OMG!! I'm one of "them"!! How in hell did this happen??? I used to be such a nice girl. Now, I've become that stereotypical gamer... spending my evenings loading up some shooter game and yelling at people into the mic. The fact that I'm old (47) and female, well that's irrelevant because I've become exactly how I always thought gamers were - addicts who bought SOCOM or HALO and played them night after night.
I don't really know how it happened. It was never my intention. I look at the games scattered near my console and most every night I find myself playing an FPS or shooter game - usually the MAG beta, Resistance 2, KZ2 or Battlefield 1943, sometimes Warhawk. I find this odd. I don't like guns. I've never fired a gun in real life. I don't know guns and always think a SCAR is a mark left by an injury, or that FAMAS is somebody misspelling Famous (OMG... I'm Famas!) I don't even know the differences between an SMG and an assault rifle and they all kind of seem the same to me - point, shoot. Terms like bullet spread, grips and suppressors always sound vaguely S&M dirty to me.
It wasn't always this way. I played all the Tomb Raider games, I played RPG's like Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale on the PC, and Shenmue and TimeStalkers on the Dreamcast. I loved the horror genre and eagerly played the Resident Evil games, D2, Shadow Man and many others. Sure, there was shooting in Tomb Raider games, in Blue Stinger, RE and other genres... but they were still more story oriented and had many other gaming aspects. Nowadays I don't even want to bother with the campaign, I just want to play the online game and shoot people. I played Killzone 2 for over 3 months before I finallly went back and played the campaign mode - on easy, just to get through it as quick as possible, just to see what it was like.
I want to get excited about games like InFamous, Batman or Brutal Legend.... but I just know that I'd rather be playing an online game... with guns. I do occasionally play other genres... I've played Flower and it was fine, for short while, but I think it would have been more fun with a gun.
I do usually have an offline game that I play when I finally tire of shooters and just want to relax. It used to be Oblivion, it's currently Sacred 2 and my next game will be Dragon Age:Origins. But these are games I play when I can't play online, or am just too tired to play something that requires any thinking and these are my "relax and vegetate" games... games that tend to be fairly repetitious, easy, long and their own world.
Last night I was a squad leader in the MAG beta, issuing orders to my squad, co-ordinating with my Platoon Leader, working as a team to achieve various objectives... getting annoyed with a sniper who was picking us off as we neared an objective and ordering my troops to "take him out". There's something very empowering about working as a team with real people and achieving the small goals you set for yourself or your group. I think for me the attraction to shooter games has absolutely nothing to do with guns... and everything to do with the teamwork. I find that in about 50% of the games I'm in, I end up with a great group of people where several are on mic and there's a real feeling of camaraderie even with random strangers. I don't know why I have such good luck, but it happens often enough that online FPS gaming has become quite addictive for me.
Teamwork!
I do want to expand my horizons, try other games... I know at some point I'll buy and play Bioshock 2 - but it's still a secondary game for me, something to play when I'm not hauling ass across a map to help a teammate. Borderlands currently tops my list of "most wanted"... but while it's an RPG, it's the promise of all those lovely guns that has me excited!
I guess it's not so bad being one of "those" gamers. It's not really the guns, it's the teamwork and social environment. Speaking of which, I still host an open Warhawk game every Thursday night, and anybody is welcome to join in. The game name is usually GAP-Elsa, it starts around 7pm pacific and it's an unranked player server with a rank cap of Captain. Feel free to jump in and join me... only don't steal my tank! This teamwork thing only goes so far.....
:)
Oh... and I did buy Uno... hoping to get some social play without shooting someone, but really... just before someone plays a 7 and trades their stack of 8 cards for your single card, don't you think a headshot animation would be appropriate??
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Great article! I'd never been attracted to FPS games because of the extreme level of violence, but it had never occurred to me that people might play for the social aspect. Thanks for the insight!
Nothing's so gratifying as being a successful commander/squad leader in a game like BF2. I miss those days, and I really need to get back into the social scene of FPS. I still have the MAG beta hanging around on the PS3, I didn't know it was back up and running.
All the images in this post were dead on and hilarious! I'm the opposite; I always go for the single player first and then jump online later. I'm still fighting to regain my love for shooters in general -- with Borderlands I'm starting to feel that spark again. Also, I'm never playing UNO with you IRL. Good post!
Ha. For me I'm the opposite. I love FPS games, don't get me wrong, but they're more of my "Relax and don't think" games. After playing a few missions in Valkyria Chronicles, I'll jump into KZ2 and play a round just to unwind.
