…Sort Of

Growing up in the 90’s and early aughts, the idea of connecting your game across the Internet seemed unfathomable because; “what the hell is an Internet?”. Most of my birthday parties or celebrations were small, as I only invited my three best friends for some insane couch co-op or ‘Goldeneye Slappers’ death matches. Nintendo 64 reigned supreme in our circle, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

There was no better feeling than cheering and high-fiving with my friends when we FINALLY beat that boss, playing through “Mario Party” with my sister, or playfully mocking a buddy because they were a “screen peaking cheater!”. Not to say I didn’t dump countless hours into single player games like “Banjo Kazooie,” but my fondest memories of gaming include sharing the experience with friends.

Then, in 1999, a little console called the “Dreamcast” hit the market. The first online gaming network was born, and gaming was forever changed. Unfortunately, Sega’s “Dreamcast” was slightly ahead of its time, and died an early and undeserved death. Learning from Sega’s mistakes, Microsoft and Sony shortly followed suit with their own online gaming services; “PlayStation Network” (2000) and “Xbox Live”(2001) respectively. At this point, I had experienced playing online games such as “Star Craft” and “Diablo 2” on my PC, but it wouldn’t be until Microsoft’s 2nd generation Xbox (the Xbox 360) that I would experience online play on a console.

Staying Connected

September 25th, 2007, a game called “Halo 3” would drop. I eagerly awaited this game and saved up from my part-time job at a toy store to purchase it. My best friend helped me set up my Xbox Live account so he, his brother, and I could play through our beloved franchise. It was magical. There we all were, connected and gaming the same way we all did on the N64 at our birthday parties. This time it was just all from the comfort of our own homes. Shortly after I would move across the country to New York, and gaming became a way for me to stay connected with my friends and loved ones.

Flash forward to now. Internet gaming is now the norm. Who has time to drive 15 minutes to a friends house when you can blast some aliens in your underwear and eat like a god damn barbarian? The issue now is with games like “Overwatch” and “Black Ops 4”, which lack anything beyond multiplayer battles. It makes people worry that rich single player games are a thing of the past. And, honestly? I’m okay with it…sort of.

As stated previously, I love single-player stories, and much of my childhood was dominated by them. My fear of missing out on a bit of story is the reason it takes me so long to beat games with side quests. Games like “Fable” and “Fallout: 3” rank in my top favorite games of all time, but there’s always something I wished while playing such games: I REALLY wish I could share all of those experiences with my friends. This ideal turned me into an advocate for the death of single player games.

Death To Single Player Games!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I’m okay with story rich games going the way of the dinosaurs, or for the single player option to disappear. It’s my belief that video games hold the key to being the greatest storytelling medium so far. Solely competitive games aren’t always a great thing either (I’m looking at you “PUBG” and “Fortnite”), as I think these types of games are a half-baked cash grab if I’m honest. What I am saying is that solely single player games being dead is okay.

With the “Halo” franchise or games like “Far Cry 5,” it’s been proven that you CAN have a beautiful story and still be able to connect and share the experience with friends if you want. Both franchises are still amazing when played solo, but you have the option of having a friend drop in and join the fight together. It’s the reason “Halo” is still my favorite franchise today! (We can all excuse them for “Halo 5”, they’ve earned a pass). With co-op optional gaming, we can still enjoy a story and in some small way, relive that feeling from when we were young. Now our high-fiving just happens digitally.

So I encourage game makers in the future to keep telling your stories, but allow us to ‘buddy up’ if we want. Let us share your wonderful experience with our friends. Wouldn’t it be amazing to blast through the next “Fallout” or “Elderscroll” game with your best friend by your side?

I, for one, can’t wait.

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