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Forums - General Discussion - Do you let others win at video games?

I do, but only with local multiplayer games. (I couldn't care less about online players) Letting people win against me in video games increases my enjoyment quite a bit. Let me explain. I play local competitve games for two main reasons: 1.) to overcome difficulty, and 2.)  to bond with friends. 

If I'm dominating a game, there is obviously no diffficulty to overcome. Therefore, a significant contributing factor in my enjoyment is nonexistent. I've seen people dominating games for hours on end and I see them having the best time of their life. I cannot understand this. If I'm playing someone of a considerably lower skill level than myself, I'll take it easy on them. When I do this, I give my opponent an advantage that counters or even surpasses my skill advantage. By giving a lesser skilled opponent a substantial advantage, I present myself with a challenge. I'm put in a position where I actually have to test my skills. I have to put forth a decent effort to overcome difficult odds. I feel like I'm actively trying and competing and a video game. I actually get to enjoy games this way. On the contrary, if I hadn't given my opponent an advantage, I wouldn't have have any challenge at all. 

I can't have fun if my opponent isn't having fun. In conjuction with challenge, the other significant factor in my enjoyment is the bonding with friends. A large motive for playing video games isn't just to have fun playing video games; it's the usage of video games as a means of developing & maintain a comrodery. When I'm done with a gaming session and I reflect on how much fun I had, I don't think of how often I won versus how often I lost. I think of my interaction with my friend. If I sense my friend isn't truly having a good time, whether he admits it or not, then it's hard for me to have a good time. It's hard for me to be pleased at the cost of my opponent being bored or demoralized. When I have local multiplayer sessions, my maximum enjoyment level is limited by the enjoyment of my friend. I guess seeing others happy makes me happy myself.

As you can see, I'm more concerned with the experience of gaming. Contrarily, others may not truly care for the experience - they're more focused on the arbitrary title as 'winner' or 'loser.' I know people with this mentality and I don't truly understand it. I cannot understand what's so fulfulling about the mere winning or the losing.  It's like the old saying "It's not reaching the top of the mountain that's important. It's the climb and the journey to the top." Or something like that. Basically, it's my experience during a match that counts - the thinking, the planning, the experimenting, the risk-taking, the bonding, etc. It's not the end-result that counts. If I were to have a rich gaming experience twice, once winning and once losing. The difference in enjoyment between the two would be extremely tiny. But for others, winning and losing defines 'fun' for them. 

Some people don't like when I let them win, but I don't care. If I feel a situation warrants me to ease up, then I will ease up. Sometimes, it happens unconsiously. Of course, I'm sure to make it unnoticeable to my opponent. I don't do it for them, I do it for myself, to improve my experience. I guess you could argue that I'm selfish in this way.



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Yeah. If I'm playing online with some of my buds, I usually let them win because their victory chants and screams are downright hilarious.



At first I do, but then I don't.

I like them to think that I'm an average player, and we are both at the same level, and then I go on a winning spree.

I can only do this playing tekken though...



Not outright win, but I'll give them an advantage when I'm playing with people who are clearly worse than me. For example, in FIFA I'll get the shittiest team possible.



No troll is too much for me to handle. I rehabilitate trolls, I train people. I am the Troll Whisperer.

All depends on the game I guess. Usually my friends and I love bragging rights so more often than not, I don't let them win. But I usually only will face my friends in sports games locally and online they will be on my team for shooters or sports games etc.



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not anymore.



Whenever I play Mario Retardy, I always give everyone a 3 star handicap, because I never lose a game. It's really eerie.
The one time I came close, I was down like 2 stars, and she landed on a trade square and ended giving me half her stars, or 3 or something, I can't remember clearly, but I remember it was last turn, last player, and I ended up winning.

ANother time, I was down one star, needed to get exactly an 8 for my double dice, closed my eyes, got it, then got the right thingamajig and gave me another star to tie, and then I won in bonus stars. It's ridiculous how long my Mario Retardy winning streak has gone.

Even in this one game, I tried to do poorly, failed all the minigames, etc, and then in the halfway bonus round, everyone had to give me a star and suddenly I was tied for lead and then next turn landed on a star.



No, I do not discriminate I Pwn everyone equally. Only when I lose I tell them that Ilet them win on purpose.



 

Bet with gooch_destroyer, he wins if FFX and FFX-2 will be at $40 each for the vita. I win if it dont

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No. Im a bad loser at games.



Yes, sometimes. Especially if they are really new at a game - or a young nice/nephew young person. I think everyone should get a chance to win once in a while. It's supposed to be fun, and being beaten all the time without mercy is something an very immature and insecure person (baby) does in my opinion.

Recently, I was playing Forza 4 with a buddy and letting him win cause he had never played. He LOVES racing games, so got really good very quickly. He plays us games that he is very, very good at - and we have never seen before - and loves to beat the pants off of everyone.

Then I decided to play more for real - but not let him get too far behind - as I didn't want to shame him. Then, when I was about to win, he just put the controller down and went to the bathroom. (not pausing the game.)

I said, "You beat us ALL the time, and now, you are not going to let me enjoy a victory?"

He just scurried away - I'm not sure if to hide or cry - he is in his 40's by the way. He didn't make it to the bathroom, just went to whine to his wife.

Then I realize what a pathetic douche bag my friend was. I play for fun, but for whatever reason, he could not handle being beaten.

People like that just suck the fun out of the room.

So yes, I let people win sometimes, but sometimes most of the people I play with are ok at losing too.



 

Really not sure I see any point of Consol over PC's since Kinect, Wii and other alternative ways to play have been abandoned. 

Top 50 'most fun' game list coming soon!

 

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