Backseat Gaming

[Shadsie]

I am wondering if any of you have experienced, one way or another, this phenomemon.

I'm calling it "backseat gaming" after "backseat driving." As we all know, a "backseat driver" is a person who is not at the wheel but has lots of opinions on the way the driver is operating his or her vehicle. "Backseat driving" is one of the main reasons why I don't much like to drive - I don't like listening to it and if it keeps the peace for me to gaze out the window or play my 3DS as a passenger, I'm all for it. I pretty much only drive anywhere if I'm driving alone.

I also think this might be the reason I haven't done a lot of console gaming in a while. My main consoles are in the living room, hooked up to a large screen which has many uses (our TV is primarily used as a computer and household network hub, believe it or not). I most like single-player games and like to get involved in them in much the same way as I get involved in reading a book. I used to play a lot with my Wii and my PS2 when my guy was at work and I could play alone. Recently, he's been between jobs and not only making a lot of use of the TV as a main computer... I know if I play with my Wii or my PS2, I'll not be playing alone...

Sometimes, it's fun to have someone watch you game. My guy helps me with puzzles and sometimes is hilarious (partiuclarly if I'm playing Zelda, since he'll do his "LinkBob the Yokel" voice that he invented for his interpretation of Link). Other times... it's frigging aggravating.

I was playing Okami this evening... (I'd played around with it a little before after buying it a couple of years ago, but haven't given it a serious playthrough until now and am wondering WHY becuase it's an enchanting game). I was in a field and my guy kept insinsting that I look at something I couldn't see.

"To the right."

"I am moving to the right." (I was pressing the right analog stick)

"No you aren't."

*Moves the left stick, all the way around*

"To the RIGHT!"

"Um, I'm moving around, where are you talking about?"

"Over behind the fence."

"What's over behind the fence? I don't see anything."

"Over THERE!"

"Over where? I think those are signs for the vilages."

... And then it degenerated into us yelling at each other, me saying "I'M PLAYING THIS GAME, if you want to play it, PLAY IT!" and handing him the controller. He refused. We yelled some more. And then we got hungry and started asking each other about dinner plans.


And this isn't the first time this has happened. I remember one such incident during the first time I played Shadow of the Colossus had me saying "DON'T TELL ME ANYTHING unless I ask you!" He'd look up Game FAQs, but I was adamant about not wanting to know how to do anything so I could figure out things myself. Apparently, he saw that it was important to me to figure things out on my own. I remmeber back when I was playing Twilight Princess for the first time that we had someting of a marital fight over my wanting to figure out a puzzle on my own and his wanting to figure it out for me in the Temple of Time. Since then, it's not as bad as it used to be, but every once in a while, these little backseat gaming moments happen.

And just so no one thinks I'm being too hard on my resident backseat gamer.... I do it, too. When our roles are reversed, I can be just as bad. I actually try to be mindful of it, because my brain keeps a mental record of thee aggraviations for some reason, but I find myself slipping into it if he's playing a single player game or a game on single-player.... especially if it's a game I know well, I'll go into full spoiler-giver mode and try to tell him what moves to make.


What is it about watching other people play videogames does this to us even when we don't have a desire at the time to be playing ourselves?

It seems like everyone I know (even those who don't game very often) turns into a control freak who wants to play the game through the person who is actually playing it. Why is this?

 

[Ventus]

The reason why they want to play through the current holder of the controls is because they themselves do not have the controls. There's an itching desire in them to play the game however they can - and wrestling the controller away is not an option - so they go with the next best method which is "mind control". I know that because I, too, am one of those backseat gamers. I play through my brothers sometimes and everytime I see them make what I perceive as a wrong move, I sigh heavily or make some sort of signal that rings "displeasure" into their ears.

And yes, backseat gaming is only fun when you're doing it. If someone backseats on you, it just isn't fun. inb4 doublestandards

 

[Mellow Ezlo]

I absolutely hate it when people do that to me.

Even though, I am notorious for doing that too much to other people

 

[ILU]

Being somebody who has grown up in a family full of gamers, I am quite familiar with backseat gamers, and I'd say I am one as well. It has never bothered me, and I actually really enjoy it when a backseat gamer is just as into the game through watching it as I am playing it.

This is how I enjoyed Resident Evil games before I could handle playing them myself, and it's also how I enjoy some single-player games that I have to share. Usually I play a level then switch and become the BSG, then back to playing.

I just really enjoy social gaming, so maybe that's why it doesn't bother me... Unless they've already played it and spoil it. I haaate that.

 

[Skittles]

My brother did it to me all the freaking time...and the worst part, he didn't know what he was doing! His advice never helped. So, usually, I'd have to tell him to shut up and "STOP 'HELPING' ME!" etc.

Not like I ever do the same thing.

Okay, I do, but usually I actually have either beaten the game or happen to be an overall better gamer than he is. I also...usually only do it when he asks because I kind of enjoy sometimes watching him...errr...fail...at least a little.

 

[DarkestLink]

I would prefer watching a LP--a non-live LP. Sometimes the LP is masterful enough to not need it...but a lot of LPers have games they screw up on a fair bit and can afford to edit it out, which you kinda can't do live. Also, the commentary feels more intelligent when it's planned.

 

[Musicfan]

I would prefer watching a LP--a non-live LP. Sometimes the LP is masterful enough to not need it...but a lot of LPers have games they screw up on a fair bit and can afford to edit it out, which you kinda can't do live. Also, the commentary feels more intelligent when it's planned.

This is off topic but Ill reply.
It is completly robotic and Unspontaneous shore have a topic but dont read from script. Intelligent sounding=/= intelligences,entertainment. It is to easy to read a script.


Ontopic I dont mind back seat gameing it can be fun and adds to the excitment with a brawl katch or some other competive game.

 

[Mercedes]

I hate it when people act like this. When I'm watching friends play I just sit back and giggle and talk, but so many will point out things to me and always get a stern "I know!" from them. It's okay if it genuinely is help and it's not a constant stream of information through my ear, but I find most backseat gaming is stuff like "Wait, did you see that?" when I did see it, but I'm looking somewhere else or exploring first. Something like that. I've rarely had it actually be helpful, and more often than not it's just annoying!