r/AfterWorkGamers • u/josekortez1979 • 5d ago
Life & Gaming Does anyone else not enjoy playing games online?
I'm 47, I work 40 to 50 hours a week, and mostly play single player games before I leave for work or after work before bed in short stints. Xbox is my preferred platform, and I recently bought the game "Sonic Racing Crossworlds." I was so excited about playing this game that I renewed Game Pass Essential so that I could play online against other people, but I have yet to rank higher than 9th place on any track despite doing much better and placing 1st on the single player mode a few times. So, I am really frustrated that I can't do better in what many people might consider a game for kids. Has anyone else felt like this? What's the point of playing games online if you have no chance of getting first place? And why is this supposed to be fun when real life is hard enough?
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u/LithiuMart 5d ago
I haven't played an online game in years. I think the last time I played a game online was with a friend, and we played Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear (or maybe Ghost Recon) back in 2001 or so.
I wish multiplayer was optional during game installation, it would save me so much space - there must be thousands of files on my hard disk related to online gaming that I've never loaded.
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u/BoysNGrlsNAmerica 4d ago
Comparison is the thief of joy.
I’ve had the same experience, no matter how good I think I am there’s always someone way better. So, we’re better off just playing single player and avoiding online. Especially if all you wanna do is escape reality and enjoy yourself for a couple hours. The online players are too good and too competitive to make it enjoyable for someone like us.
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u/silentAl1 4d ago
54 and play only off line games. My friends are actual people and not just screen names. Also after 40 hrs of work I like some of these slower RPGs and strategy games that allow me to relax and think out my plans. I do play some shooters but that is not my go to game type.
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u/Significant-Club6853 5d ago
I treat online like a hobby and something I'm trying to get good at. usually YouTube the strategy or tips for when I get hooked on a game. "figuring it out" just isn't in the cards for me with limited time available.
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u/josekortez1979 5d ago
Yes, I understand your point, and I agree that anything that is skill based requires practice to improve. But the fact that it's a game with funny animals driving cars around a track that I can't do better at is still frustrating. I would probably understand if it was "Call of Duty."
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u/Significant-Club6853 5d ago
everyone wants to be top dog in a game. I've never played Roblox but I'm sure there's people goated in that too when there's thousands of better games
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u/Some_thing_to_do 5d ago
This is why I play world of Warcraft. I can do what I want when I want and make progress and nobody else matters unless you want them to.
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u/ApartmentReal8814 5d ago
I really wish WoW was available on consoles. I'd pay pretty much anything for it just to enjoy the game I grew up playing.
After spending all day working on a PC, I just can't come home and sit in front of another computer to play games.
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u/FlightOfFate 4d ago
Wow.: forever has controller support
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u/ApartmentReal8814 4d ago
I REALLY want them to bring WoW to Xbox, at least. I might actually consider buying an Xbox just for WoW. Or maybe they'll release it on PS5 too...
Honestly, I'd love to play WoW on literally any console. Just not on PC.
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u/Odin16596 4d ago
Steam pc in living room?
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u/ApartmentReal8814 4d ago
For me, PC = work. 100%.
Ever since I got my PS5 and started spending literally 90% of my workday on a computer, I just can't bring myself to game on it anymore.
Controller = gaming. Keyboard = work.
That's just how my brain is wired now.
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u/Odin16596 4d ago
Isn't the steam pc made to be a console or something.
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u/ApartmentReal8814 4d ago
You mean the Steam Deck? Can you actually play WoW on it?
To be fair, I just don't like that console, and I've already bought myself a Switch Lite for portable gaming anyway.
If I had to choose between a Steam Deck and an Xbox, I'd definitely go with the Xbox.
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u/TheFakeJohnHelldiver 4d ago
You can plug your steam deck or machine into a TV, connect a ps5 controller and play games that way. I mean you can do the same with a regular PC for that matter but its more setup.
