Ralph Koster states with matter-of-fact arrogance that single-player games are dead. By his definition of multi-player it certainly seems to be true. How does one define a multi-player experience anyway? Is it solely limited to content in the game? I admit, my enjoyment of Oblivion was amplified when I shared my experiences and amusing anecdotes with the gaming community at SA.

However, his point and the point of those arguing against him are both pointless. Why do humans have such a need to categorize everything? When you take into consideration the multi-player aspect of single-player games contained in forums or crowded couches you are inherently generalizing, the more you do that the less significance that category has. Take the fight over whether Pluto was a planet. The whole problem stems from the fact that there was a real need to decide what being a planet really meant, especially with the discovery of objects in our own system that are far bigger than Pluto. If ‘planet’ includes Pluto then it could arguably include Halley’s Comet. So it was decided to more strictly qualify what could be a planet and Pluto; as the wandering, puny, step-brother; lost out. Perhaps that will happen in the gaming community but unlike the field of Astronomy there isn’t really a governing board with the authority to strictly classify games as purely single-player and multi-player, and why should there be? Honestly, why does it even matter?

Games are games and how you enjoy them is up to you. The market responds to likes and dislikes and in a very broad sense what you want to do with the game will eventually reflect in the market. The system is dynamic to a certain extent. So classifying games as single-player or multi-player (and fighting over the differences) is an ultimately futile and pointless exercise, at least in the context of Koster’s article. So good job Koster for pointing out that internets connect us, and good job protesters for arguing over semantics. Honestly, the level of hoopla over this is ridiculous. Maybe if I post a blog about something as painfully obvious but classify it different I’ll get some more traffic too.

Hm, I use my computer everyday… I use the microwave almost everyday… omg, that means the computer is an appliance! I must post bloggings about this! Everyone will want to know how awesome and astute I am!

(3 days later)

Hey, some idiot is claiming a computer is actually an appliance! Lets flame the crap out of him and post angry threads in our forums! This is rly srs guys!