Comments on: Gaming through others

By: duckofindeed

duckofindeed — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 20:55:37 +0000

I usually don’t like being watched because I have a hard time getting into a game with others around. And I agree, playing a game you’ve done already isn’t very fun. The reason I don’t like it, though, is because I don’t want it to spoil my next playthrough. It’s like watching a movie too many times.

By: duckofindeed

duckofindeed — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 20:52:17 +0000

I used to like being watched while I played, but now I don’t really. It distracts me from the game, and I play terribly when others are around. But, it can be fun to watch others. There are certainly games I don’t want to play that can be fun to watch.

By: duckofindeed

duckofindeed — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 20:50:37 +0000

That’s kind of what I did for the newer “Kingdom Hearts” on the 3DS. I can’t afford to keep buying new handhelds every time they make a new one (I prefer consoles anyway), so I just watched a bunch of the game on Youtube. It helped reduce my craving to splurge on a 3DS just for that one game. It saved me a lot of money.

By: duckofindeed

duckofindeed — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 20:48:37 +0000

That would be a great way to get your gaming fix if you don’t really have time to play. I’ve been getting a “Kingdom Hearts” fix by watching videos of the game (not quite the same as watching with the actual person in the room playing it, but still), which is tiding me over until the next time I have the PS2 plugged in so I can play it again for real.

By: duckofindeed

duckofindeed — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 20:46:28 +0000

I usually prefer not having people watch me at any time, but that’s true, the first time really is not a time to have others around. The game is the most interesting, and the story is the most mysterious the first time through. I need to be alone for that stuff to get the most out of it.

By: christianabetancourt

christianabetancourt — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 15:14:48 +0000

I’ve played Silent Hill 4 before but not my most favorite game to be exact.

By: Hatm0nster

Hatm0nster — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 23:45:13 +0000

I’ve always been a bit split when comes to watching games and being watched. I can’t stand being watched when playing a game through for the first time, that’s my time to get into a game and the mere presence of another person kind of spoils that for me. After that though, I prefer having other people around, that way you get to talk about whats happening with the game and have a new kind of fun with it

By: gimmgp

gimmgp — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:52:19 +0000

I have a fondness for watching others play games that developed during my college days. A group of my friends shared an apartment that had a huge loft that served as a bedroom on the top floor. In this room, we set up one large television, accompanied by several smaller TV sets on various shelves in the room. The purpose was to have a dedicated screen for each console, so we could all hang out and play different games at the same time.

At any point during my breaks between classes, I could come over to their place and kill some time watching my friends play through a game. This would allow me time to just relax and eat some food, all while enjoying my favorite pastime. I have so many happy memories of chowing down on tasty Chinese take-out and watching my friends play Resident Evil 4 and GTA: San Andreas. It never really bothered me that I was not the one playing, as long as I could sit with my loved ones and geek out about video games.

By: fminuzzi

fminuzzi — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:36:09 +0000

There are too many games I want to play and not enough time to play them; to me the perfect solution is watching other people play (while I play something else on my portable console). It doesn’t necessarily work for every game, but I feel that I get about as much out of playing games like Persona 4 or Final Fantasy 13/-2 by watching them than playing them myself (especially having played other games in the series).

By: cary

cary — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:04:04 +0000

For me, it really depends on the game and the gamer. Some people (like me) don’t like being watched when playing games. Others (like my husband) don’t mind it so much. I’ve watching him play tons of games — and he likes different games than I — without wanting to play them myself. There were a few exceptions, of course. I probably would have never gotten into Mass Effect, Uncharted, Portal, or Dishonored if I hadn’t watched him play them first. On the other hand, he can keep most sports games and shooters. I find them much more fun to watch than play. In many cases, I can talk about Skate or Call of Duty with others even though I’ve never touched them. Watching games is indeed a great way to find common ground with other gamers.