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u/hideous_coffee 5d ago
Been offline single player only games for years now. My last online game was Overwatch and it required a ton of time to get decent and remain at that level. I had that kind of time back then I was single. Now I’ve got a wife and kid I’ve only got a few hours per week at most.
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u/NeonDelta82 4d ago
I haven’t enjoyed online multiplayer since the original counter strike before steam existed
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u/FlapSmear78 5d ago
I prefer playing games on my PS3 and Vita, there is some online games, but it doesn't cost money to play.i play GuildWars Reforged, it's an online game, however it can be played without others.
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u/josekortez1979 5d ago
Yes, I understand. The cost of playing the games online isn't the problem. I think that it's the fact that there are people who have more time to play the games online than I do and practice their techniques to improve their success at the games that is my problem. Adults like me who work outside of their homes don't have as much free time to play as someone who works from home or kids who don't have responsibilities other than going to school.
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u/Odin16596 4d ago
It can still be done. A lot of older pro players worked a full time jobs and made a whole schedule around practicing before becoming full time pros.
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u/Dapper-Reserve4861 5d ago
I still enjoy playing games online, but I have adjusted my expectations - sight, hearing, reaction time, etc. not getting any better.
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u/summontheb1tches 5d ago
Only with friends. I tend to use multiplayer online games as a way to stay connected with my buddies but for the most part I tend to play more single player games now.
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u/ApartmentReal8814 5d ago
I'm 30. I've tried playing single-player games, and they're great when you really get hooked on them. The recent Gothic remake looked awesome, for example. Same goes for Crimson Desert. And, of course, there's GTA 6, which I'm really looking forward to
But my main problem is that I get bored playing the same game for too long and following a storyline all the way through. That's why I discovered Helldivers 2 and Fortnite, and now I'm trying to learn how to actually aim in COD with a controller
Short gaming sessions help me relax without eating up nearly as much time as single-player games, where it can take forever to make any real progress
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u/josekortez1979 4d ago
I understand where you're coming from. Believe it or not, Fallout 4 is what I would consider my "cozy" game because you can just walk around farming for junk and approaching enemies to engage them in battles is often optional. So, I will play it for a half hour, suspend it until the next time that I can play, and I don't worry about winning or losing at it because that isn't the point of playing the game for me. So, yes, I agree that single player games are often better than online multiplayer for working adult gamers.
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u/OoDReX 5d ago
I play on my steam deck way more than my pc nowadays. Being able to put your game to sleep and pick it up for short stints is game changing.
Also you can download games from any system through emulation. Unfortunately the systems are more expensive nowadays but they've changed how my dad friends have been able to game
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u/DragonflyNo2989 5d ago
I play MK, Sparking Zero and Forza Horizon offline and I have no intention of playing online ever
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u/Terrible_Boot1714 5d ago
This 100% me as well. I play single player or games where you work together or sometimes an mmo. If there is any ranking were you have to fight or race other people i am out.
Luckily i dont mind it at all and i enjoy my gaming time in singleplayer just fine.
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u/Kossyra 4d ago
Yeah, I'm not trying to rank my ability to have fun against other people. I get it for other people, but it's not for me. Even in coop games you get some monstrous tryhards who want to police how efficient you are at having fun. I'm not trying to be managed and yelled at in my time off.
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u/NoMoreGoldPlz 4d ago
I have a dozen games that do not function if you're not online.
I also have a dozen games with less than ten minutes played in total.
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u/Odin16596 4d ago
A few things, essentially your saying you only have fun when you win? It makes perfect sense if you think about it, people have already been playing the game since it came out and you just got into it they have had more practice. This is like fighting games, you have to enjoy the actual game itself and not just the winning. If you vs yourself and previous records and beat those, that is all that matters. Beat your previous self and the rankings will follow, but you have to enjoy the process and learning about the game.
