What is a true gamer?

A few months back, I was having a conversation with a good gamer friend of mine on a topic we have often argued about. Despite our periodic discussions, neither of us will budge from our respective mindsets. My friend has requested he not be named, so for the purpose of this discussion, I shall call him Vrell. So as I was saying, Vrell and I are both avid gamers. Both of us are thoroughly hooked and at the weekends, we can often be found discussing our shared passion over a bag of cans or two. He will say I’m not a true gamer and this, I must say, hurts my feelings, as I consider myself a true gamer to the core. This will usually result in my own broadside of insults, which never really gets us anywhere.

Our main difference of opinion is a fairly common division amongst gamers; single player or multiplayer?

I am personally all about the single player aspect. I often find myself getting completely engrossed in the story, setting and characters as the hours march by into the early morning. For me, a game with a decent plot is like reading a great book where you can influence the story as you go along. An excellent example of the kind of game I mean is the Mass Effect and Elder Scrolls series. I found myself genuinely caring about the characters and story and taking the path I chose in the game very seriously. I have found the games getting more and more compelling as the methods of telling the story have become more and more sophisticated over the years. I am not saying that I have never played and enjoyed multiplayer, I do have a soft spot for a certain Left 4 Dead series, as well as Modern Warfare and the like, but I wouldn’t sit down and play them on a regular basis.

Vrell on the other hand, is a former professional gamer who specialises in shooters, namely Counter Strike, and its numerous offspring. But he also dabbles in strategy games like Starcraft. I have sat over his shoulder several times to watch him play and usually I am left speechless by his skill. His accuracy and speed border on the superhuman and he is often kicked off servers being labelled a cheat when in fact he is actually that good. To say he is better than me is an insult to the act of comparison so I shall not even bother.

Upon getting a new game, Vrell will usually jump straight online to test out the multiplayer maps and all the weapons. While I on the other hand enjoy how the game gradually opens up the weapons and features as the story progresses. He would find this to be boring, while I find this to be an enjoyable part of the game’s experience. Many games have gripping story lines and immersive atmosphere, but lack much a developed multiplayer mode or even leave it out altogether, e.g. Dead Space. These are games that Vrell will usually overlook and genuinely has no interest in playing them. I often find this hard to understand, and that he is denying himself an awesome gaming experience. Vrell is content and set in his ways and I can only wonder at his intentional blissful ignorance.

The first game that really set the bar for me was the original Half-Life. When this game came out way back in 1998, I was for the first time in my life in possession of a PC that was capable of playing the latest games. So with this in mind, I went and bought Half-Life, knowing nothing much about it other than that it had gotten some great reviews. Bear in mind that before this time, my only experience of an FPS was Doom and its sequels. I know there are examples of games with a developed storyline that were out years before Half-Life, e.g. System Shock, but these games never really achieved the same level of widespread success as Half-Life. Half-Life’s opening sequence is well known and regarded, and for good reason. The fact that the game began with the player as the scientist Gordon Freeman enjoying his train ride to work was something I had never seen before. I was instantly amazed and to this date Half-Life remains for me one of the best examples of story telling and suspense I have ever experienced. While the game itself was very linear, it still managed to raise the bar to new heights in the FPS experience with its atmosphere and intelligent story telling. Half-Life also spawned Counter Strike, which has since gained legendary status and is the game that lies closest to Vrell’s corrupted heart. So this is one game that we can both agree on but for different reasons.

We have often argued about what drives developers to create new games. I am usually of the opinion that the single player campaign is the most important part of the game where the graphics, controls and features are designed to give the player the best experience possible. Many new features and graphical advancements are only really appreciable in the single player campaign as the game gradually reveals them in the order and manner intended by the developer. Vrell will argue that the games combat system, controls and interface are refined through multiplayer, and that this is the way the games are intended to be played. As games have grown in quality and scope, highly detailed and immersive graphics have now become the norm. Who could forget the gloom and frightening atmosphere of Doom 3? The game lovingly presented eerie locations and gruesome enemies to great effect, being a genuinely scary experience. Vrell, while appreciating the graphics, will often miss the finer detail and much of the atmosphere as he cuts a bloody path through noobs and pros alike. The frenetic pace of multiplayer usually does not give one the time to stand around and appreciate the view.

So which is the correct answer? I guess this is an argument with no true right or wrong. Both single player and multiplayer are integral parts of modern computer games. While some games do focus more on one aspect, other hugely popular titles give as much attention to both areas e.g. Starcraft, Call of Duty and Halo and are loved by gamers in both camps. So in conclusion, having thought about this topic without Vrell mocking my gaming style as I try to make my point, I think modern games have all benefited from both single player and multiplayer oriented development. Perhaps the next time I sit down and play a multiplayer game, I will try to see the fast pace and carnage in a more respectful manner and appreciate it for what it is. Vrell will unlikely reciprocate, but that’s ok, I wouldn’t expect a multiplayer asshole like him to change his opinion :)