This could be because up until my roommate got a ps3 and a mic, I've never had a mic before. I would hear people talking but was never able to really join in on the verbal aspect. Using a mic and actually feeling that teamwork experience is all very new to me. Sometimes I almost like it better without the mic. That way I can rant, rave, and swear about useless teammates all I want without having to worry about muting myself first.
Great article though.
Hey Elsa, if you have room in your friend list add me and we can play some MAG before the beta ends. It will be nice to have someone reliable in my squad.
"I don't even know the differences between an SMG and an assault rifle and they all kind of seem the same to me"
Well, an SMG is a Sub Machine Gun. It's called this because it's the kind of machine gun that they mount on submarines. Hope that helps.
NO!! Another one lost to those filthy FPS...
Nah, just kidding. Multiplayer it's a lot of fun and some game wouldn't be nothing without it(*cough*Halo 3*cough*).
@Shipero... OMG! I laughed so hard! :)
Trev... I'll send a PSN invite... what faction you playing? I'm currently Raven.
@Triple... open mic games are a little tough for the swearing bit. That's one of the reasons that I mention that I used to be a "nice girl"... now I'm just another FPS gamer who'll rip you a new one if you act like an ass! :)
@Walkyourpath... thanks for the mention on the graphics! I did the Flower one and the Uno one in photoshop... the rest were google image finds, but I'm getting better about making my own graphics when I can't find something that fits!
Father... jump into MAG! (we should actually have a Raven clan ... would make it easier to find people and we could group up!)
@mkshiranui... yeah, I think it's definitely the teamwork and social aspect I love. I tried playing FarCry 2 which is a great FPS single player game... but it just didn't have that social aspect that I seem to enjoy so much.
@HiddenAHB... yeah, I actually like the trend in just going for multiplayer only... some games have such a short campaign mode that possibly the money might been better spent on the bringing something new and interesting to the multiplayer aspect instead (and skipping campaign mode altogether) *cough Halo cough* :)
You are among friends. You don't need to pretend that you like the "social" aspects of online FPS's. Just accept the truth: guns are cool. :-)
The picture with the dog made me laugh.
I'm the same way. When I bought The Orange Box I tried to play through Half Life and Portal but just couldn't beat them. At least not with Team Fortress 2 on the disc with all that online goodness. And I don't ever remember having to force myself to play the single player mode as hard as I did in KZ2.
I enjoy online shooters for the competition. It's not that I'm playing to "win at all costs", but it's more like joining a recreational sports league. You play for the fun of it but the is a purpose for playing. I still really need to get a mic but I'm not sure how much I'd use it. When I'm home I usually play when everyone else goes to sleep so I barely even have the sound on. Maybe it has more to do with me being a little self-conscious as well haha but I do feel like an ass when people are talking to me and I can't reply. So I'll definitely try and get one soon and suck up my uneasiness :P
*sigh* I miss Warhawk T_T. But I'm home for the weekend so I should be there for some FnF action with everyone.
I think you may have beaten Jimbo for Oldest Gamer on Dtoid.
@Elsa
I love that Flower-Killzone mash-up pic!
And Shipero wins again.
Good read. Its funny because I find myself burnt out on shooters (first-person shooters, at least) and I've been that way since around the time KZ2 came out. All that will change when COD: MW2 hits, though...
ha this was a great read. i hope you are getting borderlands for ps3. i have been wanting to play MAG alot. i cant wait till it comes out. i think it might actually replace killzone2.
i think im with triplezer0. i find FPS as the games i play when i dotn need to pay to much attention. ya know. die. wait a little bit. sip some brew. then respawn.
Raven here too. I wanted to get the fanciest guns, at least aesthetically because it couldn't be flagrantly imbalanced.
PSN: ElZilcho
@ANevsky... LOL, video game guns are cool anyway! :)
Hey Celica! Interesting that you mention a "recreational sports league" because ironically I've never played in one. Even as a kid I did figure skating, gymnastics, dance... activities that were mostly solo - so maybe this is really my first experience with "team sports"! Hope to see you this weekend and yes, GET A MIC! They actually pick up sound really well and you don't have to yell.. you can speak fairly softly, so you shouldn't wake up anyone else in the house but KZ is a lot more fun when you can talk to people (especially with the prox chat and ability to talk to the person you just killed! LOL!)
@Ron... hmmm... I'll have to sign my husband up for Dtoid then. He's 52, so that will set the bar a little higher on the "old" thing! :)
@Takeshi... yeah, I rather like the way it turned out and was thinking of changing my header image. It's sort of a nice juxtaposition!