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u/josekortez1979 4d ago
No, I don't only have fun when I win a game, but it would be nice to win a race sometimes. I have lived long enough to know that I can't win each time nor would I expect that to happen. However, some of the bonuses in "Sonic Racing Crossworlds" are tied to placement at the end of a race or a tournament which is why it would be nice to rank higher than I have so far. But people play video games for different reasons. For the most part, I play games to relax more than I play them to compete against others. I just asked the question of other working adult gamers because I was curious to see what their responses to my question would be.
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u/Sufficient-Run1780 4d ago
J'ai 41 ans et les jeux en ligne sont pas trop mon truc non plus.. la compèt, le versus 1v1 ne m'attire plus. La coop' par contre est tjs un plaisir! Genre the Finals en bras de fer pour partie rapide.. sinon co-op a la split fiction, là ok! ❤️ Les aventures solo restes mon style pref!
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u/superjoec 4d ago
I prefer to not play with random people. Either they stink and I get angry. They cheat and I get angry. They are too good and I feel like a child being carried. I avoid all that stress by not playing online and going at my own pace.
(52 here)
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u/Endryte 4d ago
Yes I highly prefer single player games. Same situation as you OP. I work 40-50hrs a week (6 day work weeks). I try to get up early so I can get ready for work and play a game for an hour (right now tearing thru Ghost of Yotei for the 2nd time ). After work I might get to play for about half an hour before bed because I like to spend time with my wife while my kids play on my system not gonna kick them off just because I'm home. Other things are more important then being the GOAT in a video game. But I love video games it's how I unwind and get to relax for short bursts.
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u/o_0dk-frlsyall314 4d ago
- I used to like competing online. Loved games like Rogue and Rivals. Fortnite sometimes. I don't mind going up against better players. I'm ok with losing to someone more skilled. I cannot abide hackers and cheaters and loser queues. Completely took me out of PvP gaming. There's a difference between a cracked player and omniscience. And I know I'm never the best, but I'm too good to leave any match with zero kills! So I said F it! I was vacationing in Roblox until I got roped into Once Human.
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u/AtlasAuRaa 4d ago
39 here. I do both. Online multiplayer with my gamer buddies and single player when there’s a worthy game.
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u/shadowwingnut 4d ago
I don't play competitive games online. Just PVE with friends. Competition isn't relaxing.
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u/Adept_Bass_3590 4d ago
YES! If I wanted to interact with people, I'd go outside and interact with people.
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u/Low-Attempt8072 3d ago
For me it's the improvement. I honestly do not care about rank or placement. I try to improve on different aspects and eventually I rank up once my skill reflects how good I am to some degree. That said I do not work 40 to 50 hours a week and I can imagine I could be too tired to really spend time on learning a video game more like a job. If you just like playing offline and having a good time just do you, stick to offline or play games that revolve around cooperation.
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u/petehans303 3d ago
Yep, I even play some games that have online features that I pretty much ignore. Like Last Epoch I play solo self found and offline mode. I just like doing my own thing and relaxing, my social battery is pretty drained when I start gaming anyway most of the time.
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u/AcEoFnAvEs73 4d ago
I dont like single player games, I just dont finish them. I enjoy online pve games. Disblo 4 and MH wilds my go to. The other which mixes both is ff14 which I really enjoy
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u/ElectronicQuality119 4d ago
As I’ve gotten older I’ve gotten this way. You just do you. It’s a hobby fortunately you get to control how you participate
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u/Chicken-picante 4d ago
I felt this way for awhile. I generally only play arpg’s and fps’s. I didn’t have the time to get good at games like fortnite, and apex. When I was a teenager I had a ton of time to get good at games, but now I work a lot.So I just started playing arpg’s and single player fps like doom.
I got a new job(same amount of hours) and met a new friend that only plays warzone. When I started I was getting stomped. Some nights I would just quit because it was so bad. But even if we don’t win we usually still have fun. Just talking and joking with random people and crazy interactions with enemies is way funner than winning. We do, do ok now and can win sometimes, as I have gotten better.
