If you’ve seen my other post on this comm, you probably know why I am asking this. However, even if I did have a PC, I don’t think I would have the time and energy to play a game anyway. That’s why I’m now starting to prefer walkthroughs/playthroughs over actually playing the game myself. I know it’s not a replacement for a PC but it’s still enjoyable regardless. Also, my very first exposure to big games was actually through YouTube lets plays in the first place. What do you all think?
Absolutely not the same.
The key defining characteristic of a game is interactivity: the ability to affect the outcome in some way. Some games allow for less freedom than others in that respect, but watching someone else play and make those decisions for you is always going to be fundamentally different to playing it yourself.
Not to diminish the value of streams, especially if you find enjoyment in watching them, but you should understand that it’s not a comparable experience.
Like watching playthroughs of Gow Ragnarok and Spider-Man 2. I don’t have a PlayStation so I couldn’t play them when they first released (they’re on PC now, but expensive), but I was on the hype train so I wanted to see what happened.
Now that I know what happens, I still want to play through them myself so I can make the decisions, like you say.
I completely understand that they’re a different experience but if I wanted to somewhat see a game’s story, would a playthrough suffice?
Not the same but is certainly valid as a way to enjoy the game.
I watch loads of Mario Maker 2 stuff but have never touched the game since I don’t have a Switch
No. Watching a playthrough is completely passive vs. playing through, interactive. Doing the actual playing through will light up distinct brain regions that passive consumption doesn’t.
Is watching a football game the same as playing a foodball game?
It will be a completely different experience - but as long as you enjoy it… who cares? You do what brings you joy.
No.
It’s sometimes better because I myself may not even like the actual gameplay (such as long grinds, which you can skip over in a video if it’s not a theatrical cut to begin with), but otherwise wanna see the story.
Watching a game be played is like listening to someone read you the script of a movie imo.
It depends on the game.
If it’s a story based game, absolutely. Cut through the filler and get what you came for.
But something like a rogue-like or Call of Duty, no, you just watched somebody play a game, but didn’t actually get any of the “game experience”.
Is watching someone play the game the same as playing a game myself, absolutely not.
Can I get satisfaction and an understanding of a game I know I never would’ve played otherwise, yes.
I’m not going to put in enough hours to make it through difficult games like dark souls or Hollow Knight. But I’ll put a walkthrough on while I do work or chores so I can experience those games in some way.
I’m all for it, but it scratches a different kind of itch than playing a game does.
No. If I want a walkthrough I search for some written article. I don’t even understand the point of seeing other ppl playing games, that was always something that confused me.
I think that’s more of a “I want information so I can play this game.” and I totally agree. I look for things I can read first, and in some cases, I might want a video if I know what to do, but I’m not sure how and watching someone else would help me accomplish that.
For the games that are more like interactive stories, I completely understand wanting to watch the story without having to sit through all the grinding or wandering around that happens in between key moments.
Well, ofc on some occasions I might watch a video to better understand something specific, but that’s really the last resort, as I prefer to play the game myself. I still don’t understand your argument, because unless you are watching a heavily edited video, you still need to watch all the “grinding”. I also find grinding enjoyable… it falls under the obsessive compulsive in me., so I just rather grind myself! =)
No argument here, I think we’re both talking about different things, and it’s really not worth arguing semantics to try getting on the same page. No worries.
No, you’re losing the only thing that makes video games different from other forms of media. You don’t have to care about that, but it’s definitely taking away a key part of what was meant to be experienced.
Depends on the game. For very linear narrative heavier games that are glorified visual novels, like SOMA for example, yeah probably.
For most games though no not at all.
It depends on the game, and my familiarity with it. If it’s a linear, story-based game where the player doesn’t really influence the end result at all, then watching it is just as good as playing it myself, in my opinion. Or if it’s a new addition to a franchise that I’m already experienced in, like a new Super Mario game, then watching it is generally just as fine of an experience as playing it.
But if it’s a game that’s based entirely around the experience of playing it, like most multiplayer shooters for example, then watching somebody else play may be entertaining, but doesn’t substitute actually playing it myself.
