Photo by Julia M Cameron
During the pandemic, most people turned to online gaming as a way to connect with other people around the world. Apps like TikTok burst into popularity because it was a good way to connect with others, because we were all in the same boat going through the same thing.Lockdown wasn’t easy for a lot of people, which meant that trying to reach out and find a way to connect to others was an outlet. And it was a way to remind yourself that you weren’t alone in the world.
The thing is, in circumstances like lockdown, where being alone felt awful, there are times when being alone is absolutely fine and it’s OK for you to want to game alone if you don’t want to connect with other people around the world or you don’t want to join team sport. For example, if you want to play against the computer when you play backgammon instead of playing with somebody in Australia, you can do that and you can have the Peace of Mind to know that you can still play your game without the pressure of interaction. One of the biggest issues with online gaming is that there is a pressure to interact, to laugh and to connect with other people. But what if you just want to play a game and you don’t want to have that part of it?
As technology advances, online gaming is not being left behind and the systemic and the upgrades improvements in the industry allow you to play with anybody at any time and at any pace. So why would a player choose to play alone instead of playing a multiplayer game? Let’s take a look at why people may choose to game alone, and why it’s OK to do so.
- They may not have the bandwidth. As you may already know, most NBN and Internet connections around the world come with unlimited data these days. People don’t often want to have to monitor the data that they are using before it runs out and they can’t use the Internet any longer. And if you are a heavy Internet user, that would be like a disaster. The problem is that the connection isn’t always stable when you are online. If you’re playing around the clock it can become addictive, but if the player’s Internet connection goes down, you’d be able to switch to a solo mode and play offline. This means that you can play the game that you like without having to connect to the Internet, but if you don’t have the bandwidth to connect to it in the first place, then playing online alone is just fine.
- It’s a chance to explore a game and interests for yourself. When you are sitting down and reading a book by yourself, you become immersed in the life and the situation of the characters. It’s very easily done because you’re excited to be able to connect with them on a new level. But as alone video game player, you’re going to end up immersing yourself into a whole new world that’s not yours in the same way you would have book.The Sims is a very popular game for this reason because you can play solo, but you don’t feel like you’re playing solo and all of a sudden 8 hours has passed and you’re still sitting there at the computer gaming. Most lone video game players absolutely love this.
- Don’t have the pressure of competition. When you’re playing a video game by yourself, you’re not having to compete against other people and you’re not trying to stay alive and in character when you’re playing against other people. When you take off the competition, you don’t have to worry about any stress or pressure that comes with it, and you don’t have to be one of those people that slams your controller down because you might have lost.If it’s a competition, there is no real benefit to you because while you may win, it doesn’t feel like a good win. And if you lose, it definitely doesn’t feel like a good loss. You just want to have a pleasant gaming experience that doesn’t involve all of that stress. Which means if you take out the online component and the communication component, you can game alone and be at ease with that.
- You can improve your experience of gaming. The impact of gaming is different for everybody. Multiplayer games allow you to share in the experience, both the highs and the lows of the game and become part of a team. But a shared experience doesn’t often give you the same satisfaction. Being able to complete a game as a single player can often feel better than trying to complete it as a team. Especially if you are trying to build something on your own.
- You can personalize an entire game to your preferences and not have to worry about somebody else. One of the biggest benefits of solo gaming is not having to listen to the way other people want to do things. When you play The Sims, you might sit and create your house with no regard for anybody else’s opinion, because this is your house and your SIM and your game. As a result, your preferences are going to be different, and as a lone video game player, you’ll be able to have a great time, gain ultimate satisfaction and not have to worry about the opinions of others.
- You can play as you please. Almost every video game player likes to be comfortable when they are gaming. Whether you’re wearing headphones so that you don’t disturb other members of the house, or you’re sitting in bed with a laptop on your lap, you can play however you want at whatever time you want. If you’re not part of a global team, you don’t have to worry about waiting for other people to come online just so that you can play. You can just log on and carry on as you were.
Hi! I’m Bryan, and I’m a passionate & expert writer with more than five years of experience. I have written about various topics such as product descriptions, travel, cryptocurrencies, and online gaming in my writing journey. The latter is one of my favorites topics, and you can find some of my premium casino content at OUSC.