayer and single player were a win-win situation. I think that's why games like Goldeneye were such a hit back in the day.

[@bananonymouslastname5693]

I have always preferred single player games, save for beat 'em ups. Beat 'em ups need a friend. Most other stuff, though, I'd rather play alone or watch a friend play while we have conversation. I do fare well generally in competitive games, but I've never found it fulfilling in the same way beating a challenging 2D shooter or platformer can be, or soaking in the atmosphere and scouring the map for secrets in a metroidvania or RPG. A one life Gradius II run feels way better to me than beating the pants off of a friend at Guilty Gear.

[@markymark6229]

One of the best things about retro gaming is the mod communities that have evolved around old consoles. For many of the online games that have had their servers taken down, fans have created their OWN servers for jailbroken consoles, so they can continue playing them even years later! Idk much about it as I do prefer single player games, but it does exist. So cool!

[@jonofarc443]

I started playing video games when the Super Nintendo was new, and I have never cared for the concept of online gaming-especially MMOs. My only systems are a PS1, original Gameboy, and an Atari Flashback. I have a some single player games on my phone, mostly vintage games from the 80s and 90s like Space Invaders, Pacman, R-Type, Tetris, and Shining Force. I'd rather sit down with a deck of cards and play solitaire than play an MMO of any sort.

[@FeralInferno]

I play a mix of both. I'm an organizer of a gamer Meetup group and have developed a pretty good local Smash Bros community. Smash, Mario Kart, and other fighters just don't have longterm appeal without friends to play them with. Before this whole COVID thing, it was probably pretty even, but now it's 100% single player until this thing dies down.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

That's sweet you're part of a gamer meetup group. I would totally go.

[@ConstitutionalRepublic00]

I prefer single player because I can go at my own speed.

[@user-dp3jc3mr2j]

keep up the great work. love the channel. writing is great!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thank you!

[@edwardbrock7299]

Came here from console collector shout out video. Glad i did. You deserve way more attention

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Welcome to the channel! Glad you're here and I've got lots of great stuff to come!

[@army103]

Single and multiplayer games are such different experiences that it seems wrong to say one is "better" than the other. That said, if I could only choose one, I'd pick single player every time - no question!

[@shopliftfilms]

0:31 lol the visual 😂

[@PaulRockey]

Hardcore gamers who take gaming seriously prefer single player games. But nongamers prefer multiplayer. People who aren’t real gamers will always say they play Fortnite or sports games when asked what videogames they play. I answer with games like Xenogears, last of us 1&2, half life 1&2, final fantasy 6&7, breath of the wild, etc...because I’m hardcore like that, yo!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Hahah. So hardcore!

[@MrTrap78]

Many old hardcore gamers prefer local multiplayer over single player. Online multiplayer barely counts as multiplayer as far as I am concerned.

[@andrewt6338]

I can see either point. It depends on the type of game. Something like Contra or Lifeforce are great either way. But say a fighting game or a race title or a sports game, playing with a human on the couch is hard to replicate. The AI is either stupid or super competent. A person learns tips and tricks and how you play, and exploits that, and I learn too. It makes me better. Online is a whole other thing. I used to play Mario Kart Wii against Japanese players and they always picked Rainbow Road. I usually smoked them, and they would quit. That's probably my best course. They wanted an easy win, and.. no. I bought Excite Bike World Rally on the VC and really liked it. For ten bucks, it was awesome. But a few months later the online was turned off. And there is no local multiplayer option. Why? So I avoid games where online is the big draw. Once the shut it down, you lose part of your purchase. I don't care for that.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, some games definitely lend themselves to being played in multiplayer.

[@SightlySinner]

Yo tell how it’s possible that I just farted right before he started reading a book about farts 😆

[@Lorfarius]

I used to play multiplayer games all the time up until around the launch of Halo 3. Then I found I was spending more and more hours in campaigns. Think a lot of it came down to not having to listen to screaming kids which seem to litter every online games these days (maybe I'm just getting old!). But I prefer experiencing stories alone and co-op modes rarely do much for me. Guess it's becoming even more of a worry with multiplayer stuff taking over.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, the chat in online games is really only fun if it's with your friend. I've rarely enjoyed talking to strangers and have found myself pretty much always muting everyone else, even at the expense of not being able to talk strategy with them :)

[@MrTrap78]

Try multiplayer with people sitting next to you. Online multiplayer is a very poor substitute for same room multiplayer.

[@pip7967]

Nah man I love when my friends come over to play. I almost never play anygames by myself.

[@ComicBooksandVideoGameNerd96]

I prefer single player games

[@hhectorlector]

I get too competitive with online multiplayer games! too easy for me to sink tons of hours in those games!