@Sanatana... yeah, I do get burned out on shooters occasionally which is why I tend to have an RPG "backup" game to play... though that rarely last for more than a night or two.
@Fetusmilk... Borderlands is a must buy for me and I really can't wait. I hope it lives up to it's promise of being a solid shooter game. I too find online shooter games relaxing and fun... but a different kind of challenge from single player offline games.
@Trev, I'll send the invite tonight and hopefully will see you on the battlefield over the next while!
Sniff, now I'm the only gurl left on this side of the sandbox who doesn't like these violent-shooty-games. I'll leave you to your CARNAGE and go get me some My Little Pony DS ^__~
I can't get into shooters myself, but this was a good read. I think you should add the gun to your Flower profile pic:).
I suck at FPS yet I'm strangely drawn to them. I'm looking forward to Borderland for the same reason, like a moth to a light.
Gun porn, you're starting to like it. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find time and the allure for non-shooters again soon. I myself don't play a lot of FPS's, but even when I do, I just fool around with friends. You seem to be getting into the hardcore competitive side... you're crazy.
That flower pic looked real for a sec, and cause I was blanking out I stared at it for a sec going "That looks really pretty."
Anyway, this is nearly the opposite of what I would say. I'm not very into online FPSs right now (mainly because all I own since I got rid of my 360 is TF2 and L4D on the PC), seemingly only gravitating to single player fare right now. I will be buying Borderlands on the PS3, though, so if you ever buy that, I hope to play alongside you one day.
But yeah, it's sometimes hard for me to understand how someone can only play online all the time, but I've always been more attracted to playing on my own, for some reason. Hence why I nearly gasped when you said you weren't excited for Batman, Brutal Legend, etc. I'm usually very stuck in my ways, and forget that there's all types.
Good read. Like Moosehole I'm really getting tired of shooters but for some reason SOCOM is immune to that. Also, UNO...we must play E!!
Haha alright I'll get one. I figure I'll need one for MAG anyways so better to get used to using a mic now. Plus I apparently have a government cheque for textbooks waiting for me at home so I know what I can spend it on :P
LMAO Goddess!! .... actually FPS games aren't nearly as violent as RPG games... slicing and dicing those poor lil monsters, elves and assorted critters. It's just a clean shot... they die and usually there's not even any blood!
... and yeah, I think I will redo my header! (though I don't have anywhere near your artistic talents, but at least I'm getting better with photoshop)
@DrCGP... BORDERLANDS!!!! Yes!
@grafkhun... "gun porn" lol! I played in the Warhawk tournament and that was enough of serious competitive gaming for me... I too just enjoy a more casual experience.
@Trebz... another Borderlands person - yay!!
@Jimbo, yeah, I keep missing the Uno games! I finally figured out how to play (and I suck, so we won't be playing for money) but we'll definitely have to tee up a game some night!
@Celcia, yeah MAG is a game that is much more fun with a mic... especially if you're in a leadership role!
I go through cycles of playing FPS games and abstaining. When you find one that you get into the competitive spirit of, it's so fun to sign on and play a game with your friends, like in COD4.
And besides, happiness is a warm gun.
Oh Warhawk, almost made me get a PS3. When I do finally get a PS3 I'll definitely pick it up, I just hope there will still be people playing it! Also, this just came to me. Guns actually can make a lot of things better and more entertaining. There's that one JRPG coming out in which everyone uses firearms instead of swords and stuff, that actually looks kind of cool.
Nice read, there's always something satisfying when you can work as a team with your, er, team. And did you do that Flower/KZ2 picture? If so, that's awesome.
Also, were you going to get Uncharted 2 when that comes out? I've been playing the multiplayer beta for a while, I feel that it actually has a better teamwork mechanic in it than KZ2, but maybe not quite on the same level as Warhawk. I dunno, give it a try, you'll have a better idea from trying it out than me blathering about it.
I thought it was quite fun to go through.
Yeah FPS are great, love playing online too and playing with Dtoid members is amazing. But I would suggest you trying out Infamous and Batman. I think they're fantastic games. Play them when you can. By the way, are you going to be getting Modern Warfare 2? I hope so, a Dtoid FNF without you just isnt the same :(
Well still have Killzone 2.
Awesome bloggo! There's a thrill that goes along with online shooters that you can't find in any other genre. Sadly I usually stick to PC shooters, as it seems harder to find the level of camaraderie and challenge in random match making as opposed to your standard server based game room.