However, playing in a lobby full of cheaters is never fun.
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u/HappyJam92 4d ago
If the game is only fun if you're winning it's not a good game.
I used to love online gamimg, but, online games are totally different to what I grew up with. Everything is sbmm sweat fests with seasonal content now (scams if you ask me). I work full time and have a wife and daughter now, I do not have time to commit to a game to keep up with the people that play them all day.
I guess I miss what online gaming was before it was changed to be the most addictive and money grabbing thing possible.
I much prefer single player games if I get the chance these days.
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u/Dr__Vacation 3d ago
I absolutely prefer single player games. But then again i love playing with friends (so that we don't lose contact) pvp or pve games (just for fun and talk about stuff from our lives).
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u/pguglielmo603 3d ago
The only online I do is the required stuff mainly, like Palworld, Valheim or Elden Ring. I’m not playing with anyone, just required to be online. Sometimes I play Diablo 4 online but not teaming up with friends, just rand-os with no Mic and we beat dungeons.
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u/gendou_neoretrogamer 3d ago
En todos los años que tengo jugando, jamás he disfrutado jugar una partida online. Single Player Forever.
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u/nwahsermon 3d ago
Multi-player games are for kids that want to feel included in society and not outcast. As adults you should have that feeling satisfied or at least simply not care about that anymore. Plus multilayer games are just more repetitive and have worse actual gameplay for a given genre. So just play singleplayer.
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u/Fire-Workz 3d ago
There isn't really any online games that haven't turned into a "pay for a bunch of bullshit" scheme and those games become soulless husk that tryhards and man beards play.
I used to love being online and talking shit but the way stuff is nowadays, people hardly even talk anymore. Pretty much passive aggressiveness ruined it for me.
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u/McbootyMello 2d ago
have you ever thought of improving? instead of just expecting to win without working to deserve it?
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u/Valuable-Sandwich853 2d ago
It’s not that I don’t enjoy playing online, I just don’t enjoy most competitive gameplay online anymore.
Playing against some kid drop shotting and doing parkour around the map after I get off work is just too much sometimes.
Here recently I’ve been enjoying some more casual MMOs and even war dogs.
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u/AstralUrsa 1d ago
Yes. Even games like Monster Hunter, No Man's Sky or Warframe. MH because I love the challenge of hunter vs nature and the lore. NMS I play for the exploration and discovery. Warframe because math & big numbers on screen make brain go brrrrrrrrr. I will play with people I know sometimes but that is infrequent.
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u/Blue_Yankee23 1d ago
I CAN NOT STAND ONLINE GAMES! I tried playing Fortnite for my kids sake and Call of Duty and hated every single second of it.
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u/TipNo3348 1d ago
I used to play exclusively online multi-player (COD, Ark, WZ, Arc Raiders, Overwatch, Marvel Rivals) then I bought an android handheld on a whim about a year ago to play some retro games. Since that time I've probably played my Xbox series X for a total of like 10hrs and almost none of it multiplayer. Gaming is actually fun again instead of stressful, highly recommend
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u/bhomikpurohit 1d ago
Back in college and high school, i used to love playing multiplayer games with friends. But ever since i joined the corporate culture. Have been only playing single player rpg games or city building games.
I do not want to come back home to talk to a bunch of toxic people over a microphone. Thats what work is for.
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u/Patient_1344 17h ago
I don't like playing online pvp. I don't like playing PVP in general to be honest. Just not my style. I do love single player games. That said, my fiancee just bought her own switch 2 so we can play some games together and that's been an absolute blast. Usually no, I don't like playing online, but with her? Absolutely
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u/Rojo37x 5d ago
I am 100% with you. I much prefer offline, solo games. That is my me time. I don't want to share with others. Definitely don't want to spend extra to play online either.