is still alone in a room with the computer, but if the game is well designed it allows the
computer to project the other players onto the screen in a way that greatly exceeds the
expressive potential of, say, a telephone. Yet to the outside world these interpersonal
interactions are not seen as “real.” To them the world players are battling or cooperat-
ing or simply socializing in is not a worthwhile place to be. The millions of fans of
multi-player gaming know that this space becomes real because of the people filling it.
The realness of the other players makes the experience of playing a multi-player game
have a much greater importance than any single-player game can ever manage.
Though commercial multi-player online games have had a rocky history over the
lifetime of the industry, there is no doubt that as a more mass medium they truly started
to take hold in the early 21st century. These multi-player games attract such a particu-
larly devoted following and create such compelling experiences that many cannot help
but wonder: as soon as the rest of the world catches up in terms of technology and play-
ing habits, are the days of solo-play games numbered? Indeed, if one looks at
non-electronic games, multi-player games are as old as games themselves, with sin-
gle-player games such as solitaire being in the extreme minority of available choices. If
one looks at the classics, such as chess,Monopoly,Scrabble,Dungeons & Dragons,Cos-
mic Encounter,Magic: The Gathering,orThe Settlers of Catan, one will see the
incredible breadth and depth of multi-player games. Throw in all forms of sports and
one will see a form whose popularity still greatly exceeds computer games. Though the
legacy of computer-based multi-player games is more limited than their single-player
brethren, the history of human experience with multi-player games gives a rich history
upon which to draw.
Motivations .................................
The popularity of multi-player games makes perfect sense given that they satisfy many
of the player desires laid out in Chapter 1, “What Players Want.” Many developers see
the most immediate advantage of multi-player games as the ability to replace AI oppo-
nents with real humans in order to provide much deeper and more unpredictable
adversaries. This increases the amount of challenge a game can provide, and allows a
game to stay compelling for a much longer period of time. Unlike game AI agents,
player opponents will learn as they play. As players improve, so too do their opponents,
and thus the players’ desire to be challenged is met. An even more significant advan-
tage to having human opponents is the ability for the players to socialize; anyone who
has played a board game can tell you how important socializing among the players is to
that experience. Indeed, many people play multi-player games exclusively because
they want to socialize with the other people playing, not because of a fundamental love
of gaming.
The presence of real players for opponents brings with it a tremendous change in
the players’ perceived importance of playing the game; instead of just winning or losing
the game in private, through their social component multi-player games make each win
and loss a public affair and thus significantly more meaningful. The potential for brag-
ging rights goes up tremendously for a multi-player game since players now have
someone to brag to, as does the potential for shame at a resounding defeat. Regardless
of whether they win or lose, the potential for glory and shame can make playing a
238 Chapter 13: Multi-Player