Really though I'm just looking forward to that game and scenario where I find that really fun environment in a console shooter. A group I can consistently play with and increasing levels of challenge.
Sounds like you've found your niche though, and gaming is so much more fun when you're playing something you're comfortable with.
I totally get what you're saying and it's pretty much the sole reason I rarely play standard deathmatch in shooter games anymore. It's either teamplay or bust!
Heck even with whole absurdity of it, Jedi Knight 2's capture the flag was great fun and I enjoyed it more than its standard DM. LIGHTSABERS FOR EVERYONE! INCLUDING THE GAMORREANS!
Once you're middle management in administration, you'll always be middle management!
I like to think I have an open mind about games and as you've seen from my Gamer Obscura stuff, I do champion some quirky titles...BUT...it doesn't seem like that's the case anymore. My missus tells me that I seem to buy a lot of tactical killing spree games and it's pretty much true. I'd say out of the 20 Xbox 360 games I own, about 12 are FPS games in some shape or form.
That's a far cry from my PS1/PS2 days where I'd say only about 3 or 4 games out of 50+ collection were FPS shooters. With the PC, I mostly own point and clicks bar the SWAT and Half Life series.
It's not that I'm starting to love FPS games (I'm still indifferent to your average run-and-gun) but I find a lot of my ideal tactical games have assimilated themselves with this genre. Come back X-COM and your isometric tactical view. *sniff*
Hmm, maybe I should start trying to use my mic more and become an aggressive social gamer xD; I rarely use it because either, A.I don't want to deal with with the annoying people or B.People rarely use a mic when I play PS3 games. But I only play Warhawk and rarely Resistance 2, so maybe I need to talk like crazy to attract people to get their mics on as well...o~o;
Awesome post as usual, Elsa. When online multiplayer gets social, it's crazy fun~! xD Expect me to join those Warhawk game of yours and don't worry...I won't steal your tanks, taking over the air is the way to go 8D
Oh yea, and count me in for some of that PS3 Borderlands co-op action~! God, I can't wait for Borderlands. GOTY right thar...
@Moo... since acquiring my PS3, I haven't found myself abstaining from shooter games yet - though there is possibly still hope! :)
@grafkhun... Warhawk is an awesome game. It's not a typical shooter game and is much more strategic and team oriented. It's been 2 years, and the servers are still busy, so it seems it will likely be around until the next iteration of the game is released (Starhawk?!!)
@Jack... yeah, it's a gun from a KZ screenshot that I simply cut out and added as a new layer to a flower screenshot... I'm actually pretty decent at working with layers in Photoshop!
... regarding Uncharted... I don't mind the game. I was in the first phase of the beta and played it a fair bit, but it seems fairly "average" to me for some reason. I like the co-op play a lot... and the competitive is pretty good. I likely won't get the game though because I have no interest in the campaign. If the online play has legs and stays popular, I might pick up a copy of the game for online play down the road when it goes on sale... but with Borderlands releasing around the same time, I know which game I'll initially be playing! (oh, and MAG outdoes Warhawk in terms of team play... something that's really hard to do).
@pascuz...I'm still undecided on MW2. I will buy it eventually for the campaign... one of the few offline campaigns I really enjoyed was MW1 (loved the ghillie suit section!!), and the campaign is usually short which is a huge bonus for me. I may play online, but likely only with Dtoid members. It's one of the very few games that I found I didn't like the gaming community. They seemed to be pretty rude and made my first few ventures into random games such a turn off that I never went back. I still have COD4... just rarely play it.
@bluexy... it really seems to vary by the game. In Warhawk, MAG, UT3, R2... the people were generally awesome and team based play seems to be pretty common with a fair number of people on mic. Other games don't seem to have as much in the way of comraderie... like Killzone - sometimes it's a great group, and other times a bunch of morons.
@yehat... it's funny that you mention DM's. I love team based games, but for some reason I seem to do really well at straight up deathmatch games. (I think it's possibly because I'm the Queen of kill-stealing! LOL!)
@Stevil... LOL! glad to know I'm not alone. It's sort of odd to look at your games and realize just how many shooter games one plays, though I guess they make up a larger percentage of games especially if anyone wants to play online.
@Kooichi... using the mic does make gaming a lot more fun (for me anyway). I'll often ask if anyone else is on mic and you can literally hear people turning their mics on... and that's when the fun starts. People do like to coordinate... if they find others wanting to do the same thing. R2 co-op is especially fun with mics!! I suspect that Borderlands will be another game that is tons more fun with mics!
My gun and I
Sorry, I just can't stand bad grammer. Great article.