fcgamer | 4,954 Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 This seems like a weird question, but for those who play games, do you play them to win? For example, when my brother was visiting, we played some of the games we had as kids, swapping turns or two player when applicable. I was surprised to discover that some of the games my brother still hasn't finished, to this day. Similarly, he was surprised that although I'm not always successful, when I sit down to play a game, my objective is to play it through to completion in that sitting. It might be a personality thing as I'm also not one to start watching movies part way through (or to start one day, finish a different day). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammerfestus | 4,092 Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 1 hour ago, fcgamer said: This seems like a weird question, but for those who play games, do you play them to win? For example, when my brother was visiting, we played some of the games we had as kids, swapping turns or two player when applicable. I was surprised to discover that some of the games my brother still hasn't finished, to this day. Similarly, he was surprised that although I'm not always successful, when I sit down to play a game, my objective is to play it through to completion in that sitting. It might be a personality thing as I'm also not one to start watching movies part way through (or to start one day, finish a different day). I never finish what I start. It’s an issue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mega Tank | 1,085 Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 15 minutes ago, Hammerfestus said: I never finish what I start. It’s an issue. Interesting. It all makes sense. That's why we never completed a trade in fantasy football. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhuno | 157 Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 Depends on the game. If it's something short like Contra or Double Dragon, then sure. Generally, if it's going to take more than an hour or two, I'm not going to finish it in a single session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webhead123 | 736 Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 (edited) Fundamentally, I play games to experience them. There are some kinds of games where "winning" is effectively the entire intent of the thing but there are many games where I just play to explore the space and ideas that the designers have imagined for me. I like to challenge myself sometimes, sure. I like games that make me think and present me with the threat of "defeat". But win or lose, I boot up a game because I want to interact with the experience that it promises, even if that means only playing for a few minutes to "satisfy" that desire. Edited November 9, 2023 by Webhead123 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcgamer | 4,954 Posted November 9, 2023 Author Share Posted November 9, 2023 1 hour ago, Webhead123 said: Fundamentally, I play games to experience them. There are some kinds of games where "winning" is effectively the entire intent of the thing but there are many games where I just play to explore the space and ideas that the designers have imagined for me. I like to challenge myself sometimes, sure. I like games that make me think and present me with the threat of "defeat". But win or lose, I boot up a game because I want to interact with the experience that it promises, even if that means only playing for a few minutes to "satisfy" that desire. I've been curious about this, if there's people out there who would be interested in a game that is solely just an interactive world...no enemies etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverspoonGaming | 343 Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 I have never thought about it this deeply, but I definitely play the games to win. Most games I cant beat in one sitting, such as recently playing NBA 2K24, but when I play, Im trying to progress my team as a far as I can to work towards the ultimate goal of winning championships in my game mode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloves | 12,220 Administrator · Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 19 minutes ago, fcgamer said: I've been curious about this, if there's people out there who would be interested in a game that is solely just an interactive world...no enemies etc Like Second Life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcgamer | 4,954 Posted November 9, 2023 Author Share Posted November 9, 2023 7 minutes ago, Gloves said: Like Second Life? Possibly, I'm not familiar with this game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloves | 12,220 Administrator · Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 42 minutes ago, fcgamer said: Possibly, I'm not familiar with this game It's basically a big ol life Sim. Speaking of, The Sims exists. Also there's plenty of other games if we extend it to job games like Lawn Mower Simulator or Truck Simulator etc.. Depends on the limits you put on it really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefaultGen | 5,707 Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 2 hours ago, fcgamer said: I've been curious about this, if there's people out there who would be interested in a game that is solely just an interactive world...no enemies etc You've invented walking simulators Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcgamer | 4,954 Posted November 9, 2023 Author Share Posted November 9, 2023 6 minutes ago, DefaultGen said: You've invented walking simulators Yeah, like just walking around an overworld and talking to people, but not doing fetch quests or fighting baddies or anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkTone | 1,007 Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 Nah. Its about having fun for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhuno | 157 Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 6 hours ago, fcgamer said: I've been curious about this, if there's people out there who would be interested in a game that is solely just an interactive world...no enemies etc This sounds like Proteus. It's kinda neat for a few minutes, but I lose interest fairly quickly when there's no real goal or objective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumez | 3,127 Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 People around here can't even agree on what "winning" means Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed Rothchild | 9,900 Editorials Team · Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulpa | 3,674 Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 (edited) 17 hours ago, fcgamer said: I've been curious about this, if there's people out there who would be interested in a game that is solely just an interactive world...no enemies etc Most games with a creative mode are that. Like Minecraft or Raft or things of that nature. Sometimes they call it "Peaceful Mode." You just chill out and build shit. As mentioned, walking simulators and some interactive novels might count. Penumbra: Requiem has no enemies. Firewatch has an antagonist of sorts, but you never fight them, you just solve the puzzles and complete the tasks to get to the end of the story. They have a completion condition, but not necessarily a "win" condition by most definitions. Edited November 9, 2023 by Tulpa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RH | 5,186 Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 21 hours ago, Hammerfestus said: I never finish what I start. It’s an issue. Yeah I don’t finish anything. It’s probably not true, but I feel like so could count all the games I’ve beaten on my fingers and toes. And if that’s not enough, I never even finished my favorite RPG. (But that’s Xenogears so I think most people would give me a pass on that one.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Pac | 7,824 Graphics Team · Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 Now that I've gotten over the mental hurdle of allowing myself to use save-states and guides, I almost always play games to win (as in, beating the game). I'm not motivated to "win" in a competitive sense, though - one of the main reasons I fell off participating in VGS contests. I quickly realized it just isn't my thing. [T-Pac] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcat-Doug | 5,116 Posted November 12, 2023 Share Posted November 12, 2023 If the game has an ending or a win condition, I definitely try to finish it, but I'm also not going to force myself to finish a game I either lose interest in or end up not caring for. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirVillain | 532 Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 Good questions.... Depends on the game/situation. If it's a game I know I can beat, or know I have a pretty good chance of beating then I want to win and smash that shit. I hate losing. Ex. Contra, Double Dragon II. I expect to beat those games each time I play and any less is not acceptable. Some other games I'll just throw in to play and don't care how far I get/how much I play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularGuyGamer | 2,041 Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 On 11/9/2023 at 3:11 AM, DefaultGen said: You've invented walking simulators Death Standing already exists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_Bogomil | 857 Posted November 14, 2023 Share Posted November 14, 2023 All the games I really enjoyed, I've pretty much beat into the ground in some form. Maybe not in one sitting, depending on the game, but I usually 'play to win'. I don't really spend any time with games that don't interest me or I find out I don't like. Newer games are generally too long... anything that takes 2+ hours to beat I'm probably only gonna play once. I do have a bad habit of just turning games I've already completed off when I die in a really crap spot and don't feel like doing a part over. This typically applies to NES games where the you get punished hard with the lack of saves/checkpoints etc. I've really mellowed in my playing over the last 10 years though. I used to get pretty revved up back in the day playing online or even raging at a really annoying part in a game when I was younger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki | 5,079 Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 I always played to have fun, played as an escape. The side effect was that I'd play to finish the game, then do it some more as I figured it out so I could just relax and do it again. And this happened in a rotation around a rare buy, a super rare in year gift, or around b'day and christmas. Little funds, more time, made for more play with friends and largely alone as friend time was usually toys and outside. I never did it because I'm some 100% completionist or speed running psycho, that's nuts. And with less time and the challenge of interest around jobS, home stuff, the toxicity of the market ...I get what I get largely local (or largely imported online) and I play still to have fun, but finishing it is not in the cards and would just be a side effect of an easier and/or shorter game I can push my way through and that's fine too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMR | 538 Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 I still haven't beaten Zelda BOTW2. I've done everything else, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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