Do you play games with subtitles on?

Not on the 1st Playthrough...

Yeah I always do.

all the time

@Archangel3371

@AgeThe6

Huh ? Seriously ?

Don't you find it distracting ?

Always

The sound mixing for games is never perfect. There are always parts in a game where I can never clearly hear what another person is saying.

Always. English isn't my first language and I don't always hear or understand voiceovers; subtitles definitely help, even though I mostly read them subconsciously.

I usually put subtitles on if I can't hear the voices well enough over the sound and music, which is very often the case.

All the time. Oftentimes sound is so poorly balanced in games that you can't hear what characters are saying over the music, making them necessary. Other times, the only way to catch people talking in the background is to read a subtitle that pops up.

Huh.... Maybe I have super hearing... :)

but I doubt it, the truth is I don't actually care about whats being said.... :p

I alternate, but I love having the option. I have two kids and although they sleep on the second floor and my gaming room/office are in the basement, I don't necessarily like keeping the audio cranked super high which is sometimes necessary to be able to hear the dialog. Plus it's a great option if I'm gaming on my laptop while chilling with my wife on the couch and we are both watching TV. The only complaint that I have is when the subtitle pacing is poorly balanced. I don't want the words appearing on the screen 5 or 10 seconds before the characters speak them. The Telltale games are examples of how to do this right, because they scroll each line out roughly in time with the characters speaking their lines. I have a similar issue with TV and movie.

-Byshop

ya ... for some games ..

Nope, not at all.

Yes, I always have the subtitles on while playing video games, but never with movies/tv shows

Always. I like to think my English is good enough to do without, but it's something I'm very used to anyway (since all foreign shows and movies are subtitled in my country). And as others have said, videogames can have questionable sound balancing, so it's not always as easy to understand dialogue.

Usually. Dialogue can go right over my head if I'm not fully focused, so I tend to find it best just to put them on for most games. Then there's stuff like racing games where I don't find it necessary.

Only on the first playthrough.

@Archangel3371

Hmmm... To me subtitles are like flame to a moth. They yank my eyeballs right at them even if I'm trying to focus on whats happening on screen.

Yeah I always do, so when voice actors mumble I don't miss out on what has been said. I will do this with movies when I need to as well.

Recently watched Escape Plan staring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, I needed the subtitles for that I could barley understand a word either of them said

Really good film though enjoyed it, it was tense and kept me guessing what was going to happen.

yeah, i always have it on

I'm very surprised by this poll's results. I expected the results to be mostly "no".

I don't use them; they would distract me too much.

Always on because subs can help you avoid having to "wait, what was that?" when you didn't hear a piece of dialogue...at least you read it and confirmed it immediately.

Always.

Long time i have seen you around here

Always, far too often the spoken dialogue is drowned out due to other background sounds and I hate missing story segments. Although I will admit that it is difficult to look at anything other than the subtitles when they are on the screen.

I feel like I'm one of the few people who can focus on what's going on even with subtitles on.

Never, I find it too distracting. I play with quality HP's on anyway so it's not needed nor am I hearing impaired.

I watched it on DVD awhile ago, I thought it was pretty alright. Nothing special at all of course, but it was enjoyable.

I used too, but now I only use them when I can't actually hear what there saying. Subtitles often make me read faster than there talking, which results in me skipping the voice acting which most times is pretty good. Plus it just takes me out of the immersion now, so I hardly ever use them.

Always on. Don't want to miss any lines of dialogue.

If thugs are going to be constantly revealing crucial plot points like the bad guy's motivation then yes:

- Hey Jack! You know why boss is in puerto rico?

- Well yes. He's building a nuclear bomb here.

And let me tell you this happens a lot in video games. Usually when you're in the tunnels trying to sneak your way passed the guards and avoiding the slightest interaction with them or their voices. Yeah... Good job video games!

Whenever there is an option to do so, yes.

@behardy24

@crimsonbrute:

:P

@behardy24:

I usually keep them on because sound quality is usually not perfect or I am playing later at night and I would rather forgo keeping everyone awake.

Wow, I'm suprised how many play with subs on. I might try it and see.

Subtitles are great. Once you go with it, you'll never want it to stop. Example: I pick up a collection of 20 John Wayne films. When I started watching them, it was hard for me to keep going since there were no subtitles.

@crimsonbrute: I hate to say this,friendo. But...........

(I'm joking of course)

It sticks in your head better when you read it with also hearing it.

I'm not sure if that is scientifically true, but I agree with it.

Same here.

this

Yup.

@Lulu_Lulu: I've never found it distracting. If anything, I find it an necessity to the experience.

Games like Skyrim and fallout I would because of how much those games rely on speech. You can really miss out on an important place or names of people and I find reading the text helps remember.

But with games like CoD and Bioshock the subtitles just gets in the way of the amazing cinematic story.

I think its one of the first things I do.

It definitely helps.

@behardy24:

Yeah i could miss something due to stupid acting or a loud exposion

I have a heavy need to smoke weed, and pause at skits to get a hit, so subtitles work for me.