Ninjas Hate Zombies
Oooh, poor Ninja. Don’t worry, it’s nothing a little stain remover can’t handle.
So, we played a bit of Left 4 Dead over the weekend, and I’ve gotta say this: I can’t play games competitively anymore. I’m really burnt out on it. There was a point in my life where ranks and scores and such mattered to me, but that time is past. It’s why I don’t like playing Halo 3 on X-Box Live anymore. People take games way too seriously now. It’s kind of missing the point.
Going back to L4D. Yeah, you could play it competitively if you really want to. They do keep track of some stats in the game, and there is a scoring system for the Versus mode. But that’s more of an afterthought. The point of the game, and all games really, is to let yourself be lost in the world the developers have created. When I first got L4D and was playing it with a friend, we were actually scared by it. Being faced with an unrelenting zombie horde can be a bit overwhelming.
That’s probably why I enjoy RPG’s more than action games these days. Because there isn’t any competition. It’s just you and the storyteller. That’s it. Who cares if someone else can get a Perfection medal everytime they play Assault games. Woo. Whatever. It’s just a game.
Now, for those of you who genuinely enjoy the competition, I’m not trying to harass you and tell you you’re dumb (well, not to your face, anyway). If you enjoy playing that way, then do it. That’s what a game is, that’s why they exist. To entertain. So have at. Just don’t expect me to visit your camp anytime in the near future.
January 30th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
I agree, with this almost completely. It may in fact be another reason why I have stopped playing Halo3 as much as I used to. I dont feel that need to be competitive. I play it occasionally now just to interact with people. I think if the real reason why I was playing it so much before was because people that I dont see anymore IRL were on. Now that they arent as much, I dont feel the need to go on.
So in that sense, I have been lured away by Warhammer Online, an MMO that allows me to just simply go about my business and level up at my own pace without the need to compete against others. And should I have that desire creep up on me again, well Ill go attack the good guys castle.
March 11th, 2009 at 2:40 am
That’s why I hated Xbox Live. Although there was that one SWAT match I played on a team with my wife where I totally pwned… (almost singlehandedly, even) That’s also the aspect of MMO’s I enjoy the most. I can play with other people without having the snot kicked out of me all the time.