Online Gaming Can't Recreate the Unique Fun of Local Multiplayer, Yet It's Dominant

NL:
Splatoon was a notable release in various respects for Nintendo. It was one of its biggest hits in 2015, and in addition to that it's an online-centric experience. You can spend a decent amount of time on the solo campaign, but the local multiplayer option is limited and tacked on; the action mainly happens in eight-player online battles of various kinds.

[Aloy-Boyfriend]

I miss playing local MP so much. Back in the days I would play N64 (Army men Sarges Heroes, Mario Kart 64, DK64, Conker, Diddy Kong Racing, Smash bros), PS1 (Crash CTR, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Tenchu 2), Gamecube( Melee, Mario Kart DD), and PS2 (Naruto shippuden 1, Twisted Metal Black, Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks) games with my old friends.

The few times I've tried to get friends over my house to play games, they were too lazy or busy to go and play. Every game we play is always online.

[Gaming101]

That's because technology was created to be more convenient. But in doing so, we've all become lazy and anti-social.

Smart phones were created to connect us, yet we spend all of our time staring at phone screens and barely face to face with another human being.

Online gaming has done the same thing. We have taken all the personable attributes of multiplayer away just so we don't have to get off our asses and actually see each other.

[KiwiViper85]

I loved the days of local mp. Goldeneye took over my life, MarioKart64, Tekken.

Played with my brother mostly, but also with friends and an uncle.

Trouble is everyone grows up and moves away, I couldn't organize a gaming night if I tried...

[Gazondaily]

Yeah man that's what happened. Used to love playing Goldeneye and tekken with the whole family. Good times but will be sorely missed.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Public gaming might get you a few new friends that live closer.
Might be worth a try?

[rainslacker]

I have a gaming night almost every week with a group of friends. There are about 15 people in this group, and generally about 5-6 can show up on any given night. Sometimes we get together 2-3 at a time on other nights as well.

It took a while to get to that number, but it's not impossible. Start with one friend, then find another, then another. We encourage each other to invite new people, and they often do, and they usually have fun, even if they don't become regulars.

Meet new people through these people, and before you know it, you'll be trying to outdo each other in your game room designs, sizes, and accouterments. Currently I'm winning on all the above...but i have the unfair advantage of having a 1600 square foot basement which was unfinished when I moved in, and too much money and nothing to spend it on except remodeling materials and games.:)

I think I overdid it with the old arcade machines retrofitted into the glass under the bar area which itself is styled after 7th Heaven from FF7....

[ecchiless]

I would love to see that, if u can share a pic :3

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

It's probably unreasonable or undo-able for some people, but I think interest in local multiplayer might re-surge, if more of us started doing public gaming sessions.

I do so quite a bit more often than most here; just take a small TV you can carry under one arm, alongside your gaming console, to a shop that you know has wall outlets for public use. [preferably with a socket bar of some sort so that you have more of your own to plug into without taking up sockets others might need]

Coffee shops like Starbucks are a good choice for this. Just remember to keep the volume down, and if possible, bring a friend to watch your stuff for you, if you need to step away to use the restroom or something.

I can't even count the number of incredibly fun Smash and MK8 matches I've had thanks to public gaming.
It started out as a public service thing I did for kids in a local library.
They'd be there with their parents, and they'd be bored with nothing to do while their parents looked for books, so I would bring in my Wii once a week with a small TV, keep the volume low in a quiet corner, and let them play Brawl.
One of the parents came back to me once and told me that her little boy was inviting more of his friends over to his house to play games together because he liked it more than just talking to them with a mic on other systems.

I figure, if it can work for them, why can't it work to inspire many others to game together more often?

If nothing else, public gaming might earn you a few new friends along the way.
You've just gotta try it.^_^

[lastking95]

I disagree, imo the only difference is the person isn't sitting next to you and taking up half the screen. Me and my friends on the mic is like chillin on the porch gaming on a Friday night lol. Truth be told if it was couch co op we probably would've gotten into many fist fights xD. So I do believe it can recreate it but it can be annoying when friends or family are over and your game doesn't support local co op

[Free_Fro]

truth be told...

It's just not the same..

That intimate rivalry in person... gone are those days. . for me anyways.

my gaming buddies are scattered across the country.