I have a friend who thinks it odd, almost offensive even, that I do not play my games online. According to him, I am missing the best part of the game. Online multiplayer is the way of the future. I've seen the same sentiment at times in forums discussions.

It's obvious that online multiplayer is not the be all and end all. We need only look at some of the highest profile titles released late last year. Bioshock, Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed were all nominees for Gamespots end of year awards, and offer no multiplayer, online or off. But even in games where multiplayer is available, and perhaps critically acclaimed, it is still something I leave alone.

Here are a number of reasons why I stick mostly to single player (I do play some local co-op from time to time). I'm sure that anyone who doesn't play online shares some of these sentiments.

I Like a Story
I like a bit of story with my game. Understanding your character and what motivates him or her, and the other people in the game is important to me. In many games, you play the hero. If you fail, the game doesn't say 'That's OK, we got someone else to do it'. You are the only hope, the only saviour. At the end of the game, you feel you have accomplished a great achievement because you were able to overcome all of the odds and complete an arduous task. This isn't to say multiplayer games have no story at all, but there is almost no character development, and motivation is often 'kill the other guys/team'. I don't require it for all games (Guitar Hero being a prime example, although even that makes an attempt at a story), but I couldn't play a first-person shooter or action adventure without some semblance of story, some reason why I should be doing what I was.

I Want Control Over my Experience
Once I have come to grips with a games controls and mechanics, I am in control of how I use them. I get to approach ingame situations how I see fit. I can learn how the artificial intelligence responds. In many games I can tailor the difficulty to the challenge I prefer. In a multiplayer game, I lose some of that control. I may not be up the skill level of other players. Methods of play that may have worked for the single player could be useless in multiplayer. I may be forced to play in a method I don't like if it means I want to win. I may get team killed by an unscrupulous player who thinks it is fun.

I Don't Want To Be Abused
If I were to play online, I would want to use a headset. I do not want to be insulted for bad play, which would inevitably be the case when a player first starts playing the multiplayer portions of a game. I've noticed some forum posts about 'noobs' spoiling games by being bad; everyone has to start somewhere. This is a minor point for me, and is perhaps a smaller part of the online gaming community than it is made out to be, but repeated insults would still probably make me drop from a game.

There Are Other Games I Want To Play
Once I've finished the single player portion of a game, I would prefer to begin an all new experience. There are plenty of highly acclaimed games across multiple genres that I have a desire to play. Learning new game mechanics and controls is more exciting than making small, gradual improvements in a multiplayer game. My desire to experience new games is probably the biggest reason why I don't play multiplayer.

I Don't Have Time To Get Good
This ties in to the previous point. Finishing the single player campaign is one thing. Sticking with a multiplayer game to learn all the maps, nuances, and evolving tactics to maintain a competitive edge would take much longer. I feel the time I would need to invest to be competitive in multiplayer games would be better spent simply playing another single player campaign.

To conclude, let me say that these are simply my opinions. I've given multiplayer a try for a few games, and I'm certainly not saying that multiplayer is not fun (it was), but I generally prefer the single player experience. An equally valid rebuttal can be made against most of the above points in support of multiplayer, and I'm sure a decent portion of the gaming population play both. To all the multiplayer aficionados out there wondering how some of us can waste hours of potential entertainment by skipping the multiplayer portion, don't worry; we love games just as much as you do. We just enjoy them for different reasons.