Even though I'm working as usual, it's still really nice to be out at the beach. I get to see family while I'm here, which makes the trip quite worth it. I also get to sneak in some time at the pool and in the ocean. Doesn't get much better than that! I hope you guys are all having a wonderful week as well, no matter where you are or what you're doing. See you in a few, short hours!
As many of you may know, I am currently on a family vacation in North Carolina. I've been taking this same vacation for just about 20 years now. My Mom's side of the family all gets together and rents a house at the shore for a week. Yes, we actually all get along well enough to live together for 7 days...and have a blast doing so!
I'm also very lucky to have a bunch of gamers in my family. My cousins are all into video games, boys and girls alike. Before we head out for the big trip, we each figure out who's going to bring what systems and games. We spend our days swimming and kicking back on the beach, but at night we play some games. Of course, being the Nintendo guy, I'm more than happy to bring along my Wii.
This time around I'm getting the pleasure of watching my cousin's kids tackle The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. My one cousin's kid just started playing it today. Seeing the game from the start yet again brought back a rush of fantastic memories. I can't wait to see him experience all the amazing stuff that's waiting ahead.
As I watch, I try to decide if I like playing the game more myself or watching someone play through. When I have a game that I truly love, it makes me so happy to see another person experience that fun. Of course, The Legend of Zelda series ranks high up in my list of must-play games, so watching this Skyward Sword playthrough makes me absolutely giddy.
Do you enjoy watching others play games? Do you want them to play games you enjoy, or are you open to watching any games? Would you rather watch than play? Leave a comment and let us know.
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Watching other people play is enjoyable to everyone who enjoys the game in question. Let's Play, anyone?
About the "Would you rather watch than play?" I guess it depends on my state of mind. Watching other people play is much like watching a movie, IMO. There are sometimes when you don't have the energy to actually play the game like you should.
EDIT: Oh, and if the game they're playing is one that you personally don't like... Hmmm, I honestly wouldn't watch it. Because I can't keep myself from noticing all the game's flaws, instead of its virtues.
I only use Let's Plays as visual walkthroughs. I've tried the whole watch other people play thing multiple times before. I just end up being an angry, back seat gamer who may just snatch the controller out of your hand.
The only time I like to watch people play is when they're playing a classic single-player game like Ocarina of Time or Super Metroid. I can enjoy watching great games like those. Although it usually just gives me the urge to play. I also have problems with being a backseat gamer. It can be a struggle to keep my mouth shut sometimes.
im in one of those lucky relationships where my fiancee and myself enjoy watching each other play games. sometimes she'll make my play pikmin 2 and sometimes ill make her play mass effect 3 or something. i enjoy watching because, when youre playing, you dont quite get to take everything in. when youre watching someone else, youre free to let your eyes go all over the place. you can focus on things you maybe couldnt when playing. and sometimes its just fun to watch and see how other people tackle things you maybe did differently.
but i have happy memories of watching my brother play the original dragon warrior and top gun. or trying to watch my oldest brother play punch-out and tecmo bowl.. sadly he'd kick me out of the room. he was kind of a jerk. id spend hours watching my brothers friend play phantasy star, for the master system, and try to glean ever hint and trick i could from his playthrough. . those were the days.
I'm really glad that you are having fun with your family. I love to watch people play games. My first memories regarding games are watching my cousin playing Mario, Kung-fu and Bubble Bobble on her NES. She was way better than me so it was pretty awesome watching her flying through the first levels. I also remember how my grandma always watched me play Mario and reminded me where the extra lives were. I also remember one of the first games that changed my opinion regarding games. I was just a kid so back then so for me games were just like "toys"... until my dad got "LOOM " from LucasArts. I think watching my dad play that game changed everything for me. Suddenly games were not just another way to waist my time anymore, they were a new way to tell stories and adventures in a more immersive way than any other media.
I don't hate online modes but I usually don't like them too much. I like to play with friends face to face, talk, laugh, eat, drink and watch them play my games and have a good experience. The human factor for me is really important and I never felt the same way playing an online mode.
No one in my close family play games as I do so whenever I watch someone play it's usually through an LP- w/commentary- on YouTube.
Though it's a royal pain watching someone play a game I know inside and out. Because I want to help but I know it's impossible or they will do something or act stupidly and it will really irk me.
So more often than not I'd try watch a playthrough of a game I DON'T own. Cause I won't have previous experience and I'll be able to experience it firsthand.
But then you're left in the hands of the LP-er and their colourful character traits. And that can be a real kiljoy. For instance, one time I was watching an LP of the original God of War by an LP-er with a heavy accent. He spoke in English. Pretty well. But it was a bit jarring to deal with for me. Though it didn't bother me at first. In fact I had subscribed to him a little while before because I liked him. But then God of War.
