Yeah, I said it. Headphones are the preferred audio set-up for most games.
Deal with it.
Here's why. Recently I was snowed in at work and watching the GameStop tv, the host Kirby (a unnecessarily verbose man, and I do hope you're reading this...), was talking about how he and his friend were playing God of War 3, an extremely cinematic game. At one point, he had his friend play entirely so he could simply sit and watch. Now in that instance, a home theatre system would have been the optimal setting for sounds. But... here's the issue, two people are involved, meanwhile gaming is a (for the most part) solo situation. Game developers love you, game producers don't. Game developers want you to enjoy and fully immerse yourself into the world. (Headphones do the trick), Game producers want you to share the experience with others to increase their customer base.
Ok, maybe that's a bit far-fetched. But it stands to reason that games nowadays are a solo venture (if you're playing online, you're still playing alone, yet online, and chances are pretty good you're using a headset). I think around the time gaming companies started to make less and less games where two people could sit next to each other and game, home theatre systems started its sad Hulk walk out the gamers door.
Does that mean all gamers have headphones and those who use home theatre systems are damn fools?
Yes. Well.... yes. Ok yes and no.
Games are loud; explosions, guns, screams, general disarray are all best experienced in the confines of your own domicile. Unfortunately due to the population growth the humble homes of humans are becoming quickly crowded. Your neighbors are probably just a few feet away. Listening to you, they're probably listening in.... right..... now....
Maybe I'm too polite, maybe I have concern for my neighbors, maybe I just like that my neighbors hear no sound whatsoever coming from my place, but I happen to love headphones (especially ones worth their money, but we've been over that), more than home theatre systems.
Quantum physically? I'm well aware that I'm not actually "in" the game, that's why I'm looking at a small screen and holding a controller. I don't need 5.2 or 7.2 or any such things for my games. It's a nice feature for movies, I guess, but for gaming it's somewhat excessive. Come to think of it, the only gaming system which could realistically use 5.1 sound would be a motion sensing system.... since "technically" you're "inside" the gaming area. Even then, it's a stretch.
I like my games loud, my neighbors happy, and my gaming experience personal. If that means headphones are the way to go. Then that's the way I'm gonna.
The super nerdy kids have multiple headphones for guests.
But Doug, what if you want to talk while you're gaming?
No talking while gaming is in progress. No listening either, you hear me boy?
If I'm playing Uncharted, or God of War, or some such that other people want to watch with, then maybe I'll turn on some speakers, otherwise.... and this might sting a little.... no one else wants to hear your game. I'm sorry, it's true. Quit being that guy who uses his cell phone as a radio and walks around the mall with it turned up. If you use a home theatre system, that's who you are. Don't be that guy.
No comments:
Post a Comment