[@SoupyMittens]

None of my friends know each other, and I've never had any siblings, so getting a lot of people together to play multiplayer just takes too much effort. Also all my friends apparently do chores all day or do their homework during the middle of July.

[@raphaelturtle4146]

No friends? What about fred, daphne, velma and scooby?

[@TheGameBeaters]

I only read farts with friends around. Lol. Seriously I agree I love a great single player experience. Multi player is fun too but just not as much.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Haha. Good point. That's a great book to read with friends.

[@MrTrap78]

I prefer multiplayer games because of the social aspect. A multiplayer game to me is like playing cards with your friends, while a single player game is like playing solitaire. I exaggerate, but the principle is there. I think any single player game would be better in co-op. Even for games ill suited for co-op. I don´t like 1 versus 1 games, though. It is too confrontational. One winner and one loser.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

1 vs 1 often does bring some very negative energy to the surface.

[@metaldiceman]

I don't mind so much the games that rely on an online service not being preserved, because you know that from the start and can avoid them. Or DLC, which I still generally have a negative opinion towards, because you can just choose not to buy them. What worries me is installing a current-gen game, then your system not letting you play it because there were updates to it, and the servers providing those updates being long gone. Excuse me, but if I paid $60 for what you as the developer consider an "unfinished game", I made that purchase decision going in, then I should be able to play that exact same "unfinished game" on the disc 10 or more years from now.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, that's exactly the sort of thing that causes me anxiety as well.

[@metaldiceman]

You can technically back up the installation, but it's in its own unique format specific to the console, you'd need to have separate hard drives just dedicated the game installs for each system because of the unique format, and no telling what might happen after copying the files between file systems, hard drives, or optical media backups. I've actually lost PS3 save files & game installs by weird stuff happening between file systems. I just want to play the 1's and 0's that are physically present on the disc layers. I'm okay with losing out on your precious stability updates.

[@meka6626]

I prefer single player games like Witcher, Xenoblade, Nioh, Gravity rush for example. I try to give Final fantasy 14 as chance but the Realm Reborn pacing kills it for me. It took forever to experience first Combat.

[@Detective_Nia]

Let me rephrase that for u multiplayer pvp games are trash but co op ain't that bad because pvp games just have terrible net code most of the time the only pvp games u can play with a decent internet connection is fighters with a roll back netcode other than that everything else is bull sh** that excludes board games but who plays those often lol

[@vice86]

Or better yet are Bot Matches better than Multi Player? Sometimes a few rounds of, let say, Modern Warfare in multiplayer can be really frustrating if you're doing badly. Sometimes its nice to have that MP feel but be able to not completely suck

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I agree. I remember it being a huge bummer when I first realized that Halo didn't have bots. It makes me curious what sort of time and resource investment is required from developers to add them in.

[@MrTrap78]

Online multiplayer games which won´t let you play against people of your own skill level is just stupid.

[@nitsujzach]

Single Player > Multiplayer. Single player is FUN, Multiplayer is COMPETITIVE. I wanted to get into Mobas but the toxicity is staggering. It's like a day job and I aint into that masochistic shit.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Mobas always seemed like too big of a time investment for me.

[@nitsujzach]

@@RetroBirdGaming it is a time sink as the learning curve is steep. It's more stressful than fun at times. I'd rather chill with a single player ps2 game anytime and not worry

[@MrTrap78]

Try local co-op.

[@kenspeedbicycle]

Single player games - you can play offline!

[@mmeditatio]

yes for me (but breath of the wild is overrated :D )

[@AgentXRifle]

I completely disagree with you on almost every aspect of this video for anything 6th gen and older. Almost everyone I know gets so excited when I plan a game night. Games like Mario Kart Double Dash!! Baby Park has been a hit for newcomers and people craving nostalgia-vibes, multiplayer games like Halo even got remasters and mod support, or just a game of Mario Party when everyone is hanging out. Online PC games are way more eventful vs single player, especially games like DayZ, Star Citizen and GTA 5 online/the custom servers. I rarely go back and play single player games but I often play multiplayer!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I can see where you're coming from. To your point, I think many people capable of hosting game nights with multiple people would prefer multiplayer games. At its best, multiplayer probably has a higher ceiling for fun due to the social nature of it as well. But in any case, preferring single player can often come down to the fact it's more accessible for people who can't always get a group of friends together.

[@markymark6229]

One of the best things about retro gaming is the mod communities that have evolved around old consoles. For many of the online games that have had their servers taken down, fans have created their OWN servers for jailbroken consoles, so they can continue playing them even years later! Idk much about it as I do prefer single player games, but it does exist. So cool!