I got through 15 parts before I shut the video off (and subsequently decided to unsubscribe). My reason? He would not shut up about the comparisons between it and GoW3 and how superior the latest game was to it! (Gee! I wonder why!) Normally that's fine but he would not stop going on about it. Every five minutes just when you thought you were safe it would come up again and I realised he tended to whine in most of his videos and I couldn't deal with that. Sorry but no.
Speaking of whiners don't get me started on Video Games AWESOME!... *shudders*
I'm exactly the same way. I have a hard time deciding whether I like playing the game or watching someone else play it more!
I think there's nothing like the first playthough of a game. You can only do that once. After that, watching someone else play though it for the first time is as close as you'll ever get to getting to experience it all over again for the first time.
My wife likes to play games, but while our tastes in games does overlap, she just isn't interested in a lot of the same games I am. If she was at all a Final Fantasy fan I could just sit there and watch her play those games all day.
There's just something about having the shared experience of a great game.
I'm sure that I'm not the only one here who watches TwitchTv. It's a good community (so far) and watching other people play with commentary LIVE is awesome.
I really like seeing someone else play, even more if we are in the same room. But it really depend on the game. Some games are really a chore to watch (Tales of Symphonia was pretty boring IMHO as I wasn't the main character, and could play only during combat, and all the skits without voices and walking right and left...).
Sadly, I don't have a lot of friends, and none of them like to play games socially like that. It's always a multiplayer game or alone at their home. :/ And even then, I almost never get to play multiplayer games anyway, because they are never "in the mood", whatever that is...
I hereby demand that you sneak even more beach/pool time RMC. You work too hard... take it easy for a bit. We'll survive. I promise.
If you aren't sunburned by the end of the week we're all going to be disappointed.
I know this is more in the context of 'watching other people in the room play games', but I would say 'yes' just in the fact that I watch more people on Youtube play games than -I- play games. It's not because I'm too lazy to play.... but I *really* like to hear what other people think about the games I've played, or watch them talk about a game they really like that I've never played. And it's easier to sit and listen to them for a few minutes than drop what I'm doing on the computer and load up a game by myself real quick.
All happy sounding stories
For me I can be a little mischievous when. another person is playing a game I played, sure I will help them and offer them tips however sometimes I will play around and joke or tease with the people playing.
sometimes we laugh together about the game and sometimes the people get really frustrated and I may laugh to myself thinking I was in that spot too that they are in,
It's all in good fun
Watching another person playing a game I played can be fun because unlike a movie you never know how the game will end up with another player playing that game, its like seeing the experiencing of the game again through anothers pair of eyes, sometimes they may struggle to get to a spot on the game sometimes they could breezes through it as it was nothing...
Watching another player play can be a way to understand a person as a player too!
#Did they rush through it?
#Did they read or skip the story?
#Did they explore?
#Did they find shortcuts, and holes and play through it?
#Did they enjoy it and have fun or did they play the game like it was work or a chore to do?
And as some said in here if you have a special close friend playing sometimes its like where both experiencing the adventure together for the first time.
;-D
Personally, I like to watch people play some types of games more than I actually like playing them myself. Mainly the really difficult ones people show videos of Youtube and such like.
And yes, Let's Plays are awesome, always like watching videos by people like raocow.
My 10 y.o. nephew finished Chrono Trigger for the first time weeks ago. Watching his intrigued face and reactions while playing the game was amazing. He decided to check the game after I told him it's the best game ever made and I love it to death. He too fell in love with the game, and now he's writing a novel based on the game's plot. I'm so proud of him, I have no words.
If it's a game I enjoy, then yes, I'd enjoy watching others play too.
Problem is no-one else in my family enjoys the same games I do...aside from Mario
Depends on many things. I can plat Tekken for max 20 mins and then I just get way too bored of the repetitive gameplay so I can either watch or get frustrated by still playing (unless we are playing vs game and it is good, but that hardly lasts long). I personally call it the "Tekken-syndrome" since that was the first game I sarted to get like it. Same With CoD.
I remember back in the days we were playing flashback on the SNES and we were three on a one player game. So one played and the others helped in and we would trade on who wanted to play in full agreement. Being a backseat driver wasn't that bad
But some games I have to play all alone, so no back seat drivers alowed, of course (like RPGs and Adventure games most often)
But games like Street Fighter or SSB, or a MarioKart or Wipeout? Them I have to join in on and game!
I love playing games myself, but I *do* like watching people play online if they are funny or crazy. Like Tobiscus or something.
Or people playing bad games (not just AVGN).
On the topic of watching people play games I loved, my girlfriend played OoT for the first time last year when she got her 3DS and I was having nostalgia without even watching. It was really cool to have her experience it for the first time since her family never bought consoles really.
Likewise, it was a lot of fun playing HeartGold/SoulSilver with her. But I wasn't actually watching her play either of these games, I just listened to her experience things for the first time that I had already seen and it was awesome for some reason.
It's so much fun watching someone else experience a game that you love for the first time.
I do, but only for competitive games. Like, Dota 2 where there is a big competitive scene. You can learn alot to level up your game
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